HOT ROUTES
*    Gardner-Webb has 31 freshman or sophomores on its 2021 spring depth chart entering its opener vs. Elon.

*    Gardner-Webb returns two receivers coming off a 50+ catch season for 2021, its first time doing so since 2008,
    when James Perry III and Dobson Collins each did so.

*    Receiver Izaiah Gathings had nearly half (13) of Gardner-Webb's 29 explosive pass plays last season (25+ yards).

*    Speed demon Devron Harper was named preseason All-Big South at four different positions by Phil Steele's
    College Football Preview. Harper earned a nod at receiver, kickoff return man, punt return man and all-purpose back.

*    Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb (31, September 16, 1989) is the second youngest head coach in the FCS ranks 
    currently, with only new Austin Peay skipper Scotty Walden (30, November 15, 1989) slightly younger.

*    Gardner-Webb's full-time coaching staff is the youngest in the Division I ranks, with an average of 28.9 years 
    old per man.

*    Gardner-Webb returns a All-Big South Conference inside linebacker Cade Hamilton after a breakout season.
    Hamilton was a second-team selection in 2019 and had 19 tackles in one game vs. Hampton (Oct. 12, 2019).

*    GWU has seen 71 of its football standouts earn postseason FCS All-America honors since 2000.

*    To nobody's surprise, Gardner-Webb has never opened a football season in February.

*    Gardner-Webb will play four of its six spring football dates at home. Three of those four opponents are
    currently ranked in the Stats FCS Top 25.

THE GAME
Gardner-Webb will host No. 24 Elon on Saturday, February 27, in its first ever spring varsity football game. Kickoff is set for 3:00 PM in Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. The game will stream live on ESPN+, with Phil Constantino and former Carolina Panther and University of Maryland standout Al Wallace on the call. The game will also air live on WGNC 1450 AM / 101.1 FM with Dave Friedman and former Penn State footballer Reginald Walker, Jr.
  
SERIES NOTES
Elon holds a 21-10 series lead over Gardner-Webb, with the first meeting dating back to 1969 when the Runnin' Bulldogs were transitioning to senior college status (NAIA). The two have met three times with both as full-fledged Division I members, with GWU holding a 2-1 lead in those meetings. The Runnin' Bulldogs won a Big South Conference title with a 2002 win over the Phoenix, dropped a triple overtime result in 2015 and won 31-6 over Elon in the 2016 season opener.

THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb's Tre Lamb is in his first season as a college head coach. The second-youngest head coach in all of Division I football, Lamb has served as offensive coordinator at his alma mater Tennessee Tech and has called plays  on the Division I level for four seasons. Elon skipper Tony Trisciani is 6-6 in his second season in charge of the Phoenix and has his squad ranked in the national top-25.

LOOKING AHEAD
Gardner-Webb will turn its attention to the spring barring an unforseen development for a second fall game. The Runnin' Bulldogs open that slate with Monmouth on March 20 and also host Kennesaw State (March 27) in league play. GWU plays road games at Charleston Southern (April 3) and Robert Morris (April 10).

HAMMER TIME
Cade Hamilton (6-1, 223, So.) went down early with an injury at East Carolina in 2019 and missed the following two games before getting clearance to return to practice during Gardner-Webb's open date. The former East Rutherford (N.C.) High star made a triumphant return at Western Carolina, collecting nine big tackles in a 24-21 win. He was even better in the Hampton win (10/12), collecting a career-high 19 total tackles (nine solo) while filling in for suspended starter Darien Reynolds (targeting). Hamilton stepped up and stopped Hampton's Deondre Francois at the two-yard line going in as time expired in the first half, keeping a 24-21 deficit intact heading into the locker room. That earned Hamilton honorable mention national Defensive Player of the Week honors and sparked a major production surge. Hamilton went on to earn second-team All-Big South Conference honors after collecting 87 total tackles in 2019. He is a preseason All-Big South choice heading into his junior season. Hamilton had an eye-popping 319 total tackles in his final two high school seasons at East Rutherford.

BIG PLAY ZAY
Perhaps the biggest riser last season in the FCS nationally was Gardner-Webb receiver Izaiah Gathings (6-4, 225, Jr.). His emergence as a sophomore included 71 catches for 1,046 yards and 11 touchdowns – all significant career-highs – and first-team All-Big South honors. Gathings also earned sophomore All-America honors from Hero Sports and is a preseason FCS All-America selection in 2021. He has an active streak of four-straight games with at least 10 catches and 100+ yards receiving. Both are Big South Conference records, as is a streak of four-straight games with at least one touchdown catch.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Gardner-Webb named five permanent team captains prior to the 2021 spring season. Offensive captains are: Izaiah Gathings (Jr.), Carter Francis (R-So.) and Narii Gaither (So.). Defensive captains are Shai Thomas (Sr.) and Dameon Williams (R-Jr.). The quintet has shown exceptional leadership during a very difficult past year for college football student-athletes.

JACK IS BACK
Saturday's game vs. Elon is kind of a big deal for Gardner-Webb punter Jack Pawloski (6-0, 190, Gr.). The Florence, S.C., native was recently named the top returning punter in the Big South by Hero Sports, after averaging  41.9 yards per kick in 2019. Pawloski graduated from Elon in 2019 after spending three seasons with the Phoenix football team.

SPEED RACER
Gardner-Webb's Devron Harper (5-10, 165, So.) is one of the most electrifying players in the Division I FCS ranks. A two-time state champion in Georgia as a high jumper and blessed with sprinters' speed, Harper was a Freshman All-America selection in 2019 after catching 51 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned 35 kickoffs for 855 yards and a 99-yard touchdown, while also averaging 6.1 yards per punt return. His 1,600 all-purpose yards established him as the Big South's premier threat in all phases of the game. Phil Steele named Harper a preseason All-Big South selection at four different positions heading into the 2020-2021 season. The former Heritage (Ga.) High star will field punts, kickoffs and catch passes again in 2021 for the Runnin' Bulldogs.

A NEW CREW
Whoever takes the first snap of the 2021 spring season for Gardner-Webb at quarterback will be a brand new starter for the Runnin' Bulldogs. There are no signal callers on the current roster who have ever played in a game for GWU. Graduate transfer Carlton Aiken (6-2, 220, Gr.) joined the program in January after earning Conference Player of the Year honors at Division II Pace (N.Y.) University in 2019. Tayvon Bowers (6-1, 200, R-Jr.) transferred last January from Wake Forest and is a former three-star recruit from powerhouse Bishop McDevitt (Pa.) High in Central Pennsylvania.  Southpaw Jy Tolen (6-0, 185, Fr.) was also a three-star recruit in high school after starring at Gilbert (S.C.) High near Columbia. Tolen's senior season saw him toss 47 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

ALSO NEW
Gardner-Webb's entire offensive line group of starters will be new on Saturday. Anchored by All-Pioneer League transfer center Dan Wittekind (6-3, 305, Gr.) from Marist College, the new front five will average 296.6 pounds per man. Projected to join Wittekind up front are guards Gabe Thompson (6-3, 321, R-Fr.) and Kyle Schneider (6-4, 280, So.) and tackles Travis Polson (6-3, 274, R-Fr.) and Clayton Frady (6-5, 295, Fr.). Frady will be the first true freshman to start at left tackle for GWU since former All-Big South standout Will Milliken did so in 2015 at South Alabama.

ON THE AIR AGAIN
Gardner-Webb football will have a broadcast presence on a commercial radio station again in 2021. All six spring season games, and any postseason games, will air live on WGNC (1450 AM / 101.1 FM) in Gastonia, N.C. Veteran play-by-play man Dave Friedman and a color analyst Reginald Walker, Jr. will serve as talent. Walker is a former collegiate player at Penn State and veteran of the television industry. The station is available online via the TuneIn app.

THE STREAM TEAM
Each of Gardner-Webb's four spring home games will stream live on ESPN+ ($4.99 per month subscription), with a new braodcast crew on tap. Penn State graduate Phil Constantino, Gardner-Webb's brand new Director of Broadcasting, will serve as play-by-play voice. He will be joined this season by former Carolina Panther and University of Maryland star Al Wallace. 

ZERO PROBLEMS
Quarterback Carlton Aiken (6-2, 220, Gr.) and defensive end Shai Thomas (6-2, 271, Sr.) will be the first Gardner-Webb players to ever wear the #0 jersey in a college game for the Runnin' Bulldogs. The jersey number was previously unavailable as a choice until a recent NCAA rules change.

HE'S NOT SHAI
Gardner-Webb defender Shai Thomas (6-2, 271, Sr.) has been in the mix for All-Big South Conference honors at linebacker for the past two seasons, narrowly missing out on postseason honors. A genuine need for a pass rusher in the new defensive scheme and Thomas adding nearly 20 pounds of muscle to his frame meant a move down to defensive end for the Anderson, S.C., native. He has excelled during the preseason and is expected to be a havoc causing factor in 2021.

BONJOUR
Sometimes a true freshmen generates enough preseason hype to create excitement among the most unexpected spots. Gardner-Webb defensive end Ty French (6-3, 230, Fr.) has done just that so far during his time in Boiling Springs. The former Colquitt County (Ga.) High star has been a terror up front since arriving on campus, living up to his three-star ranking and then some. French will start at rush end on Saturday against No. 24 Elon.

SEEING DOUBLE
Gardner-Webb will, for the first time in its history, have players in double jersey numbers for the 2021 season and beyond. Players in jerseys 0, 1, 2, 5, 7, 13, 14 and 15 have spots on both sides of the ball. The NCAA rule allowing double jersey numbers simply states that those players cannot be on the field at the same time. This is the first season Gardner-Webb has taken advantage of the opportunity.

AGAINST THE CAA
Gardner-Webb is 3-2 in its Division I history against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association in football. GWU played #23 New Hampshire on the road on November 11, 2000 during its transition season and took a 38-35 win over the Wildcats. The Runnin' Bulldogs earned a split with Richmond in 2012 and 2013 – knocking off the No. 12 Spiders by a 12-10 score at home in 2013. Gardner-Webb has split two games so far during the Division I era with Elon. The 'Dogs lost a triple overtime battle at home in 2015 and won on the road to open the 2016 campaign.

BIG NATE
Defensive tackle Janathian Turner (6-3, 306, Jr.), who will wear jersey No. 7 this season, came on strong as a starter near the end of his true freshman campaign in 2018 and emerged as an All-Conference caliber performer as a sophomore in 2019. The Atlanta, Ga., native is the team's top returning backfield distruptor and fits in very well with Gardner-Webb's 4-2-5 defensive scheme.

BACKFIELD IN MOTION
Gardner-Webb enters the 2021 spring campaign with a nationally-known All-America pair at receiver and the duo will likely continue to flourish in the new Air Raid passing attack. Equally as impressive during preseason camp was Gardner-Webb's stable of capable running backs. Led by versatile and fast Narii Gaither (5-10, 177, So.), the backs put smiles on the coaching staffs' faces. Gaither, who had a breakout game last season vs. Campbell, is the starter. He will be pushed by veteran speedster Dexter Brown (6-0, 192, R-So.), who redshirted in 2019 after a strong season opener at Charlotte. New scholarship receipient D.J. Hancock (5-9, 174, R-So.) and local star Jalin Graham (6-1, 195, Fr.) are also more than ready to carry – and catch – the rock in 2021.

UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb will continue its early homestand, hosting new Pioneer League member Presbyterian on Saturday, March 6, in Boiling Springs. Opening kickoff is set for 1:00 pm. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and will air on WGNC 1450 AM / 101.1 FM. The game is the second of four-straight home games for GWU to open the spring.