The Hillsdale College football team enters the 2025 season aiming for a breakthrough after several seasons of competitive finishes but near-.500 records.

The other coaches of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference seem to think that's possible, tabbing Hillsdale for a finish in the top half of the conference in the preseason poll released on Tuesday afternoon.

The G-MAC coaches picked Hillsdale to finish fourth in the conference. Hillsdale also was picked fourth last year and finished in that spot in the 2024 final standings. Defending champion Ashland was picked to repeat, with seven first place votes, while two other recent G-MAC title winners, Tiffin and Findlay, were picked to finish second and third, respectively. The full results of the poll are below.

The Chargers finished 2024 with a 6-5 record but went 6-1 in its final seven games, including an upset of Tiffin at home in the final week of the season. Hillsdale will look to carry that momentum forward with several key players returning, including two preseason All-American selections, junior wideout Shea Ruddy and junior linebacker Jacob Vance, both of whom earned All-Region and All-Conference honors in 2024.

Ruddy is one of the most electric players in the conference and an honorable mention All-American as a kick returner in 2024, and headlines a deep and experienced receiver corps for sophomore Colin McKernan, a returning starter at quarterback, to work with. While Hillsdale does graduate its top rusher and multiple starting offensive linemen, it can turn to experienced depth at both positions with third, fourth and fifth year players with extensive playing time manning every spot in the lineup.

Defensively, Vance leads a unit that started slow but was one of the G-MAC's best by the end of the season, shutting down the conference's top offense in Tiffin and holding Ohio Dominican to just 120 yards of total offense in the season finale. Hillsdale has two disruptors on the line in senior Hunter Sperling and junior Drake Badger, both in the top 10 in the G-MAC in tackles for loss, and have additional playmakers in the linebacking corps with Vance, Kaden Evans and Carson Ingram. The Chargers also have veteran starters in the secondary hoping to put together the best full season for Hillsdale on that side of the ball since the last G-MAC championship in 2018.

Hillsdale opens the season on the road on Sept. 6 with a new opponent, traveling to McKendree to face the Bearcats for just the second time in program history and the first time since 2017. The Chargers host in-state rival Michigan Tech for their home opener the following weekend, on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m., before embarking on the G-MAC schedule. You can find the full 2025 schedule for Hillsdale here.

2025 Great Midwest Football Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Ashland- 88 points (7 first place votes)
2. Tiffin- 83 points (2 first place votes)
3. Findlay- 75 points (1 first place vote)
4. Hillsdale- 64 points
5. Northwood- 60 points
6. Walsh- 48 points
7. Ohio Dominican- 45 points
8. Thomas More- 41 points
9. Lake Erie- 24 points
10. Kentucky Wesleyan- 22 points