Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. Ririe
T-2. North Fremont
T-2. West Jefferson
T-4. Firth
T-4. Salmon
Written by: Jack Davis
The 3A Nuclear Conference enters the 2026 season with a clear favorite and several teams trying to chase them down.
Ririe went 11-1 last season and finished undefeated in conference play, putting the Bulldogs firmly at the top of the preseason conversation. North Fremont went 8-3 and returns enough young talent to remain a serious contender. West Jefferson also finished 8-3 and has been mentioned by multiple coaches as a team capable of making a jump.
Firth and Salmon have more ground to make up, but both return many young players who gained valuable experience last season.
The conference could come down to which teams replace their graduating stars the fastest. There is plenty of two-way talent throughout the league, and that experience could make the difference in a conference where the margin between teams can be quite small.
RIRIE
Ririe enters 2026 as the team everyone else in the Nuclear Conference will be chasing.
The Bulldogs went 11-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play last season, establishing themselves as the class of the league. The challenge now is doing it again after graduating 13 seniors.
Head coach Josh Huntsman said it is difficult to pick just one player from that group who will be missed.
That puts plenty of responsibility on the returning players.
Bryce Barber is back at fullback and linebacker, while Robbie Humphrey returns at center and defensive line. John Slachter provides experience on both sides of the line, and DC Turner returns at defensive end.
Ririe also has young players ready to take a bigger step. Junior Kyler Lewis returns at running back and safety, while Sadler Brown gives the Bulldogs another option at defensive end. Razden Harris returns at linebacker and tight end.
The offense will continue to revolve around ball control.
That identity worked for Ririe last season, and there is little reason to abandon it. The Bulldogs want to control the game physically, stay on schedule and make opponents defend them for four quarters.
Defensively, tackling remains the foundation.
Ririe wants to be physical and disciplined, and that becomes even more important when replacing a large senior class.
The Bulldogs' biggest question is whether the younger players can develop quickly enough to sustain last year's standard.
After going 11-1, there isn't much left for Ririe to prove.
Now the Bulldogs have to prove they can replace 13 seniors without losing what made them so difficult to beat.
NORTH FREMONT
North Fremont has some big holes to fill, but the Huskies also have a strong group of returning players ready to make those holes their own.
The Huskies went 8-3 last season and finished second in the Nuclear Conference. Now head coach Jason Wright will turn to a younger group that already gained valuable varsity experience.
Reuger Lenz returns at quarterback and strong safety, giving North Fremont experience at two of the most important positions on the field. Dodge Wynn returns at fullback and defensive tackle, while Scott Taylor gives the Huskies another two-way option along the line.
Beckett Cikaitoga also returns at running back and linebacker.
Those four will be important because North Fremont lost several players who were central to last year's success.
Travis Marshall was the team's top receiver and one of its best defensive backs. Owen Reid could line up almost anywhere and became the team's Swiss Army knife. Andrew Martin led the Huskies in rushing, while Bryce Nedrow was a standout linebacker and left tackle.
Then there was Cameron Shuldberg, who was named Nuclear Conference Defensive Player of the Year and provided stability at right tackle.
That's a lot of production to replace.
But North Fremont isn't starting from scratch.
Crew Cikaitoga is an incoming athlete who could make an impact, while the returning players have already been through a varsity season and understand what is expected.
Athleticism should be one of the Huskies' biggest strengths. Wright has multiple players who can contribute at different skill positions, giving North Fremont the ability to move pieces around.
The emphasis will be on fundamentals.
Blocking, snap counts, gap discipline and tackling may not be the flashiest parts of football, but North Fremont believes those details will determine its ceiling.
The Huskies have enough talent to remain near the top of the conference.
Now they have to prove the younger players can replace the production of last year's stars.
WEST JEFFERSON
West Jefferson might be the team nobody wants to see sitting across from them late in the season.
The Panthers went 8-3 last year and finished third in the Nuclear Conference, but coaches around the league have already pointed to West Jefferson as a potential surprise in 2026.
The reason is simple: there is talent.
Canon Calder returns as one of the Panthers' most important athletes, giving West Jefferson a player capable of making an impact on both sides of the ball.
The Panthers also bring back several younger contributors. Isaac Hall, Justin Perkins and Hobbs Hall all gained significant defensive experience last season, while other returning players provide depth throughout the roster.
West Jefferson does have to replace important production from last year's team, particularly in the running game.
That puts pressure on the returning players to grow quickly.
Calder could become a major part of the offensive transition, while the defensive group gives the Panthers a solid foundation. Hobbs Hall was especially productive as a sophomore, while Perkins and Isaac Hall provide experience behind him.
Then there is the size.
North Fremont coach Jason Wright specifically mentioned West Jefferson's ability to put big bodies along the offensive line, and that could become one of the Panthers' biggest advantages.
At 8-3 last season, West Jefferson already showed it can win games.
The next step is winning more of the games inside its own conference.
A 2-2 conference record leaves plenty of room for improvement, and the Panthers have enough returning talent to make it happen.
If the younger players take another step and Calder becomes the player West Jefferson believes he can be, this could be the team that makes the biggest jump in the Nuclear Conference.
FIRTH
Firth enters 2026 looking for more consistency after finishing 3-7 overall and 1-3 in conference play last season.
The Cougars have something important working in their favor: several of their most promising players are still young.
Grant Vasquez is at the front of that group.
Vasquez was already one of Firth's most productive players as a sophomore, rushing for 91.3 yards per game and scoring 10 total touchdowns. Now a junior, he has another year of experience and should be one of the players Firth builds around.
The Cougars also return Quinton Hall, Brycen Andersen, Brock Johnson and Gage Lizarraga, among others. Each gained experience last season, and each will have an opportunity to become more important in 2026.
That matters for a team replacing senior production.
Firth can't simply replace last year's players one-for-one. The younger players have to become better players than they were a year ago.
Vasquez gives the Cougars a reliable starting point offensively. His running ability should allow Firth to establish an identity, but the players around him will need to make enough plays to keep defenses from keying on him.
Defensively, Firth will once again need its two-way players to be dependable.
The Cougars finished fourth in the conference last season, but the gap between them and the teams above them is something they can begin closing.
The biggest question is whether Firth can turn its young experience into consistent football.
If it can, the Cougars have a chance to make the standings look very different by the end of the season.
SALMON
Salmon enters its second season under head coach Keith Director hoping that familiarity can lead to improvement.
The Savages went 2-7 overall and 0-4 in conference play last season. Now, with a full season in Director's offensive and defensive systems behind them, the players should have a much better understanding of what is expected.
That could be important for a young roster.
Junior Pason Phillips returns at quarterback, while junior Maddox Thimmons is back at running back. Senior Gabe Platz gives Salmon an experienced target at receiver.
The offensive line also has plenty of youth and experience. Sophomore Brayden Brewer returns at left tackle and linebacker, junior Tanner Howell returns at right guard and defensive end, sophomore Brock Jarvis is back at center, and junior Jack Lewis returns at right tackle.
Senior Cash Griffith also joins the group at left guard.
That gives Salmon a chance to build its offense from the inside out.
The Savages have depth at running back and along the line, but Director wants to avoid one of last year's biggest problems: getting stuck in third-and-long situations.
Defensively, Salmon uses multiple fronts, including the 3-4 and 4-4. The focus this year is limiting big plays.
That's easier said than done, but the Savages now have a year of experience in the system.
For Salmon, that experience could be the difference.
The Savages finished fifth in the conference last season, but they have several young players who now have a full varsity season under their belts.
The goal isn't simply about the win-loss record.
It's to become competitive for all nine games, something they were unable to maintain last season.
If Phillips, Thimmons and the young offensive line develop together, Salmon could take an important step forward in Director's second season.