The University of Minnesota Duluth football team announced its six captains for the 2026 season on Monday, an experienced group of four redshirt juniors and two redshirt seniors. The six tasked with leading the Bulldogs in the fall are redshirt junior Carter Geerts, redshirt junior Preston McQueen, redshirt senior Nick Ojile, redshirt junior Ryder Patterson, redshirt senior Ross Rivord, and redshirt junior Jonathan Shrum.
 
"This group of young men has been leading our program since they arrived on campus," said head coach Curt Wiese. "They have continued to lead our team this off-season, and I look forward to working with them as the captains of UMD Football."
 
The group helped lift the program to its 22nd NSIC Championship title, 13th NSIC North Division title, and 13th appearance in the NCAA II postseason last year.
 
Geerts, a Rochester, Minn. native, last season earned his first spot on the NSIC All-Conference First Team after keeping the pressure off Kyle Walljasper through all 11 regular season matchups. As an anchor on the line, his effort enabled the offense to rank seventh in the country in scoring and second in passing efficiency. He also added his first College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection as a redshirt sophomore and earned his second NSIC Fall Academic Team of Excellence honor.
 
McQueen, a defensive back from Henderson, Nev., earned his second NSIC All-Conference selection last season after totaling 28 tackles (25 solo) in the regular season with a tackle and a sack for a loss of seven yards. He also picked off opposing quarterbacks twice, with one returning for a gain of 27 yards. 
 
Ojile, a Blaine, Minn., native, earned seven receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown last season. Overall, as a redshirt senior, he has 148 receiving yards in 17 receptions with four touchdowns, including a 41-yard reception in 2024. Last season, he added his second NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honor. Notably, he joins his brother Zach Ojile in the list of all-time UMD Captains who lead the team in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
 
Patterson, a wide receiver from Lakeville, Minn., last season rushed for one touchdown with 255 yards on 42 carries, and added a receiving touchdown with 197 yards in 20 receptions. He also doubled as a kick returner in four games with a total of 133 yards. Overall, across three seasons, he has averaged 6.5 yards per rush and 11 yards per catch. At the end of the season, he was selected to the NSIC Fall All-Academic Team for the first time.
 
Rivord, a Superior, Wis., native, last season totaled 41 tackles (24 solo), 6.5 tackles for a loss of 15 yards, and broke through to the quarterback 1.5 times for a loss of eight yards. This culminated in a selection to the NSIC All-Conference Second Team. Overall, across two seasons, he has appeared in 21 games, totaling 55 tackles with 30 solo. 10 tackles marked in for a total loss of 29 yards, and he reached the quarterback 2.5 times in his career for a loss of 19 yards.
 
Shrum, a defensive back from Farmington, Minn., last season earned his first and second career NSIC All-Conference selections for both defense and special teams. Throughout the regular season, he combined for 31 total tackles (24 solo) with two tackles for a loss of five yards and one interception with three passes broken up. In kick returns, he completed the regular season in second place in the NSIC with an average of 29 yards. He also earned the coveted NSIC Player of the Week award for special teams.
 
The six will lead UMD into its 93rd season in program history in 2026.