CHENEY, Wash.  — The leadership on the field has been decided for Eastern Washington football as the team has elected its captains for the fall. 

Head coach Aaron Best announced six Eagle captains for the 2026 season, beginning with defensive tackle Isaiah Perez. He continues his leadership role after being elected a captain for the second consecutive season. Joining Perez are linebacker Samarai Anderson, quarterback Nate Bell, running back Malik Dotson, kicker Soren McKee, and defensive end Ben Voigtlaender

Earning the No. 4 Jersey in 2025, Perez made nine starts and played in all 12 games, leading the team with 4.0 sacks and ranking fifth with 51 tackles. Perez blocked four kicks, for the FCS lead and breaking the EWU program record for blocked kicks in a single season. The redshirt-senior earned All-Big Sky honorable mention. In his career, Perez has 89 total tackles and 5.0 sacks in 35 games played. Perez will represent Eastern at the Big Sky Kickoff Weekend in July at Northern Quest Casino and Resort. 

Bell played all over the field last season, playing in 10 games and making five starts at quarterback, with one at receiver. The redshirt-junior passed for a team-leading 1003 yards and seven touchdowns, while completing 53.7 percent of his passes. Bell also led the team in rushing with 663 yards on 118 attempts (5.7 yards per carry), while scoring seven touchdowns. He ranked eighth in the Big Sky in rushing yards and 11th in touchdowns. Through his production on offense, Bell earned All-Big Sky honorable mention. 

Dotson returns for his fourth season in Cheney after being sidelined this past season with injuries. In the 2024 season, Dotson rushed for 505 yards on 85 attempts - 5.9 per carry - with four touchdowns. The Lakewood, Wash. native added 153 yards on 12 receptions. Dotson has 563 career rushing yards as an Eagle. Earlier this month, Dotson was selected to join Perez and represent EWU at the Big Sky Kickoff Weekend.

Anderson enters his fourth season with Eastern and has appeared in 28 games for the Eagles. The redshirt-junior has 72 tackles in his career with 1.0 sack and two fumble recoveries. In the 2025 season, Anderson tallied 42 tackles to rank ninth on the team, while making five for a loss, including one sack. Anderson recorded both of his fumble recoveries this past season and added four pass breakups.

McKee is going into his fifth season with Eastern and fourth as the starting kicker. This past season, McKee went 11-for-13(84.6%) on field goals, setting a career-long with a 51-yard made kick against Sacramento State. He was 29-of-30(96.7%) on point after attempts and led the team in scoring with 62 points. McKee has 217 career points for the Eagles, currently 10th on the all-time scoring list. The redshirt-senior is 127-for-128(99.2%) on PATs, setting the program record with 105 consecutive makes. McKee is 30-for-38(73.2) on field goals for his career.

Voigtlaender, a five-year player for the Eagles, had a career year this past fall, registering 25 tackles with 4.5 for a loss. He made his first career sack and finished with 1.5 for the season. At Eastern, Voigtlaender has 53 career tackles with 5.5 for a loss. The redshirt-senior has appeared in 37 games, making one start for EWU.

Eastern Washington's 2026 season begins on Aug. 29 against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. The Eagles' home opener is Sep. 5 against Northern Iowa. 
 

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2026 EWU football season tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for six home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu. 

Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season tickets and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access, and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.

ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.

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