As football season draws closer, East Texas A&M is leaning on something that can't be measured in a depth chart.
Team chemistry.
The Lions officially kicked off the 2026 campaign this week at the Southland Conference Football Opening Drive in Houston, where head coach Clint Dolezel was joined by running back EJ Oakmon and safety Orion Kupu for the league's annual preseason media event. KETR Sports Director Charlie Chitwood caught up with the trio during the event for a wide-ranging conversation about the season ahead, the program's many new faces, and the challenge awaiting the Lions in their nationally televised opener against Mercer.
While much of the offseason has focused on roster turnover, Dolezel says the Lions have experienced significant change throughout the program. East Texas A&M enters the season with more than 60 new players on the roster and several new assistant coaches, making this one of the most extensive resets since Dolezel arrived in Commerce.
"I think we've got exactly where I want it," Dolezel told Chitwood, referring to both the coaching staff and the direction of the program. "I think we're going to be tough to stop on the offensive side, and I love what Coach Thompson's got on the defensive side."
The Lions will unveil that new-look team on one of the biggest stages in program history. East Texas A&M opens the season Saturday, Aug. 29, at Mercer in Macon, Georgia, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be carried nationally on ESPN, giving the Lions a chance to introduce the program to a national audience in Week One.
Despite the influx of new players, both Oakmon and Kupu emphasized that building relationships away from the practice field has been a priority throughout the summer.
Oakmon described an offense led by experienced linemen and quarterbacks who spend as much time helping one another understand defensive fronts and protections as they do running plays. Off the field, he says players from both sides of the ball regularly gather for cookouts, card games and conversations that have strengthened the locker room.
"Our team chemistry is very high," Oakmon said. "On and off the field, it's like a family."
Kupu echoed that sentiment while describing a defense learning a new system under defensive coordinator Kevin Thompson. He said the emphasis has been on discipline, daily improvement and creating a standard the team can carry into the season.
"We have a goal we set for ourselves," Kupu said. "All we want to do is win."
Dolezel believes that kind of chemistry often determines the outcome of close football games.
"You're only two or three hours a day on the field," he said. "It's off the field where you win and lose football games. That bonding they have is everything."
The coach also highlighted several players he believes Lion fans will hear much more about this fall, including receiver O'Shawn Salas, linebacker Mike Simpson and defensive lineman Duncan Barham, whom Dolezel said has the potential to become one of the Southland Conference's top pass rushers if he stays healthy.
Listen to Charlie Chitwood's full conversation with Clint Dolezel, EJ Oakmon and Orion Kupu using the audio player above.
