Foresters Bid Farewell to Accomplished Recruiting Class
Ryan Campos ’26
camposr@lakeforest.edu
Section Editor
As the 2025–26 football season comes to a close, the Foresters will say goodbye to one of the most successful recruiting classes in program history. Over the last four years, this group has produced two conference championships, two playoff berths, a perfect 10–0 regular season, and an overall 33–9 career record. The team will graduate 21 seniors who leave behind a remarkable .786 winning percentage during their time as Foresters.
The 2022 recruiting class finishes as the second-most accomplished group in program history, following closely behind the 2021 class, which posted a 36–7 record during their time in the Forest.
Many of the class of ’22’s games featured dominant defensive performances, including 24 games allowing 10 points or fewer and 14 shutout victories. The Foresters’ offense delivered its share of firepower as well, scoring 50 or more points in 10 games, with their largest showing being a 76-point game against Lawrence University in 2023.
To understand what these four years meant on a personal level, a pair of seniors discussed their journey.
Senior linebacker Max Kaufman looked back on his four-year journey, saying, “I’m proud I dedicated 4 years, and it gave me a lot of experiences that I will take with me throughout my life… And I had the pleasure of going to battle with the guys every Saturday and had a great time meeting all the ones I played with.”
Senior defensive back Nate Okwu spoke about stepping into a larger leadership role during his final season. “It’s weird but in a nice way… the extra responsibility is good when you know what you are doing and are ready to deal with it,” he said. “The community [players] made the struggles fun.” As each game and practice passed, having teammates beside him made the grind of the season worthwhile and helped create memories that will last well beyond football.
That leadership didn’t go unnoticed by the younger members of the roster, who benefitted from the seniors’ presence on and off the field.
Reflecting on what the senior class has meant to him, sophomore defensive back Payton Smith said, “This class has taught me a lot about being a player and a man. And I’m glad I had them guide me through the trials and tribulations that the season has to offer.” He continued, “What I’ll miss most about the class is the guidance shown by my big brothers. Going into my junior year, I can take a lot of what they taught me into my upperclassman years.” As Smith steps into that role himself, he hopes to carry forward the lessons and leadership shown by the seniors who came before him.
Now that the Foresters prepare to turn the page and welcome a new era, the legacy of the 2022 class will continue to shape the program after their upcoming departure. Their standard of discipline and commitment has left a blueprint for those who follow.