Football Gabrielle Ducharme

Panther Profile: Jacob Gaudi's pursuit of greatness

ORANGE, Calif. — His red mouth guard shines under the bright lights of Wilson field, as he lifts his helmet. He claps. His teammates are reinvigorated. Then he sprints back onto the field. He breaks up a pass on the next play. The team erupts with cheers.

A record-breaking, humid heat wave is taking over Southern California as practice winds down. His position group, the safeties, are all drenched in sweat. He moves to the middle as they huddle up.

"Our energy is going in waves right now guys," he says as he glides his hands across the air at eye level. "We need to be up here the entire time."

That's Jacob Gaudi — Chapman football's playmaker, leader and captain.

Gaudi is a 5-11 senior safety out of Honolulu, Hawaii entering his third year as a starter. His parents did not let him start football until his freshman year of high school as a precaution. His mother works in human resources, and father works as a principal or 'Head of School'. Gaudi attended that school from kindergarten to eighth grade.

"I started playing later, so I did not get burnt out," Gaudi said. "I am still working hard to strive for something."

The work is paying off. Gaudi road the bench in his freshman year as a safety. The coaching staff moved him to linebacker spring of freshman year. After some roster shuffling, the coaches moved him back to third string safety for the 2024 season.

But then assistant coach Carl Agnew watched him.

"I knew the way he was playing, there was no way I could keep him off the field," Agnew said. "That is not normal, to move someone up the depth chart that fast."

Gaudi has been a starter ever since.

The Playmaker

In 2024, he made the All-SCIAC First Team and was named the Chapman Athletics Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year. He recorded four interceptions, along with 34 solo and 45 total tackles. Chapman went 6-2 in SCIAC play and 7-3 overall but narrowly missed capturing another SCIAC Title.

In 2025, Gaudi and the Panthers pursued vengeance. Chapman went undefeated in conference play and won the 2025 SCIAC Championship. Gaudi had 54 solo and 76 total tackles. He also recorded three interceptions; one returned for a touchdown. He was named to the All-SCIAC First Team and was the Junior Male Athlete of the Year. Gaudi also had six pass break-ups, including one that will go down in history.

Chapman played at Whitworth in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Panthers had a two-point lead with no time on the clock. Whitworth attempted a two-point conversion, but Gaudi broke up the pass to seal the 18-16 victory. Chapman football secured their first road playoff game victory in program history.

"I was the cornerback on that play, so I got a front row seat for it," senior teammate Caleb Padrid recalls. "It was a stressful moment. At the last second, I saw Gaudi come in and punch the ball away. Then it was pure relief."

Gaudi was also awarded the Chapman Athletics 'Play of the Year' as a result. Padrid says he expects nothing less.

"10 years from now, when you discuss Chapman football teams and what they stood for, Gaudi was one of the great football players," Padrid says. "The stats speak for themselves."

The Leader

But the awards barely scratch the surface. Padrid says he is level-headed and hardworking. Whether he is making the play of the year, or battling through humid summer workout, Gaudi stays present. The teammates and housemates have classes, watch movies and do their weekly grocery shopping together. Some of Padrid's favorite memories with him include listening to Noah Kahan or country music on the way to the store and watching Spider-Man movies.

"He makes you feel like family from the moment you walk into the room," Padrid said. "He makes you feel like you are a part of the brotherhood."

Chapman football is known as 'the brotherhood', and Gaudi's upbringing aligns. He says it is common in Hawaii to refer to older peers as 'aunties' and 'uncles', even if they are not related. It is a sign of respect and builds community. When he arrived on campus, Gaudi felt the same energy.

"Being born and raised in Hawaii is very special and family-oriented," Gaudi said. "People from Hawaii protect people in Hawaii. Everyone is family."

With his senior campaign fast approaching, Gaudi will lead 'the brotherhood' the only way he knows how — by example.

Chapman football returns 38 seniors and will kick off the 2026 season at Hardin-Simmons in Abilene, Texas on Saturday, Sept 5. The program is seeking their third SCIAC title in four years, and their sixth overall. Gaudi sets the tone of the pursuit.

"Nothing is ever beneath him," Chapman head football coach Casey Shine said. "Everything is earned; nothing is given with him. Good things happen to people with talent who work hard."

The Captain

NCAA Division III Athletics encourages students to pursue other aspirations and excel in the classroom. Gaudi embraces his pursuits. He is a Business Administration major who maintains a 3.8 grade point average. He spent his summer interning at a bank in Hawaii and hopes to work in wealth management postgrad. He also established a clothing brand called 'New Perspective Co.'.

"He has always been near the top of the totem pole in this program academically," Shine said. "It is plain and simple: be a great leader and work hard."

'The brotherhood' follows suit, because their captain sets the standard.

Gaudi is officially shelving 2025, and a rainbow is setting the tone for 2026.

Rain poured down during the 2025 SCIAC Championship game. Wilson Field was drowning in water. Players could barely see more than a few inches in front of them. Chapman eventually won the slug fest. During the trophy ceremony, the sun poked through the clouds and a rare double rainbow appeared. It reminded Gaudi of home.

"Rainbows are a common sight in Hawaii after it rains," Gaudi said. "The double rainbow made it feel like everything was set up so perfectly. There was not just a single rainbow but a double one."

Gaudi is like a double rainbow, a rare mix of talent, work ethic and athleticism. Unlike that colorful spot in the sky, he appears every day and still leaves coaches speechless.

"There are no words the describe the kind of kid he is," Agnew said.

The playmaker, leader and captain — Jacob Gaudi. Chapman football's double rainbow.