A BRIEF PREVIEW

• After an offseason which saw Sacramento State bring in a new coaching staff and add over 70 new players, the 2025 season will begin for the Hornets when they take on FCS perennial-powerhouse South Dakota State on Saturday, Aug. 30. The game will begin at 4 p.m. PT from Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, S.D.
• The Hornets had their streak of four consecutive FCS playoff appearances snapped last season when an injury-riddled team finished with a 3-9 overall record. After Andy Thompson departed to become the defensive coordinator at Stanford, Brennan Marion was named the 13th head coach in program history. The roster also had a complete makeover as just three starters return on offense, two on defense and one on special teams.
• The team's 2025 recruiting class was ranked as the best in the FCS and features 27 incoming freshmen, 10 junior college transfers and 37 four-year transfers. Included among the transfers is former four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada and running back Jamar Curtis who has twice been a Walter Payton Award finalist.
• Hornet fans can tune in to ESPN 1320 AM to hear the radio call of Jason Ross, Steve McElroy and Danny Sullivan. Live audio streaming is also available via www.hornetsports.com and the Audacy app.
• The game will also be aired streamed on ESPN+ with Tyler Merriam (play-by-play) and Kurtiss Riggs (analyst).

OPPONENT PREVIEW: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

• South Dakota State also had a major upheaval following the 2024 season. Head coach Jimmy Rogers left for Washington State and was replaced by Dan Jackson. A former SDSU player from 2003-05, Jackson joined the Jackrabbit coaching staff in 2012 and remained through 2019. After two years at Northern Illinois, he spent the 2022 and 2023 campaigns at Vanderbilt before becoming the defensive coordinator at Idaho in 2024.
• The most experienced quarterback on the roster is Chase Mason. The senior has played behind Mark Gronowski over the last three seasons where he completed 33-of-52 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. Mason has also rushed for 648 yards and eight scores while averaging a whopping 10.5 yards per carry.
• The leading returning tackler is Kobe Clayborne who recorded 34 stops in his first season with the team. Clayborne had 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks in his total and also recovered a fumble.
• SDSU has won 29 consecutive home games. The team's last home loss came against Northern Iowa on Oct. 23, 2021.
• South Dakota State holds a 1-0 lead in the all-time series. The only meeting between the teams came in the 2021 playoffs where the Jackrabbits won 24-19 at Hornet Stadium.

IN THE BEGINNING

• Sacramento State is 31-38-1 all-time in season openers and 13-29-1 when opening on the road. However, the team has won five of its last six season debuts and seven of the last 10.
• The Hornets will start the year against an FCS team for the fourth time in the last five seasons played. The only exception to that streak came last season when the team opened the year at San Jose State. Sacramento State has gone 3-0 against FCS teams in the season opener dating back to 2021. During that stretch, the team won 19-7 at Utah Tech and then defeated the Trailblazers, 56-33, the following year at Hornet Stadium. The Hornets won 38-24 at Nicholls to begin the 2023 season.
• Sacramento State will open the year on the road for the fourth time in the last five years and the fifth time since 2015. The Hornets started the 2017 season at Idaho with a 28-6 loss, began the 2021 season at Utah Tech, the 2023 at Nicholls and last season at SJSU.
• This season will  mark the seventh time the Hornets have started a game in the Central time zone. Sacramento State has previously begun the year at Louisiana Tech (1977), West Texas State (1989), Texas State (1997), UTEP (2002), Incarnate Word (2014) and Nicholls (2023).
• Sacramento State has been explosive in its most recent season openers. The Hornets have scored at least 55 points in three of the past six debuts, including a school record 77 against Southern Oregon in 2019. However, all three of those games have come at home.  Sacramento State has averaged 27.0 points in its last three season openers on the road, scoring 19 at Utah Tech, 38 at Nicholls (2023) and 24 at San Jose State (2024).
• Saturday will also mark the debut of Brennan Marion on the Hornet sideline. The previous 12 Sacramento State head coaches have gone 6-6 in their first game with the Hornets. Marion follows Jody Sears (2014), Troy Taylor (2019) and Andy Thompson (2023) who all were victorious in their first game with the program.

ROSTER REMODEL

• With 71 new players on the roster, the 2025 edition of the Hornets will have a decidedly different look from last year's team. Sacramento State returns just six players who started at least six games a year ago comprised of three on offense, two on defense and one specialist.
• The haul of newcomers has garnered national attention as the class was ranked as the best in the FCS by 247Sports. Running back Jamar Curtis was named the second best FCS-to-FCS transfer in 2025 as he moved to Sacramento State following three stellar seasons at Lafayette. The class is also balanced with 35 players on the offensive side, 32 on defense and four specialists.
• Of the 37 four-year transfers on the roster, eight have come from Power 4 Conferences comprised of QB Jaden Rashada (Georgia), RB Rodney Hammond, Jr. (Pitt), kickers Joseph Firebaugh (UCLA) and Grant Meadors (Oregon), WR Ernest Campbell (Texas A&M), LB Dylan Gooden (Maryland), DL Brodie Tagaloa (Nebraska) and RB Sam Adams II (Washington). The next largest group (23) comes from G5 while five are from fellow FCS schools and one from NCAA Div. II.
•  The 2025 Hornet roster has players from 18 states and travels coast to coast. Safeties Koa Akui and Nash Burkhart hail from Hawaii while the East Coast is represented by athletes from Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
• California remains the most represented state with 65 players from the Golden State. That includes 11 players from Los Angeles County and nine from Sacramento County.
• Outside of California, 14 players claim Texas as their home state. The next highest total comes from Nevada with four.
• Continuing a trend in college football, the Hornets will have a pair of punters from Australia in senior Cal McGough and incoming freshman Hamish Adams.

VIEW FROM THE SIDELINES

• The roster was not the only thing that was overhauled for Sacramento State. Only two members from last season's coaching staff return for the 2025 season. As he has done since 2019, Kris Richardson will mentor the offensive line. Richardson will be joined by his son, and former Hornet, Kaden, who serves as a graduate assistant. Bobby Fresques will shift from quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator to lead analyst this season. Fresques, who played QB for the program, will also work with the team's tight ends.
• Marion will serve as a collegiate head coach for the first time in 2025. He has collegiate coaching experience at UNLV, Texas, Pitt, William & Mary and Howard and has also been a high school head coach.
• Kenneth Merchant came with Marion from UNLV. Merchant leads the team's quarterbacks and will work with Marion to design the team's offense.
• AC Patterson (RBs/Co-OC) brings Big Sky Conference experience having served at Portland State from 2015-18 and then again from 2022-24.  
• The defensive leadership is guided by defensive coordinator Marcus Patton. The former DC at Tarleton State, Patton most recently was the cornerbacks coach at Colorado State. 
• Josh Brown (LB/Co-DC) returns to Sacramento State where he coached from 2007-08. Since then, Brown has worked at Kansas, Cal Poly, UTEP, Hawaii and McNeese.
• Darrin Walls is the team's defensive passing game coordinator. Walls played collegiately at Notre Dame and then in the NFL for six years. Walls was the co-defensive coordinator at UAlbany from 2021-24.
• Rob Wegner will lead the special teams. Wegner has been a special teams coordinator since 2013 with stints at Western Michigan (2013-16) and Minnesota (2017-24). 
• The rest of the staff is comprised of Robbie Bell (TEs), Nathan Kenion (safeties), Sidhart Krishnamurthi (WRs), Ed McGilvra (DL) and Jake Vang (Edges) who are all in their first year as full-time collegiate coaches.

VIEW FROM THE TOP

• Jamar Curtis came to Sacramento State as one of the top FCS-to-FCS transfers in the offseason. Curtis was named preseason second team All-America by Stats Perform, and FCS Football Central and was a third-team selection by Phil Steele. In addition, Curtis was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list.
• Curtis had a decorated three years at Lafayette where he was the 2024 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time Walter Payton Award finalist, two-time FCS All-American and two-time first team all-Patriot League selection.
• Last season, he rushed for 1,139 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. Curtis added receptions for 232 yards and ranked 19th in the FCS with 115.7 all-purpose yards per game.
• As a sophomore, he was named second team FCS All-American by the Associated Press and Stats Perform after rushing for 1,460 yards and 15 scores.
• Curtis enters the 2025 season as the active career leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in the FCS. He is the only returning player to start the year with over 3,000 career rushing yards and is one of only two to have at least 30 rushing touchdowns.

Active FCS Career Rushing Yards
1. Jamar Curtis (Lafayette/Sac St.) 3,064
2. Mari Adams (Davidson) 2,351 
3. Eli Gilman (Montana) 2,137 27
4. Mason Sheron (Davidson) 1,987 
5. Elijah Howard (Central Conn. St.) 1,924 
6. Josh Pittsenberger (Yale) 1,911 
7. Charles Pierre (South Dakota) 1,716 
8. Kendric Rhyms (Tennessee State) 1,662 
T9. Luke Yoder (Lehigh) 1,658 
T9. Nate Thomas (Idaho) 1,658

Active FCS Career Rushing TDs Total 
1. Jamar Curtis (Lafayette/Sac St) 32
2. Mari Adams (Davidson) 31 
3. Eli Gilman (Montana) 28 
4. Mason Sheron (Davidson) 25 
5. Josh Pittsenberger (Yale) 22 

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

• Curtis is not the only threat in the new-look Sacramento State backfield. The Hornets brought in four FBS transfers in Rodney Hammond, Jr. (Pitt), Savion Red (Texas/Nevada), Sam Adams II (Washington) and Damian Henderson II (Colorado State), a junior college All-American and a high school back to join a pair of returners.
• Curron Borders and Michael Johnson are the only returning backs from a year ago. Borders ranked second on the team with 361 rushing yards and had 101 receiving yards. However, he will likely miss the 2025 season after suffering a knee injury. Johnson was the team's primary kick returner where he averaged 20.7 yards per return. In limited action in the backfield, he managed 94 yards on 12 carries (7.8 ypc).
• Hammond amassed 1,546 yards and 15 touchdowns in 36 games at Pitt. He led the team with 547 yards and three touchdowns in 2023 before redshirting a year ago.
• Red ranked second among Nevada backs in 2025 with 687 yards and tied for the team lead with eight TDs. He had three 100-yard games during the year including a season-best 137 at Oregon State.
•  Adams spent four years at Washington and was part of the team which reached the national title game during the 2024 season. He is the son of former NFL defensive tackle Sam Adams.
• Henderson averaged nearly five yards per carry in limited action as a redshirt freshman for CSU last season. While at Los Alamitos HS in Southern California, he was a four-star recruit and was named first team all-Southern Section Div. I after rushing for 1,744 yards and 23 touchdowns.
• Elias Brown played the last two seasons at nearby American River JC where he was coached by former Hornet All-American Jon Osterhout. Brown rushed for 1,148 and 16 touchdowns in 2024 on the way to being named a JC Athletic Bureau All-American and earning first team all-Region I honors.
• The lone true freshman is Jaquail Smith from Jones HS in Orlando, Fla. As a senior, Smith rushed for 1,805 yards and 22 touchdowns, He was a three-star recruit by 247Sports and a two-star from Rivals.

NOT THE SAME

• While the Hornet running backs have combined for 8,293 yards and 66 touchdowns at the FBS and FCS levels, the receiving corps has totaled 75 receptions for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns.
• Over three-quarters of the total and nearly all the touchdowns belong to Gavin Thomson who has 50 career grabs for 765 yards and seven scores. Thomson began his career at Pitt before transferring to UNLV. He played the 2024 season at FCS Saint Francis and had a breakout season with 46 receptions for 726 yards and seven touchdowns.
• The only returning wide receiver to catch a pass as a Hornet is Onterrio Smith, Jr. Last season, Smith caught five balls for 29 yards, including a touchdown.
• Tim Conerly (9 rec., 110 yards at UNLV) and Jace Wilson (11 rec., 105 yards at UTSA) are the only other players wide receivers to have a collegiate reception.
• The receiving corps will also feature redshirt freshmen transfers Jordan Anderson (Oregon State) and Ernest Campbell (Texas A&M). Anderson was a four-star recruit out of Newport Harbor HS while Campbell earned All-America honors in the 100-meter dash at the 2025 NCAA Div. I Outdoor Championships.

CONTINUING THE THEME

• The Hornet roster features six tight ends — none of which have caught a pass for the team.
• Gavin Nelson is the only returning member of the unit. Nelson played in four games last season, including a pair of starts, before redshirting.
• Jordan Williams played three seasons at Colorado State. As a freshman, he caught three passes for 36 yards, including a touchdown reception against Air Force.
• Logan Tanner and Davis Ambeuhl both have collegiate experience but don't have a reception. Tanner played in eight games at San Diego State in 2023. Ambeuhl began his collegiate career as a member of the basketball team at Ole Miss in 2023-24 before transferring to UNLV where he played football in the fall of 2024.
• JC transfer Dontae Robinson made the switch from receiver to tight end this fall. Robinson had 55 grabs for 942 yards and 11 touchdowns during his freshman season at Sierra JC in Rocklin, Calif. He followed that effort with 63 receptions for 771 yards and 10 TDs.

HOW'S IT GETTING THERE

• A highly-decorated pair of transfers will handle the quarterback duties for the team in 2025. Sacramento State made national news with the signing of Jaden Rashada during the spring. Rashada began his collegiate career at Arizona State where he redshirted in 2023. That season, he started games against Southern Utah, Oklahoma State and Arizona and finished the year 44-of-82 for 485 yards and four touchdowns.
• Rashada transferred to Georgia for the 2024 season but did not appear in a game for the Bulldogs. He returns to Northern California where he starred at Pittsburg HS. During his final two seasons, he threw for 5,275 yards and 59 touchdowns and was named the No. 7 quarterback in the 2023 class.
• Williams was with the team during the spring and showed his dual-threat ability throughout the practices. In his three seasons at Tulsa — Brennan Marion's alma mater — he played in 16 games where he threw for 1,186 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 267 yards and seven scores.
• Behind the pair are senior transfer Luke Sprague who was a late addition to the roster after transferring from Bethune-Cookman. Sprague began his collegiate career at Long Island in 2019 and played the 2022 season at Nassau CC before transferring to Bethune-Cookman. 
• True freshman Jamar Malone rounds out the unit. Malone was a three-star recruit out of Warren HS in Los Angeles. He was the highest-ranked player to sign with an FCS program last year.

PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER

• After an injury-riddled 2024 season, Sacramento State will look to rebuild the offensive line during the 2025 season. Returning to the line are six players who started games last season.
• The unit is led by senior Aidan Meek who owns a team-high 20-game consecutive starts streak. Meek has shown the ability to play both guard and tackle, starting 10 games at right tackle and two at right guard a year ago. He played every offensive snap last season and did not allow a sack.
• Sawyer Hays also started all 12 games last season. The Sacramento native started 11 games at left tackle and made one at right tackle. 
• Jose Soto is expected to return to the starting lineup after his promising redshirt freshman season was cut short in the first half of the season opener at San Jose State. Soto suffered a foot injury against the Spartans which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The 6-3, 312-pounder finished second in the shot put at the California state championships as a senior at Tulare Western HS (pronounced too-LAIR-ee).
• Kenndel Riley made seven starts in 2024 and has 15 starts in his career. The senior played both guard positions last year and enters this year nearly 30-pounds lighter after transforming his eating habits during the offseason. 
• Cade Gretlein and Bryson Summers also started games for the Hornets during 2024. Gretlein filled in at guard for the final three games of the year and can also play center. Summers played in every game, starting the final two at right tackle, in his first season with the team after transferring from Coastal Carolina.
• In all, the team used five different variations on the offensive line and started nine different players. Current graduate assistant Kaden Richardson was the only player to start all 12 games at the same position (center). Richardson was only in position to start those games after the projected starter was lost for the season with a leg injury in fall camp. Along with the graduation of Richardson, the team will also have to replace All-American Jackson Slater who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
• New to the line are transfers Dean Abdullah and Jordan Herman. Abdullah returns to his hometown after playing at San Diego State. He started 10 games for the Aztecs at guard during his career but spent most of spring ball at center for the Hornets. Herman started his collegiate journey at Florida and most recently played at Charlotte. At 6-8, 346 he is the biggest member of the team in height and weight.

IT STARTS UP FRONT

• Sacramento State's defensive line will have a variety of looks this season ranging from a three-man front to as many as five players on the line of scrimmage. The unit returns two contributors from the past and is loaded with FBS transfers to bolster the size and depth.
• Xavier Williams is the most experienced of the group having joined Sacramento State prior to the 2020 season. After the team sat out his initial season, Williams had double knee surgery which kept him off the field in 2021. He became a contributor in 2022 and worked his way into the regular rotation the following year. Williams was expected to battle for a starting position on the interior of the line last season but tore his biceps prior to the season forcing him to miss the entire year.
• With the numerous injuries last season, Jayland McGlothen was forced to burn his redshirt season as he played in six games. McGlothen finished the year with 13 total tackles.
• DeSean Watts redshirted with the Hornets in 2022 and then played two seasons at Fresno City College before coming back to Sacramento State last spring.
• Eight players on the defensive line have FBS experience. That includes Brodie Tagaloa (Nebraska), Kris Ross (Texas/Nevada), Malik Tullis (Eastern Michigan), Dylan Hampsten (San Jose State), Syncere Massey (Texas Tech/Abilene Christian/Texas Southern), James Gillespie (Middle Tennessee), Jordan Jefferson (Texas A&M/Kilgore JC) and Melvin Swindle II (Eastern Michigan).
• Ross made six starts for the Wolf Pack last season where he had 29 tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Tullis and Swindle were each part of the EMU rotation with each appearing in eight games for the Eagles in 2024. Gillespie played in nine games, starting two for MTSU last season.

COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE

• With the change in coaches also came several position changes on the defensive side of the ball. Many of the players who were listed as defensive ends last season are now outside linebackers. 
• Two of those players are returners Josh Cashiola and Fata Puloka. Combined, the pair started every game at defensive end last season with Cashiola in the first seven contests before being injured. Puloka closed out the year by making the final five starts. Cashiola has played in 20 games over the last two seasons where he has 50 total tackles, including 9.5 for loss and six sacks while also forcing three fumbles. Puloka tallied 30 stops as a redshirt freshman last year. That total included four TFLs and 2.5 sacks.
• Deven Wright and Dylan Gooden bring FBS experience to the position. Wright played in 12 games for Texas State in 2023 before redshirting last season. Gooden spent two seasons at Maryland and will be a redshirt sophomore in 2025.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE CHANCE

• Linebacker Derek Houston stepped into the starting middle linebacker job for the final three games of the season and took full advantage of the opportunity. Houston finished the season ranked second on the team with 62 tackles with over half coming in the final four games of the year. During that stretch, he posted eight tackles against Portland State, four at Montana State, nine at Cal Poly and 11 against UC Davis.
• His total makes him the leading returning tackler for Sacramento State and the only returning player on the team with at least 40 tackles for the Hornets last season.
• As a redshirt freshman, he posted eight tackles against Portland State, four at Montana State, nine at Cal Poly and 11 against UC Davis.
• Oscar Moore moved from safety to linebacker during fall camp. Moore recorded 86 tackles over the last two seasons at UTEP, including 62 in 2024.
• Je'kob Jones brings 130 career tackles and parts of four seasons of Big Sky experience with him from Cal Poly.  Jones has been consistent the last three seasons with 42, 37 and 44 tackles.

MIX AND MATCH

• Sacramento State returns three players who have seen significant time at cornerback in Elias Mullican, Jason Oliver and Lamont Johnson-Burrell, Mullican started the final 10 games of the season and finished the year with 28 tackles. He was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week after a two-interception performance (one for a TD) in the shutout at East Texas A&M.
• Oliver has battled injuries through his two years with the team, appearing in 11 games. When healthy, he has been effective with three PBUs and eight tackles last season. He also played in all 12 games as a true freshman at Colorado in 2022.
• Johnson-Burrell was another of the numerous defensive players to miss time a year ago with an injury. The Sacramento native played in nine games, starting one.
• Ricky Lee III and Warren Smith, Jr., come from UAB and Washington State, respectively. Lee had 20 tackles, two interceptions and two breakups in 12 games as a freshman. He redshirted last season after playing in two contests. Smith saw action in nine games for the Cougars as a redshirt freshman a year ago.
• Anta'Veon McKenzie is the most experienced safety having played in 10 games last season. McKenzie tallied 37 tackles during the year and had at least one stop in each game he appeared.
• Kaleb Higgins and Koa Akui both return at the position after injuries cut their 2024 seasons short. Higgins had eight tackles in the opener against San Jose State but then suffered an ankle injury at Fresno State which forced him to miss the next eight games. Akui only appeared in the opener before missing the rest of the season with an arm injury.
• The only other returner is Yebrell Emerson who redshirted during the season. 

FAMILY TIES

• Running back Sam Adams II is the son of former NFL DT Sam Adams. The elder Adams played in the NFL from 1994-2007 and won a Super Bowl with Baltimore in 2001. He also played with Seattle, Oakland, Buffalo, Cincinnati and Denver. The younger Adams began his collegiate career at Washington (2021-24).
• Outside linebacker Dylan Gooden is the son of former MLB all-star pitcher Dwight Gooden. Dwight played for the Mets, Yankees (twice), Indians, Astros and Rays between 1984-2000.He was a four-time all-star, N.L. Cy Young Winner (1985) and two time World Series champion. Dylan started his collegiate career at Maryland near his hometown of Columbia, Md.
• Wide receiver Onterrio Smith, Jr., is the son of his namesake father. Onterrio, Sr., was a high school All-American at Grant HS in Sacramento and went to play collegiately at Tennessee and Oregon. He played two seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.
• Defensive lineman Xavier Williams is the younger brother of former Hornet wide receiver Pierre Williams. Pierre was a three-time first team all-Big Sky selection and ended his career ranked second in school history with 2,971 career receiving yards.
• Freshman linebacker Jackson Cahoon is the son of former Hornet linebacker J.B. Cahoon. J.B. played for Sacramento State from 1992-94 and was a first team all-American West Conference as a linebacker.
• Offensive lineman Luke Slater is the younger brother of former Hornet Jackson Slater. Jackson played for the team between 2021-24 and was a consensus FCS All-American and three-time first team all-Big Sky selection. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
• Wide receiver Jaxon Fresques is the great-nephew of Hornet analyst Bobby Fresques. 
• Defensive assistant DeAndre Pierce is the son of former NFL linebacker and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
• Anthony "Shark" Rozier, the special assistant to the head coach, is the grandson of MLB legend and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.

SERIES NOTES

• This is the second all-time meeting between the two schools and the first in Brookings, S.D.
• The teams first played in the second round of the 2021 FCS Playoffs at Hornet Stadium. That contest featured 11 players who went on to play in the NFL (three from Sacramento State, eight from South Dakota State).
• Sacramento State had never played a game in the state until facing South Dakota in the second round of the 2023 FCS Playoffs.

CONNECTIONS

• Former Sacramento State defensive tackle Mason Brosseau and tight end Coleman Kuntz are both on the South Dakota State roster in 2025. Brosseau had 37 career tackles, including 6.5 sacks, in parts of four seasons with the Hornets. Kuntz caught 50 passes for 498 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for four scores between 2022-24.
• Nathan Morris, who was the strength and conditioning coach for Sacramento State in 2023 and 2024, is in the same role for the Jackrabbits.
• WR Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda is the only other player on the SDSU roster from California outside of Brosseau and Kuntz. Sacramento State does not have any players from South Dakota.
• Garcia-Castaneda, QB Chase Mason, S Koby Bretz and WR Alex Bullock were all teammates at Nebraska with Sacramento State Brodie Tagaloa.
• Hornet TE Jordan Williams and SDSU WR Ky Oday, Jr., were both at Colorado State in 2022.