NAU returns very few of the players considered “contributers” from last season’s team, 25%.
https://www.si.com/college/fcs/mvfc/which-fcs-football-playoff-contenders-return-the-most-production-in-2026

The Analyst has a recently updated 2026 preseason ranking.
Davis is number 5, behind the Montanas, South Dakota State, Illinois State, and just ahead of Rhode Island. Familiar teams.
Idaho State is the only other Big Sky team in top 25

Link

Hopefully Davis is smart enough to play only one FBS game, as long as they are FCS. More hurts playoff chances. They could play two if the games were both against lesser FBS programs. I'd rather they play NDSU than SMU, but they play the FBS game for cash, and NDSU isn't going to be a big check.

That’s my opinion too that they need to develop more depth by playing more guys. Last year we were so loaded with all league caliber senior and grad tight ends that three junior tight ends barely touched the field annd two of the juniors graduated or retired Also we didn’t have many salted away games.

FCS football Central is wrong about the 4 returning starters on the offensive line. Jace Rodriguez decided not to come back after being in the initial Spring roster.

I’m of the opinion that Sac would have made the playoffs if they hadn’t chased Carson Conklin away. He was with Sac though Spring camp. The go-go offense had some things going for it. It wasn’t intrinsically a run only offense like it was in our game with Sac. Sac was trying to take advantage of our weak run defense at end of year, which combined with their inconsistent QB play seemed like the way to go.

Except for Williams, none of our tight ends have appeared in more than two games and none have ever recorded a stat. Three of the four are redshirt freshmen next year, but all the second year freshmen were three star recruits coming out of high school.

You’re right, but I’m optimistic. I bet we don’t use multiple tight ends as much, which has been a feature of the offense, if Williams can’t play.

FCS Football Central has a ranking of contenders with returning “contributors” based on the percentage that return. Doesn’t count transfers.
Davis is fourth overall, and returns the second highest percentage on defense behind only UTRGV..
Montana State edges Davis out by claiming the third spot overall. I attribute this to Montana State’s tendency to play a lot of people in blowouts, of which they had a bunch. Plough is conservative in playing guys who aren’t proven, and Davis didn’t have many blowouts.
Article link

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Re “ Whatever happened to Boogie Sylvester?” I think most of the players who had season ending injuries last year participated on a limited basis if at all. Maybe someone can list the guys who did play.
Williams?
Totton?
Sylvester?
Bell?
Carrillo?
Garretson?

Etc. There could be as many as 10

I doubt it affected his draft combine invitations but it affected the Davis teams marketability. Having a Nebraska player who spent three seasons in their program and never see the field transfer here and start every game for three years should have been celebrated. Instead his success was blacked out. Who knows, there might have been another player who would have taken a short drive west on I-80.

Good for Eli.
He overcame a bunch of coincidences that lowered his public profile. The Davis spreadsheet used for stats wasn't consistent with the roster and identified his number with another player, so the box scores for an entire year didn't have Eli's name in it. They made a press release announcing the 2023 All-Big Sky Academic Team both on the Davis site and in the Big Sky Conference site, announcing an award to someone else earned by Eli's play. The erroneous stats showed well into the 2024 season that Eli had not seen any action in 2023. For his final year Eli wasn't listed on the Spring roster so the 2025 season previews didn't expect Eli to return and he missed publicity for being a returning two year every game starter, preseason all american etc.

John will be a senior who never redshirted. Fowler and Slone will be a redshirt juniors. All are probably academic year seniors. So not younger guys.
A guy we didn’t hear mention of in the Spring, Marquis Bell, made an impressive interception while wearing a cast for a wrist injury and then broke his forearm making a pass break up. He started five games last year before the injury with some good stats. He was playing corner for us but apparently was a safety at Liberty. Anyone know if he scrimmaged this Spring? He is a senior next year.

Who seem to be the top contenders in the secondary besides Cofield and Richardson?
If Rex isn't ready to play in first game, who plays?

When teams opt into the House settlement revenue sharing replaces most NIL deals which historically haven't correlated to the value of the name image and likeness. They don't have to pretend anymore, its just pay for play, paid by the school at their discretion. It is capped at about 20 million dollars, and it has to come from some revenue. NIL still exists but it is scrutinized to make sure the value of the name image and likeness makes business sense and is not just a way to get around the revenue sharing cap.

UCLA institutional support for athletics in each the last few years was 30 million. UCLA had a deficit despite getting 60 million from the Big 10, and 13 million in donations.
Davis reportedly received 5 million in institutional support for athletics.

Samuel Akem had Brock on his podcast before the Montana State game.last year.

]
Taylor Sloat and Todd Sloat.
Frank Scalercio and Frank Scalercio.

] The FBS bias runs deep and subconsciously. Of course the top performer is the guy who transferred, no need to check.

The Sacramento Bee erroneously reports that Carter Vargas was the leading rusher in 2025.

AOL Link