There are plenty of deep backfields across the country, especially at the elite P4 programs who have a conveyor belt of impressive talent. However, when it comes to a mixture of talent, experience and production, one of the deepest is in the FCS.
Sacramento State has been an FCS recruiting juggernaut since the program hired Brennan Marion as their head coach on December 21st. The former UNLV offensive coordinator made numerous important additions through the transfer portal, which included a complete overhaul of the backfield.
First, one important member of the 2024 backfield does return, Curron Borders. After redshirting in 2023, Borders played in all 12 games last season, totaling 361 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Borders will face stiff competition during this off-season to attempt to earn playing time in 2025. First, two FBS transfers will try to make an immediate impact. Savion Red (Nevada) began his collegiate career at Texas before transferring to Nevada prior to the 2024 season. With the Wolf Pack, he rushed for 687 yards and a team leading eight touchdowns. The other FBS addition is Rodney Hammond Jr. (Pittsburgh), who in four seasons with the Panthers rushed for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The most intriguing transfer addition by the Hornets may turn out to be Jamar Curtis (Lafayette). A two-time Walter Payton Award finalist, which is the FCS Heisman Trophy, Curtis rushed for 2,598 yards and 31 touchdowns over the last two seasons. On top of that he has added 49 receptions for 396 yards and three touchdowns.
How the Hornets will split the carries amongst Curtis, Hammond, Red and Borders is unclear at this point and likely will be a work in progress throughout summer camp and into the season. But this is a problem that many programs across the country would love to have. Splitting carries will keep the backfield fresh throughout the season, which should help make the Hornets a viable threat in the Big Sky Conference in 2025.
Since Coach Marion's hiring, Sacramento State has become one of the more polarizing programs in the country.
I think Roberson is probably done. He wasn't a great player at Cal, and now he has two years of rust on top of not-so-great. — yolohw
DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis men's basketball program has signed 6-foot-11 forward Jonathan Noudjihidi, a Chad native and interior force from Coahoma Community College, head coach Jim Les announced Friday.
"Big Jon brings a unique combination of size, athleticism, and work ethic to our team," said Les. "He's a true rim protector who plays above the rim on both ends and runs the floor as well as any big I've coached. His presence in the paint gives us a real edge. We're excited about the impact he'll make and the energy he will bring every day."
Noudjihidi broke out as a full-time starter this past season at Coahoma CC, averaging 10.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 57.8% from the field - the seventh-best mark in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC). His 2024-25 campaign featured a career-high 23-point, 12-rebound performance against Southeast Arkansas College on December 14, along with six double-doubles and 10 double-digit rebound games that showcased his consistency. The athletic big man also recorded a career-high seven blocks against Shorter College on December 11, one of his 12 multi-block performances in 25 games.
The Chad native more than doubled his scoring output from 4.8 to 10.9 points per game while increasing his rebounding average from 3.5 to 7.2 per contest between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He also demonstrated improved touch by raising his free-throw percentage to 72.4%, a near 10-point improvement from the previous year. His rim protection (50 total blocks) and finishing ability made him one of the conference's most impactful two-way players. Before his time at Coahoma, Noudjihidi developed his game at Our Saviour Lutheran in the Bronx.
After their official visits from this last weekend, a pair of 3 star DL studs in Ta'a Malu and Jeremiah Nonu have updated their 247 profiles to having UC Davis as "warm" basically saying that they have increased interest versus some of their other offers. — CA Forever