2026 UC Davis Football Preview: Are The Aggies Ready To Take The Championship Step?

Our 2026 FCS football team preview series continues with the UC Davis Aggies, who look to make a third consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs under head coach Tim Plough.

The Aggies have made back-to-back runs to the quarterfinals, including last season, in which they had to overcome a massive amount of defensive injuries.

UC Davis featured one of the best offenses in the country; a large part of that was linked to Freshman All-American Caden Pinnick, who is now at Washington State. It's one of the biggest question marks, but the Aggies have plenty of returning offensive talent to lean on.

The defensive numbers were not great, but as we highlighted earlier, injuries and a tough Big Sky schedule led to some tough matchups. Heading into 2026, the Aggies are going to be hungry to challenge for the Big Sky championship and have a breakthrough run to at least the semifinals.

Let's take a deep dive into UC Davis as the Aggies ahead of the 2026 season.

Roster Outlook

2025 Record: 9-4 (6-2 Big Sky)
Head Coach: Tim Plough (3rd season, 20-7)

Returning All-Conference Players: Samuel Gbatu Jr. (WR), Zaire Collier (OL), Nate Rutchena (LB), Drew Coefield (CB), Jordan Fisher (RB), Rex Connors (S), Porter Connors (LB)

*Note: Rex Connors and Porter Connors were 2024 All-Big Sky selections, but were limited due to injury last season.

Notable Incoming Transfers: Hayden John (Idaho, S), Chauncey Sylvester (Weber State, RB), Jackson Kollack (Minnesota, QB), Jake Houseworth (California, TE), Robert Myer (Missouri, K)

Returning Significant Contributors (OFF): 8
Returning Significant Contributors (DEF): 13

Quarterback

As I mentioned above, the Aggies must replace Caden Pinnick, who was an electric playmaker, but also struggled at times holding the ball too long with some of his decision-making. While UC Davis will be turning to another young player at quarterback, the options do not lack talent.

None of the three main candidates has been a starter yet, and I expect the competition to earn Plough's trust to continue into fall camp. The frontrunner may very well be redshirt freshman Jackson Kollack, who was a 4-star prospect out of Laguna Beach, California and initially signed with Minnesota. He threw for over 7,000 yards and 115 touchdowns during his high school career.

Kollack has elite size for a quarterback at 6-4, 225 pounds. He would give UC Davis a bigger quarterback, who should be able to get the ball out quicker than Pinnick did at times last season. Interestingly, one of his best attributes is his ability to throw the ball on the run. He consistently showcased his ability to break the pocket, extend plays, and find the open man downfield.

The next option is likely Treynor Cleeland, who spent last season as a backup during his freshman year. Cleeland was a three-star prospect out of Portland, Oregon, and is 6-1, 225 pounds with a good amount of athleticism. He only attempted three passes, but has the benefit of being in Plough's system for a full season. The last option is Axel Eason, who was another three-star. He redshirted last season, but was a highly-touted two-sport player in high school.

Running Back

Even with talented youngster Carter Vargas transferring out, the Aggies should have one of the top running back rooms in the country. Everything starts with Jordan Fisher, who is an incredibly explosive, versatile player and is the perfect fit for the Tim Plough offense. In 2025, he finished with over 1,100 rushing yards on 6.1 yards per carry, including 14 carries that went for over 15 yards. He's also a weapon out of the backfield, finishing 4th on the team with 287 receiving yards.

Matteo Perez and Kai Acia give the Aggies a solid, dependable rotation at running back. It gives them a much-needed cushion for potential injuries, which impacted this team last season. The x-factor in the room is Weber State transfer Chauncey Sylvester. He was a three-star prospect out of California and had a mini-breakout for the Wildcats last season. In only five games, he rushed for 305 yards and 4 TDs in 2025. He could be a really useful weapon in the Davis offensive scheme, plus he brings some special teams upside.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

The wide receiver rotation starts with Samuel Gbatu Jr., who earned FCS All-American honors last season. He enters next season with over 2,000 career receiving yards, including 1,169 yards and 11 TDs in 2025. Stacey Dobbins is also back after ranking 2nd on the team with 701 receiving yards and 4 TDs. He ended last year with an impressive performance against Illinois State, where he recorded 10 catches for 121 yards and 2 TDs against a very good defense.

I'm intrigued by Zach Jones, who was impressive in a more limited role last season. He finished the year with a career-high 119 receiving yards on only 3 receptions against Illinois State. Jones had made some key plays late in the season, making him a potential breakout option going into next year. Sophomores Tyler Hennessy and Xzavior Guess are two young players to keep an eye on, both possessing the talent to break into the lineup.

Tight end Winston Williams returns after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 3. He was outstanding as a redzone threat in 2024, finishing with 6 receiving TDs and 265 receiving yards. The Aggies will need to find at least 1-2 other options in this room to feel comfortable, especially with how Plough loves the flexibility to play 12 and 13-personnel.

Offensive Line

This is one group that I think sneakily improved from 2024 to 2025. For the most part, I think the game got a lot better even after losing All-American Lan Larison, which may be due to the consistency of this unit. They gave up quite a few sacks and pressures, but I do wonder how many were due to Pinnick holding the ball longer than he needed to.

The entire right side of this unit will return next season with center Zaire Collier, guard David Main, and offensive tackle David Porotesano all back. The unit stayed extremely healthy last season, only really utilizing a six-man rotation. The negative of that is that none of the young players have much experience going into this year.

Some of the options at left tackle and left guard will be AJ Hasson (6-5, 310), Jezniah Thurston (6-3, 290), Henry Fanua (6-5, 340), and Roice Cleeland (6-3, 300). Hasson feels like the favorite at left tackle, playing some key rotational snaps throughout last season.

Defensive Line

This was one of the units that had to overcome a ton of injuries last season, but must be much better if this team wants to make a real postseason push. It was one of the reasons that this defense was one of the worst defenses against the run in 2025 among teams with a winning record. Not all of that falls on the defensive line, but it's where the change needs to start to happen.

Three of their Top 5 EDGE players are back, including Sam Goligoski, who showed a ton of potential but had moments where he was a bit inconsistent. He put up solid pass-rush numbers with 17 pressures, along with solid production with 9.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. He was still a young player last year, but the Aggies could use a real breakout season from the redshirt junior.

Grant Garretson and, particularly, Jaden Few will likely have to take on a much bigger role this season. They will be tasked with replacing the production of Jacob Psyk, who was one of the top EDGE players in the Big Sky. Also, Joey Carrillo will be back after missing last season due to injury. Carrillo was a productive rotational piece for the Aggies, recording 18 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, and 4 PBUs over the 2023-24 seasons.

On the interior, the Aggies return plenty of talent, including Trent Carrade (6-3, 280) and Rayne Mayo Jr. (6-2, 320), who will most likely be the two starters. Mayo was an all-around force in the middle, while Carrade was a very productive pass-rusher with 5.5 TFLs and 4 sacks, but will need to take a step forward with his run fits in 2026.

Sophomore Devin Huegel (6-4, 275) is a young player who projects to be in the rotation at defensive tackle. At EDGE, keep an eye on Macray Madruga, who played roughly 300 snaps last season. The Aggies could really benefit from some younger players taking a step forward, especially since they did not add any proven pieces through the transfer portal.

Linebacker

The outlook for this unit completely changed with the return of Porter Connors, who missed most of last season but was playing at an All-American level before he was sidelined. Connors was an All-Big Sky selection in 2024, posting 86 total tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 3 INTs, and 4 PBUs.

Jackson Sievers is also back after a solid 2025 campaign, in which he was tasked with stepping up when Connors went down with an injury. He finished with 67 total tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He really showed upside in coverage and could be due for another big season next to Connors.

Senior Nick Afato and junior Thomas McCormick will be a year further along in development and could emerge as solid rotational players for the Aggies. There's also Charlie Allen, who has spent a few seasons in the system and is due for a bigger role in his final season.

Defensive Backs

Similar to linebackers, the secondary got a massive boost with the return of All-American safety Rex Connors. He's arguably the best overall defensive player in the country. Connors is incredibly versatile and can play all over the field for the Aggies. He was limited to four games due to injury, but still ranked 7th on the team with 45 tackles.

The rest of the safety room is certainly more of a question mark, but was bolstered by Idaho transfer Hayden John. John was a solid starter for the Vandals last season, primarily playing a deep safety role, but he has the versatility to step into the box. He ended the year with 53 tackles, 1 INT, and 4 PBUs. Keep an eye on William Fowler, who played limited snaps last year, but is the most likely candidate to earn a bigger role in 2026.

At cornerback, the Aggies are in excellent shape with all three of their top outside corners returning. Sophomore Drew Coefield is back after a Freshman All-American campaign, which saw him post 36 tackles, 2 INTs, and 9 PBUs in 13 games. He was fantastic last season and one of only two true freshmen in the nation to start every game in 2025.

Ty Richardson and Marquis Bell both return after splitting time at the other cornerback spot. Bell started five games before suffering an injury, but still recorded 1 INT and 8 PBUs in 7 games. Richardson was a highly-touted transfer from Tufts, but found his rhythm late in the year, posting 29 tackles, 2 INTs, and 4 PBUs in 8 games.

There are some really solid candidates for a breakout player at cornerback, including Drew Faulkner and Jordan Black-Glass. Faulkner is a JUCO transfer who had 30 tackles, 4 INTs, and 3.5 TFLs in only 11 games. He started his career at Idaho, while Black-Glass played in 4 games last season after transferring in from the JUCO level.

Season Outlook

As stated above, the goal for the Aggies in Year 3 under Tim Plough is to make a real push for a Big Sky championship and make a deep playoff run, at least to the semifinals. They certainly have the collective talent to be a Top 5 team in the FCS. Some of that could be linked to a much easier schedule than what they had to navigate last season.

While the FBS matchup against SMU will be difficult, the rest of the non-conference slate is very manageable with San Diego and Stetson. In conference play, the Aggies avoid Montana State and Northern Arizona entirely, while getting Montana and dark-horse contender Idaho State at home.

They will have some tricky road games against Weber State, Southern Utah, and Idaho, but this is easily one of the easiest Big Sky schedules in 2026. This presents a perfect opportunity for UC Davis to win at least a share of the Big Sky title, and potentially make a case for a Top 4 seed. Now, it's time for the Aggies to take advantage and give themselves a clear path to Nashville.

Ultimately, the true ceiling of this team will be determined by what they get out of their new starting quarterback, whoever that may end up being, along with how effective their defensive line is throughout the season. Other than those two questions, I expect the Aggies to make some noise and be a Top 5 team in the FCS next season.

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