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Aug 31
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Fresno State Football Season Preview: Two-Deep Depth Chart

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The wait is over! Head Coach Matt Entz and Fresno State Football released its two-deep depth chart to begin the 2026 season as the Bulldogs get ready for a week one matchup on Friday night at the University of Southern California.

Quarterback

Jayden Mandal | Khristian Martin

The most anticipated position battle during camp finally was revealed on Monday morning with redshirt junior and local product Jayden Mandal earning the starting quarterback position over Maryland transfer Khristian Martin. 

“We have to do what’s best for the football team. We kept two metrics, timing and accuracy were the two biggest things that stood out,” Entz said. 

Entz went on to add that Mandal being a local product had no sway in the decision and that the Buchanan alum simply “earned it,” with his leadership and command of the offense. He also mentioned that Mandal was extremely humbled when he found out.

“I don’t even know if I got a smile out of him. I think that says a lot about the type of individual he is, but also the respect that he has for the other QB’s in the room,” Entz said. 

As for Martin, he begins the season as the team’s primary backup with Coach hope he continues to push the envelope with Jayden. 

“He has to always be ready, and he has to continue to push Jayden to be the best version of himself, help him continue to prepare for games,” Entz said. “We want things to be competitive. We want anyone to get comfortable within the program because that’s when complacency sets in.”

Beyond Martin and Mandal, true freshman Deagan Rose is third in line for signal caller duties if needed after a strong showing during fall camp, with Jonathan Craft and Jacob Chambers filling out the young quarterback room for Offensive Coordinator Josh Davis and company. 

Running Back

Rayshon Luke | Bryson Donelson

Fresno State averaged a modest 170.5 yards per game on the season a year ago. While decent, this group is certainly capable of exceeding that mark in 2026. A healthy Donelson and Luke could easily top 1,000 yards from scrimmage each, giving the Bulldogs the best backfield duo in the conference. 

After those two, redshirt freshman Julius Gillick and Bucknell transfer Tariq Thomas are expected to fill the bulk of the remaining opportunities following the injury of Brandon Bramirez and graduations of Elijah Gilliam and Johnathan Arceneaux.

Wide Receiver

Josiah Freeman | Jayon Farrar

Jahlil McClain | Kenyan Cotton

Ezekiel Avit | Harold Duvall

Freeman is the number one guy in this room. After him, there’s probably four or five guys that could rotate into a starting role at some point this season. Avit (28 rec, 255 yds) and McClain (13 rec, 169 yds) take the other two starting spots. Kenyan Cotton makes the second unit as redshirt freshman. 

Tight End

Jake Appleget | Gavin Correia

Similarly to last year, the Bulldogs will run a lot of two-TE packages. Northern Illinois transfer Jake Appleget headlines a group with a lot of inexperience but plenty of potential. Redshirt sophomore Gavin Correia and senior Brock Lium (injured during season opener at Kansas) are also expected to get plenty of run in 2026. 

Offensive Line

LT: Brayden Walton | Ethan Dasmann

LG: Marquise Thorpe-Taylor | Ginor Quinones

C: Oscar Weigel | Ben Baker

RG: Jonah Leaupepetele | Pat Barnett or Marsel Akins 

RT: Rolan Fullwood | Kyson Van Vugt

The Bulldogs entered fall camp with its two starting tackles, Walton and Fullwood firmly entrenched. San Diego transfer Oscar Weigel quickly grabbed the center position after continuing a strong offseason leaving just the two guard positions open. 

“Oscar’s played a lot of college football already, and so he’s transitioned really smoothly. It was good to have him here all spring. A tremendous player, you know, a very smart football player. Has to be because he’s going to be the focal point of a lot of the communication that starts with our offensive line,” Entz said. 

Left guard might have been the most competitive battle this fall and it might not be done yet. But for now, former tackle Marquise Thorpe-Taylor shifts inside as a starter. Redshirt freshman Jonah Leaupepetele starts at right guard for the Bulldogs, beating out Pat Barnett and Marsel Akins. 

“Man, [Jonah] just shows up every day. He continues to get better. He’s really bought into Coach Ferentz and how we’re going about things up front. Like I said, starting a redshirt freshman against a top-10 team in the country. I’m sure he’s going to have his moments, but I think when you look back at it, it’ll be a huge growing moment, and I’m sure his best football is going to be down the road,” Entz said. 

Defensive Line

Jahzon Jacks | Sione Noa or Noah Yeh

Martin Owusu | Jairus Satele

Deijon Laffitte | Mordecai Hines or Logan Goodspeed

Dylan Hampsten | Merhauti Xepera

All throughout spring ball and fall camp, one particular position group has shined slightly above the rest at Fresno State. Under defensive line coach Jordan Gigli and edge coach Marcus Hall-Oliver, the Bulldogs look to build off a top-10 nationally ranked defense a year ago in yards allowed per game (285.7). 

Fresno State did graduate defensive ends Finn Claypool (39 total tackles, 6.5 sacks) and Korey Foreman (3 sacks) but still bring back a whole host of high-level talent in the trenches, including the likes of Jahzon Jacks, Merhauti Xepera, Sione Noa, Deijon Laffitte and Martin Owusu. 

A potential dark horse for conference defensive player of the year would be Jahzon Jacks, the 6-foot-5 fifth year edge who led the nation with four fumble recoveries a year ago and enters 2026 leading Fresno State in career starts (25) and games played (42). 

The senior had a solid season last year, totaling 29 tackles, including 5.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks, but he’s ready for more. The East Palo Alto native slimmed down over summer, cutting down about 30 pounds in an effort to be more athletic and get to the quarterback faster. 

The Bulldogs added a few new faces to the line over the offseason, including transfer edges Dylan Hampsten (Sacramento State) and Maverick Noonan (Nebraska). 

Linebacker

WILL: K’vion Thunderbird | Niko Baumgartner

MIKE: Tytus Khajavi | Logan Studt

The youngest position group on the team outside of Quarterback. K’Vion Thunderbirds returns to the Bulldogs fully healthy and ready to captain the Bulldog defense alongside Tytus Khajavi. Logan Studt could very well fill in either spot if needed. 

Cornerback

Kiontre Harris | Cam Cole or Sammie Hunter

Loyall Mouzon | Truly Bell III

Following the graduations of Al’zillion Hamilton and Jakari Embry, sophomores Kiontre Harris take over on the outside for Fresno State. 

Sophomores Cam Cole and Sammie Hunter will continue to battle for the backup role to Mouzon while seeing time on special teams. Truly Bell III is the only true freshman on either side of the ball listed in the two-deep depth chart, which shouldn’t be a coincidence with his name. 

Nickel/Slot

Simeon Harris | Andre Cobb

One of six captains and probably the most vocal member of the defense, Harris returns to Fresno State for his senior season in the same role as last year playing the slot. 

Safety

Taylor Powell | RJ Regan or Gerayas Grimes

Ryan Wilson | Ethan Tierney

The most competitive position battle on the defense this fall was safety, with as many as nine guys competing for a starting spot. Transfer Taylor Powell starts alongside “super” senior Ryan Wilson who gets an extra year after earning a medical redshirt over the offseason. 

Special Teams

K: Manaki Watanabe | Ryan Kobzeff (kickoffs)

P: Clay Lawrence | Nick Verdugo

LS: Ethan Rossetti | Jack Baldi

KR: Jordan Malau’ulu | Rayshon Luke

PR: Jordan Malau’ulu | Rayshon Luke

For the first time since 2021, the Bulldogs will have someone other than Dylan Lynch as their primary place kicker. Manaki Watanabe takes over after being named a DII All-American last season when he was 21-22 on FG (long of 59) and 39/40 on XP at Ashland University. Redshirt freshman Ryan Kobzeff takes over kickoff duties. 

After missing all of 2025 with an injury, Clay Lawrence takes back over the starting role at punter. He averaged 40.9 yards per punt in 2024. 

Jordan Malau’ulu and Rayshon Luke are back as the primary returners again in 2026. 

Story written by Al Scott. Cover photo by Ryan Sepulveda.

May 01
0

Matilda Torres Tennis Aims For Championship, Paying Tribute To Beloved Teammate

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  “Our friendship and Memories Live Forever.”  

This is the motto that has inspired the Matilda Torres boy tennis team as they strive for history in the 2026 season. The slogan is dedicated to Rafael Barragan Donan, a beloved Matilda Torres student-athlete who died in a crash in September. Fueled by the spirit of Donan, the Toros finished second in league this season and earned the No.1 seed in the playoffs. Now, they’re looking to add a section championship to their memorable season.

This is what head coach Mark Melchor said about his team’s performance this year and how they have overcome adversity. 

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1) You guys finished second in league and earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. How proud are you of what you guys have been able to accomplish and what do you think has been the key to your success?

Words cannot describe how proud I am of my boys. Their perseverance and dedication has gotten us to where we are now. I think the key to our success is our chemistry/brotherhood. Our tennis program is not just about being a team and having each other backs on the court, but having a brotherhood outside of all of that. All my boys get together on their own time and hang out and enjoy making memories with one another. That speaks volumes and shows when we are out there fighting for one another. Another key to our success is accountability, where a lot of my boys have stepped up in being a leader on and off the courts and being able to hold each other to a higher standard.

2) Do you have any particular moments that stand out for you from the season so far?

This may sound crazy, but the stand out moment would be when we lost to Madera High. Because after that loss, the boys held their head high and weren’t dwelling on it, but ready to find ways to improve in what they messed up in. They were just ready to get back to work and try to improve. Taking a loss is hard, but having your head high and being able to want to learn from, it is what has stood out for me as a coach. 

Another stand out moment is when we played Lemoore yesterday. I saw a fire in all of my boys that I have never seen. I have seniors that do not really be yelling on the court when they are playing and yesterday I heard alot of COME ONs and LETS GO. At one point, one of my seniors got really nervous and didn’t play well and lost, he tried leaving the court sad and all my boys were there to pick his head up and let him know that we still got it. Seeing that made me tear up, because they’re not letting anyone dwell on a loss, but to support one another through it all. 

We had our number 4 sit because he was sick, so we had one of our JV boys step up and have a few of the boys move up on the ladder and did not disappoint. Despite playing up, the boys made it happen and showed that it does not matter where you are at the ladder. Just work hard every point and you will get the results.

3) Looks like you guys are inspired by a special motto this year: “Our friendship and memories will live forever.” Can you tell us what that is all about and why it’s special for you guys?

The quote, “Our friendship and Memories Live Forever” is about one of our boys that passed away in October. His name was Rafeal Barragan Donan. This was a very tough time for our tennis family, the boys took this really hard, as well as myself. We couldn’t believe it, and were unsure of what to do about this situation. 

One thing we did was be there for one another and make sure that we were there for his family as well. His parents would always be at our games, so we made sure to comfort them, as well as one another during this tough time. The boys and I wanted to show that he was just more than a brother and player to us. He was family and we wanted to keep his story going, so we all came together with this quote and put it on the back of our jerseys. 

This quote shows everyone that he is always with us and we always pray before every game and talk about Rafa in it, so hopefully he can hear us in heaven and know that we are fighting, not just for our school, but for him as well. We printed out his photo for matches to stay motivated and to remind us of him during the game, because he would have been here with us and even playing in the varsity ladder, so we believe he deserves this as much as we do.

4) Looks like you guys have a special group of seniors this year. What can you say about the character they have shown on and off the court?

My seniors are amazing individuals on and off the court. They managed to carry themselves very highly with a lot of integrity and grace. You’ll see them on the court supporting one another trying to keep one another motivated but to hold them accountable, they are jokesters and have a great balance and understanding of when it’s time to goof off and have fun, but also when we need to lock in and push ourselves. I love these boys and knowing they’re about to leave and move on makes me sad every time I think about it.

Off the court, they are all brothers. They hangout on their own and enjoy each other’s company. One time I caught them riding their bikes in town, seeing them creating a friendship and memories is what to me coaching is all about, getting kiddos that probably wouldn’t have talked about if it was not for tennis. Off the courts my senior boys are really involved in other extracurricular activities such as the chruch, FBLA, HOSA and  sports outside of school. They are really involved in their community and try their best to give back.

Apr 29
0

Sierra Pacific Sophomore Ayden Bernat Shattering Records On The Track

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Sierra Pacific‘s Ayden Bernat is in the midst of a sensational sophomore season on the track. Bernat set a school record in the 100-meter race at the TCC Tri Meet on April 15, finishing with a time of 11.16. He then broke his own record a week later at the TCC 3-WAY Meet, posting a time of 11.10.

The sophomore set another school record at the Sanger Metric Classic on April 24 when he finished the 200-meter race with a time of 22.55.

This is what Bernat said about the recent performances of himself and the team.

1) You’re only a sophomore, but you’re already breaking multiple school records. Have you surprised yourself with how you have performed or is this what you expected from yourself going into your sophomore year?

Yes, I’ve surprised myself a lot, but I also kind of hoped to take a big step this year. Putting in the work year-round and going in with a more confident mindset and stronger both physically and mentally, so I came into the season ready to improve. Breaking records this early is definitely unexpected and what I’ve been working towards , but I know I can do more in the next few years.

2) You also set a school record in the 200-meter race. How proud are you of that achievement?

I’m really proud of that. The 200 is tough because it’s not just straight speed, you’ve got to finish strong too. So seeing all the work come together in that race felt really good. It just makes me want to keep dropping my time.

3) What were some of the goals you set for yourself going into the season and how do you feel about how you’re meeting your goals so far?

My goals were to improve my times, help my team in the relays and hoping to break some records along the way. I also wanted to stay consistent throughout the season. I feel like I’m doing an amazing job so far, but I’ve still got a lot more I’m aiming for, so I’m just trying to stay focused and humble.

4) You guys have set several records as a team. Why do you think you guys have been able to have so much success so far this season and what do you hope to see from your team for the rest of the season?

I think our success comes from how we push each other every day. Everyone’s locked in, and we’ve built good chemistry, especially in the relays. That trust makes a big difference. For the rest of the season, I just want us to keep improving, stay focused, and see how far we can go.

Oct 04
0

Undefeated Buchanan And Clovis Set To Kickoff League Play

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Two undefeated teams are set to square off on Friday night as TRAC play officially begins. The two 5-0 teams, Clovis and Buchanan High, are seeing each other after dominating the preseason. Clovis High started the season with a 27-12 win against Central Valley Christian, then demolished Edison 53-0. The Cougars followed up with a 57-27 win against Frontier, 41-14 against Salinas and 53-0 vs Bullard.

Junior Deagan Rose completed 12/17 passes with two touchdown passes in the win against Bullard. Cougars’ junior Maddox Merrill also added two rushing touchdowns in the shutout victory.

Buchanan started the season with a 38-0 shutout against St. Pius X-St. Matthias, then won 34-20 vs Kennedy, 61-6 against Edison, 14-10 vs Liberty and 33-13 against Paso Robles.

Buchanan’s rushing game carried the load in the win against Paso Robles. Carvell Wafer, Joshua Madrigal, Wyatt Aviles and Gannon Sever each scored a rushing touchdown in the victory.

Friday’s match-anticipated matchup between Clovis and Buchanan is set to kickoff at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. Here is what the players had to say about the excitement leading up to the game.

Clovis High Quarterback Deagan Rose:

This game is super exciting. I’m pretty sure our whole entire team is super pumped to play our first TRAC game against a good team like Buchanan so it should be a fun one.

It’s always good to get off to a good start in our league, especially with what it looks like this year, so if we win this game it will set us up really nice going into next week when we play against North.

Buchanan is a really physical team with great young running backs and secondary. We just have to all do our jobs and not do too much and we should be good.

Clovis High running back Maddox Merrill:

It’s pretty exciting knowing the hype coming into this game. All we have to do is go out there and take care of business. We are fired up and ready to go.

This game is a statement game. The goal is to go out there and show the rest of the TRAC that we aren’t messing around. It’s super important to dominate this game and get rolling.

I would say Buchanan’s best strength is their run game, but based off the pre TRAC games we have one of the best run defenses in the Valley, so I would say we match up pretty good.

Buchanan running back Carvell Wafer Jr:

As a team we are super stoked. It’s our homecoming game against a school we’ve been competing with for the past few years. This is a game that means a lot to us and we’ve been looking forward to this game all year. All I can say is that I’m fired up for this Friday.

This game is most definitely a statement game and we have something to prove. It would be huge to start the TRAC with a win. Clovis High has a solid group, so it would be big for us to get this win and would set the stage for the league.

They have a good passing game, but our defense has been putting in the work everyday to be prepared for Friday night.