2024 Outlook
The 2024 season kickoff is just a few weeks away as the Hornets look to embark on another season in pursuit of a 5th straight postseason appearance under 2nd year Head Coach Andy Thompson. The Hornets were picked 8th in the FCS in the Stats Perform preseason poll and picked to finish 5th in the BSC in the coaches and media poll.
Offensively the Hornets return a lot of key components from last season’s playoff run. At the helm will be quarterbacks Kaiden Bennett and Carson Conklin. It remains to be seen how Associate Head Coach Bobby Fresquez will split time between the two, but it is expected that both will be on the field very often. There are many talented targets that these quarterbacks will throw the ball to. At wide receiver the Hornets have a mix of returning players and incoming transfers to power the passing game in Jared Gipson (All-BSC), Anderson Grover, Devin Gandy, and incoming transfer Makai Cope. Coleman Kuntz (All-BSC) returns at tight end along with incoming transfer Jay Rudolph.
On the offensive line, the Hornets return 3 starters, including guard Jackson Slater (FCS All-American, All-BSC, center Nathan Mejia (All-BSC), and tackle Aiden Meek with some experienced players looking to earn a starting role. In the backfield, the Hornets return running backs Elijah Tau-Tolliver and Ezra Moleni.
The Hornet offense has the experience and talent to be more than capable of moving the ball and putting up points. The key thing to watch this season will be how Coach Fresquez handles the quarterback workload/rotation and if he can put together a game plan that is capable of putting this team in a position to win in the big games.
The Hornet defense will have a lot of starting roles to plug this season, fortunately there are a lot of returners with experience that will be vying for those openings. Transfer linebacker Will Leota (all-BSC) was brought in to shore up the defense. Oge Feo is the other returning linebacker with the most significant playtime at this position. The defensive line will see all new starters this season with Brandon Knott, Xavier Williams, and Mason Brousseau seeing a lot of action in the interior last season. Ben Ahio and Josh Cashiola saw significant action last season at defensive end.
In the Hornet secondary, nickelback Gavin Davis-Smith is the lone returning starter but a handful of players saw action last season as well as players returning from injury and incoming transfers. Safeties Eian Moore and Davion Ross will be in the mix after missing all of last season with injury along with transfer Murvin Kennion III and Anta’Veon McKenzie who saw significant action late in season last year. At cornerback, Zelmar Vedder, Patrick Dean, and DJ Houston saw action last season at cornerback and newcomer Phoenix Rose being a highly touted recruit.
Lots to watch for on this side of the ball as the question is who will step up and make their presence known. Not a lot of starters return but a lot of players who notched a lot of minutes will be stepping into starting roles. The defensive philosophy has been a “bend but don’t break style” under Thompson and I don’t think that will change this season.
Special teams returns all the specialists this season. Punter Cal McGough, kickers Zach Schreiner and Evan Kiely, and long snapper AJ Campos are looking to continue building off of a solid performance a year ago. Another solid season from the specialists should be expected.
The 2024 schedule features a 12 game slate with only 5 of them coming in Hornet Stadium and 4 of the first 5 on the road. The Hornets open with back to back FBS games which will be a physically challenging start. The bye week is well positioned after the road heavy first half of the season. The final month of the season features the Hornets only leaving California once with the final regular season game being the Causeway in Hornet Stadium.
This Hornet program has proven its strength and resolve over the past 5 years that every game on the schedule is winnable and anything less than 8 wins and a playoff appearance is failure. There are only a few games in which I wavered on picking a Hornet win (SJSU, FSU, MSU) but as we saw last year, the Hornets cannot afford to overlook anyone on the schedule.
My prediction is 10-2 (7-1 BSC) in route to a share of a BSC title and a berth in the playoffs.
Hornetsports Media Guide Outlook
Week by week breakdown will be posted sometime before the first game.
Stingers Up!
The 2024 season kickoff is just a few weeks away as the Hornets look to embark on another season in pursuit of a 5th straight postseason appearance under 2nd year Head Coach Andy Thompson. The Hornets were picked 8th in the FCS in the Stats Perform preseason poll and picked to finish 5th in the BSC in the coaches and media poll.
Offensively the Hornets return a lot of key components from last season’s playoff run. At the helm will be quarterbacks Kaiden Bennett and Carson Conklin. It remains to be seen how Associate Head Coach Bobby Fresquez will split time between the two, but it is expected that both will be on the field very often. There are many talented targets that these quarterbacks will throw the ball to. At wide receiver the Hornets have a mix of returning players and incoming transfers to power the passing game in Jared Gipson (All-BSC), Anderson Grover, Devin Gandy, and incoming transfer Makai Cope. Coleman Kuntz (All-BSC) returns at tight end along with incoming transfer Jay Rudolph.
On the offensive line, the Hornets return 3 starters, including guard Jackson Slater (FCS All-American, All-BSC, center Nathan Mejia (All-BSC), and tackle Aiden Meek with some experienced players looking to earn a starting role. In the backfield, the Hornets return running backs Elijah Tau-Tolliver and Ezra Moleni.
The Hornet offense has the experience and talent to be more than capable of moving the ball and putting up points. The key thing to watch this season will be how Coach Fresquez handles the quarterback workload/rotation and if he can put together a game plan that is capable of putting this team in a position to win in the big games.
The Hornet defense will have a lot of starting roles to plug this season, fortunately there are a lot of returners with experience that will be vying for those openings. Transfer linebacker Will Leota (all-BSC) was brought in to shore up the defense. Oge Feo is the other returning linebacker with the most significant playtime at this position. The defensive line will see all new starters this season with Brandon Knott, Xavier Williams, and Mason Brousseau seeing a lot of action in the interior last season. Ben Ahio and Josh Cashiola saw significant action last season at defensive end.
In the Hornet secondary, nickelback Gavin Davis-Smith is the lone returning starter but a handful of players saw action last season as well as players returning from injury and incoming transfers. Safeties Eian Moore and Davion Ross will be in the mix after missing all of last season with injury along with transfer Murvin Kennion III and Anta’Veon McKenzie who saw significant action late in season last year. At cornerback, Zelmar Vedder, Patrick Dean, and DJ Houston saw action last season at cornerback and newcomer Phoenix Rose being a highly touted recruit.
Lots to watch for on this side of the ball as the question is who will step up and make their presence known. Not a lot of starters return but a lot of players who notched a lot of minutes will be stepping into starting roles. The defensive philosophy has been a “bend but don’t break style” under Thompson and I don’t think that will change this season.
Special teams returns all the specialists this season. Punter Cal McGough, kickers Zach Schreiner and Evan Kiely, and long snapper AJ Campos are looking to continue building off of a solid performance a year ago. Another solid season from the specialists should be expected.
The 2024 schedule features a 12 game slate with only 5 of them coming in Hornet Stadium and 4 of the first 5 on the road. The Hornets open with back to back FBS games which will be a physically challenging start. The bye week is well positioned after the road heavy first half of the season. The final month of the season features the Hornets only leaving California once with the final regular season game being the Causeway in Hornet Stadium.
This Hornet program has proven its strength and resolve over the past 5 years that every game on the schedule is winnable and anything less than 8 wins and a playoff appearance is failure. There are only a few games in which I wavered on picking a Hornet win (SJSU, FSU, MSU) but as we saw last year, the Hornets cannot afford to overlook anyone on the schedule.
My prediction is 10-2 (7-1 BSC) in route to a share of a BSC title and a berth in the playoffs.
Hornetsports Media Guide Outlook
Week by week breakdown will be posted sometime before the first game.
Stingers Up!
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