2013 SACRAMENTO STATE FOOTBALL SEASON OUTLOOK all-Big Sky selection a year ago. • Tackles Lars Hanson and Aleksandar Milanovic both return after receiving significant playing time during their redshirt freshmen seasons. Milanovic started the final 10 games of the year while Hanson earned the nod in the last five. The pair are formidable bookends on the line with Hanson standing at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds and Milanovic measuring 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds. • Derek Stickney, who started the final eight games of 2011 at right tackle, will compete for playing time after sitting out 2012 due to a foot injury. • Center John Wallace joined the team during the spring after appearing in four games for UMass during the 2012 season. Wallace will be joined by fellow FBS transfer Derek Nielsen once camp begins. Nielsen comes from Oregon State where he played in 10 games, including against Sacramento State in 2011. • Sophomore Dan Stornaiuolo and redshirt freshman Casey Dakin will be joined by eight newcomers. That group includes the 6-foot-8, 310-pound Adam Murray who joined the team during the spring after playing at Santa Rosa JC.
• Junior Nathan Castro played in all 11 games and alternated starts in the middle of the line. Castro should be slated to take over as the primary starter in 2012 with the departure of Trevor Kelly. As a sophomore, Castro compiled 22 total tackles and had 3.5 TFLs. • Junior Jaycee Totty and sophomore Nicholas Mazza also return to the line. Totty played in 10 games, starting four, during his first year with the team. The Exeter, Calif., native had 48 tackles, including 5.0 TFLs and a pair of sacks. Mazza saw action in nine games as a redshirt freshman and was credited with nine stops. • Redshirt freshmen Noah Johnson and Nehemiah Mitchell will both see their first action with the Green and Gold. • Newcomers to the line include JC transfer JJ Castillo and freshmen Ben Sorensen, Viliami Umufuke and Josh Winters.
DEFENSIVE LINE
• Sacramento State returns three players to its twolinebacker set led by senior Todd Davis. The outside linebacker was a second team all-Big Sky selection last season after leading the team with 103 tackles. • Davis enters the season with 220 career tackles which places him 10th in school history. The Palmdale, Calif., native needs 116 tackles in 2013 to catch Cyrus Mulitalo for second place but will not catch the school record of 435 held by Ryland Wickman. • The starting job at middle linebacker is open with the graduation of Jeff Badger. Senior Henry Fernandez is one of the top candidates to take over after recording 37 tackles in 10 games last year. • Sophomore Darnell Sankey saw action at linebacker and on the defensive line during his freshman season. During the year, he had 13 total tackles. • JC transfer Ofa Fifita will look to earn playing time at middle linebacker. Fifita, who began his collegiate career at Fresno State, played last season at Riverside JC where he had 63 tackles with four sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles. • Redshirt freshman Max Mathews and four incoming freshmen will provide valuable depth. Included among the newcomers are local standouts Cole Hannum (Nevada Union HS), Russell Smith (Del Oro HS) and Jordan Vinson (Rio Americano HS).
Returning Letterwinners 35 Jaycee Totty 90 Ben Cowger 91 Nicholas Mazza 94 Trent Eskew 97 Nathan Castro
Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr.
6-3 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-0
260 240 250 245 310
• Three returning starters and two key contributors lead a versatile defensive line. • Senior Trent Eskew is the most experienced of the group and is one of several players who can play in both the interior and exterior of the line. Eskew started six games in 2012 and finished the season with 23 total tackles, including four sacks. • Like Eskew, junior Ben Cowger has played both defensive tackle and defensive end. The Madera, Calif., native made five starts a year ago where he had 32 total tackles with 5.0 tackles-for-loss and an interception.
TODD DAVIS
LINEBACKERS
Returning Letterwinners 44 Darnell Sankey 48 Henry Fernandez 53 Todd Davis
So. Sr. Sr.
6-3 5-11 6-1
230 215 230
DEFENSIVE BACKS
10
OSAGIE ODIASE
Returning Letterwinners 1 Osagie Odiase 3 Dijon Washington 7 Joshua Armstrong 20 Nicholas Payne 23 Randey Peterson 28 Dexter Alcala 29 Robert Beale 31 Markell Williams 42 Eddie Gillies
Sr. Sr. So. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr.
6-1 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-8 6-0
175 190 180 175 195 185 180 180 175
• Five players who started at least five games last season return to anchor a veteran secondary for the Hornets. • Senior Osagie Odiase has started 26 games during his three seasons and is tied for 10th in school history
with seven career interceptions. Odiase led the team a year ago with three picks and earned second team all-Big Sky honors. • Senior Markell Williams started all 11 games at nickelback and concluded the season with a careerhigh 70 tackles. Williams also added 5.0 TFLs, including 2.5 sacks, and had a pair of interceptions. • Robert Beale and Dijon Washington split starts at one of the safety spots. Beale, a senior from Turlock, Calif., had 19 tackles through the first two games of the year but was limited to just four other contests due to injury. Washington picked up his productivity at the end of the year and finished with 51 tackles. • Sophomore Joshua Armstrong had 10 starts at corner in 2012. The Redlands, Calif., native made 33 tackles, had an interception, forced a fumble and broke up six passes. • Other returners include juniors Dexter Alcala, Eddie Gillies and Randey Peterson, and sophomore Nicholas Payne. • The redshirt freshmen class is comprised of Jacob Bowman, Tyler Charrette, Andy Gramajo and Anthony Payne. • A trio of midyear signees could make immediate impacts. Tyrone Duckett comes from Washington State, Mike Sellers from Hawaii and Robbie Kendall is a transfer from Butte JC.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Returning Letterwinners 45 Justin Weldon 57 Smith Heath
Sr. Jr.
6-4 5-11
215 175
• The Hornets return punters Justin Weldon and Smith Heath. Last year, the two each started games with Weldon leading the team with an average of 42.8 yards per punt. • The kicking and long snapping duties will both be open heading into the season. The candidates at kicker include sophomore Brad Cornish and JC transfer Jesse Aguilar. • Returner Josh Latham and JC transfer Tim Hernandez are the likely candidates to take over at long snapper.
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