Sacramento St Hornets 2026 College Football Preview
Posted June 13, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 7-5
ATS – 7-5
Welcome to the show!
We’ve got another new entrant into the FBS ranks as Sacramento St makes the jump from the Big Sky to the MAC. The Hornets finished strong last year, winning five of their final seven games, and they’ll try to keep that momentum rolling as they step onto the big stage and into a brand‑new neighborhood.
Let’s go!
Sacramento St Hornets 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
The Hornets have a familiar face under center with the return of Carson Conklin, the YORBA LINDA native who spent last season at Fresno St. Conklin didn’t see much action with the Bulldogs, but he posted a fine 2024 season at Sac State (2,858 yards, 28 TDs), so he brings experience and proven production into their first FBS campaign.
The RB room is a major rebuild after losing the top four rushers from last year. Expect a committee approach, but two names stand out: Davion Godley (Weber State transfer) and Elias Brown, who FLASHED on TAPE with two TDs in the spring game. Brown was a JUCO All‑American at the wonderfully named American River College in 2025, racking up 1,148 yards and 16 TDs.
At wide receiver, the room is being completely rebuilt through the portal and high‑school signees. The one proven piece is senior TE Jordan Williams, returning for his final season. In the WR corps, keep an eye on Matt Coleman (San Jose State transfer; 36 FBS games played) and true freshman Dezmyn Hardy (6‑5, 180), who brings intriguing size to the position.
Up front, the offensive line is one of the biggest question marks on the roster. The group has decent size, but very little starting experience — even at the FCS level — which could be a real problem against FBS defensive fronts.
DEFENSE
The Hornets return more experience on this side of the football after allowing a respectable 26 PPG in FCS play last season. Sacramento St generated impressive PENETRATION in 2025 tallying 38 sacks, and whilst much of that production has moved on, they still bring back senior edge rusher Xavier Williams (6 sacks) and have added significant GIRTH along the interior to help ease the transition to FBS trench warfare.
The linebacker group is a strength, with multiple starters returning. It’ll be especially nice to have veteran LB Derek Houston back at full health after missing signficant time last season. The secondary is the biggest concern. Sac State must replace four starters from last year’s unit, and that’s a tall order when jumping up a level. CB Dionte Thornton (6‑3, 205), a transfer from Portland St, brings excellent size and should slide into a starting role immediately. Beyond Thornton, the group is still taking shape, and they’ll need several new faces to develop in a hurry.
SPECIAL TEAMS
RUH ROH. The Hornets are in full rebuild mode here as well, and they’ll miss their reliable PK/punter combo, not to mention ace KR Rodney Hammond (28.4 avg, TD). That’s a lot of proven production walking out the door, and replacing all three phases of that operation in Year One of FBS life is no small task.
Schedule Analysis
Overall — They’re gonna rack up some AIR MILES this season, yo. The Hornets are based in California and will be making multiple MACtion road trips, not to mention a venture out to Hawaii (!) to end the regular season — their unofficial “bowl game” in Year One. The conference schedule is kind, as whilst they do have to deal with Toledo (H), they avoid both Miami Ohio and Western Michigan, which is a welcome break for a newcomer adjusting to FBS life.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – at Ball St (Oct 24)
This will be Sacramento St’s first MAC road trip without extra rest, and that’s a tough adjustment for a newcomer still figuring out the weekly grind. They’ve also got a winnable home game on deck against Kent St, which makes this a bit of a look‑ahead spot. Meanwhile, Ball St won’t be sleeping on the Hornets — the Cardinals need every win they can scrape together.
Season Win Total
Market consensus – June 13
Over 4.5 -150
Under 4.5 +120
MEGALOCKS says:
Lean: Under
It’ll be a tough assignment to get to five wins, particularly with all the roster turnover and travel requirements. We’ve seen quite the variety of season win total prices on these guys, so shop around if you’re getting involved.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
Sacramento has one of the most distinctive city nicknames in America — SACTOWN. Locals have embraced it for decades, but it blasted into national mainstream orbit in the 1990s when 2Pac dropped a legendary shoutout in California Love alongside Dr. Dre. That’s a HIP‑HOP HEAT‑SEEKING trivia BOMB, bay‑bee.
Local‑Legend Launch Code — Cam Skattebo grew up in the Sacramento area and actually started his college career right here at Sacramento St before transferring to Arizona St. In 2024, the ROLLING BALL OF BUTCHER KNIVES detonated for over 1,700 all‑purpose yards with the Sun Devils and turned himself into a household name. He was drafted by the New York Giants in 2025 — not bad for a kid who started his journey with the Hornets.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
It’s going to be a tough Year One in the FBS for Sacramento St. There’s major roster turnover, new offensive and defensive systems, a new head coach, and a ton of travel baked into the schedule. There are some interesting pieces on offense — especially with experience at QB — but the offensive line could really cap their ceiling as they adjust to FBS‑level fronts. The first two levels of the defense look MAC‑ready, but the secondary is another area of concern and could be exposed early and often.
Even with all that, the Hornets aren’t hopeless. There’s enough offensive upside to hang around in games, and the defense should keep them competitive against the lower and middle tier of the MAC. We’ll call for 3–4 wins, and think they’re more than capable of pulling off an upset, particularly at home where the travel burden flips to the opponent.
Fight, Hornet, Fight!