DAVIS, Calif. – In the second installment of the season preview series, coaches
Cha'pelle Brown and
Evan Hicks breakdown the defensive backs.
The backend of the Aggie defense boasts one of the best safeties in the FCS in sophomore
Rex Connors. The Pleasant Grove, Utah native enters the 2023 campaign on the Buck Buchanan Watch List, an award given annually to the best defensive player in the country.
"Rex has had a good offseason," Coach Hicks said. "His biggest area of growth has been just getting more comfortable with the defense. He is still a young buck, but he did have a tremendous year and I am excited for him to continue that."
Connors, who has been named to multiple preseason All-American teams is coming off a breakout freshman campaign that earned him a finalist spot for the Jerry Rice Award. The safety garnered two freshman All-American honors and first-team all-Big Sky accolades after leading the league with five interceptions and 0.50 per contest.
Connors paced the team with 92 total tackles and ranked second in the conference with 9.2 tackles per game. He set a single-game program record from at least 2007 with 17 total tackles at No. 2 South Dakota State en route to being named the FedEx Ground FCS Freshman of the Week.
The Aggies do have to replace two mainstay starters in the secondary in
Devon King and
Chris Venable. Despite the loss of the pair, the Ags do return starting corner
Jehiel Budgett. The nearby Elk Grove native garnered third-team all-Big Sky honors after registering 23 total tackles, one interception and breaking up five passes.
"The biggest improvement has been
Jehiel Budgett," Coach Brown said. "He is our vet of the group. He has been through a lot in the offseason and he has come back better and been the leader of the group. I am excited to see what he does."
A lot of young talent also gained valuable playing time in 2022. As a true freshman,
Blake Cotton played in nine games and made three starts. He instantly made an impact, tying for the team lead with six pass breakups, adding 18 total tackles that included 14 solo stops.
"Blake got a lot of quality reps, and we look forward to him making the next step this year," said Coach Brown.
Kavir Bains and
Markeece Alexander also cracked the starting lineup while
George Moreno played in all 11 games with a start. Moreno had a pick-six at Northern Colorado and totaled 30 tackles, adding a forced fumble.
Jayden Stanley played in 10 games and had three pass breakups.
"We are excited about the vets that are coming back," Coach Hicks said. "George and Jayden are looking good. The best thing about them is they are fun to be around, they are good with their teammates, and they do bring back some experience. They have been through it a little bit."
A crop of newcomers enter the fold as the Aggies welcome
William Fowler,
Devon Gusta,
Lamont Shamburger, and Iowa transfer
Gaven Cooke to campus.
"I am excited about all the young guys we brought in," Coach Hicks explained. "We reloaded and are super excited about those guys and seeing them develop through fall camp."
UC Davis will open the 2023 season on the road at Texas A&M – Commerce. The season-opener is slated for Thursday, Aug. 31, in Commerce, Texas. Football season tickets, single game tickets, group tickets and mini-plans are now on sale. Click
HERE or call the UC Davis Ticket Office at
530-752-2471 for more information.
