DAVIS, Calif. – With yet another deep run in the NCAA Division I Football Championships behind them, UC Davis football sets its sights on the next chapter of Aggie football, doing that by welcoming the fifth-best Football Championship Subdivision recruiting class in the nation to "California's College Town" with 23 new Aggies making up the most recent incoming class ahead of the 2026 season.
16 signed Aggies make up a true freshman class that looks to build its own foundation and legacy over the coming seasons, while eight Aggies come to Davis as transfers. Three Aggie transfers come from the Football Bowl Subdivision level, two enter from FCS programs while two more make the transition from the junior college level, rounding out a class that measures up as one of the best in the country.
Two quarterbacks, including a former four-star redshirt freshman from the FBS ranks, four offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two running backs and one tight end make up the offensive portion of the class. While on the defensive side the Aggies can claim the additions of six defensive backs, three linebackers and two defensive linemen and with the transfer of an FBS level kicker UC Davis' class is placed among the FCS elite.
"I'm always excited when the class comes together after a year of hard work from our staff," said head coach
Tim Plough. "Our staff did a tremendous job of identifying not only talented football players, but great young men that will help us continue to build an environment that represents everything we love about Davis.
"We got a great group of guys coming in from the high school level, which is where we want to primarily recruit to build our team. But we also were able to add a few transfers to finalize our roster in areas we needed a little more depth. With those two factors coming together I'm excited about this group and I truly believe it's a special class."
UC Davis on the national stage can claim a class that's ranked higher than the reigning national champions Montana State, along with fellow Big Sky members Cal Poly, Eastern Washington, Portland State, Montana, Weber State, Utah Tech, Idaho State and traditional FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.
TRANSFERRING AGGIES
Drew Faulkner, R-So., DB, (Golden West; Idaho / Los Angeles, Calif.)
Racked up 30 tackles in 11 games played, making 3.5 tackles for loss while adding four interceptions during the 2025 season. Faulkner also showed his threat as a return man, taking one interception and on punt (95 yards) back for touchdowns.
Faulkner originally attended Idaho and before heading to Moscow, Idaho he earned back-to-back Orange League MVP honors while racking up 1,749 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns at Western High school. Faulkner also helped lead his team to the playoffs all four years of his career, going 17-0 in league games during his high school career.
Jake Houseworth, So., TE, (California / Fortuna, Calif.)
Saw action in two games for Cal without recording any stats during his 2025 season. During his time at Fortuna Union High School Houseworth was a multisport athlete who played on both sides of the ball. He ran for 778 yards (8.4 ypd) and caught 13 passes as a junior in 2023. He also played running back and linebacker, along with being a star in basketball and baseball. Houseworth was rated a consensus 3-star recruit according to On3, 247, ESPN and Rivals.
Hayden John, R-Jr., DB (Idaho / Anacortes, Wash.)
Hayden John comes to the Aggies with over 25 games of experience roaming the secondary at Idaho. This past season John started in the Vandal secondary, seeing action in 11 games where he made 53 total stops (29 solo). He also snagged one interception in the endzone against the Aggies during the UC Davis victory in the Kibbie Dome during the 2025 season.
Over the past three seasons, John has racked up 67 total tackles, defended five passes and has one interception. This past season was a career year for the future Aggie defensive back, with him recording 11 tackles at Northern Arizona and 10 against St. Thomas (MN).
Jack Knudtson, So., LB (Saddleback College / Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Comes to the Aggies after spending his freshman season at Saddleback College where he racked up 36 total tackles in 11 games played. He also added a sack and forced a fumble, on his way to having a solid freshman season. In a game at Mt. San Jacinto, Knudtson went off, recording six tackles, one sacks and forced a fumble to help Saddlebrook come away with a 24-13 win.
Knudtson attended Edison High School where he lettered in football and rugby before graduating having earned First Team All-League selection honors.
Jackson Kollock, R-Fr., QB (Minnesota / Laguna Beach, Calif.)
A former four-star recruit out of Laguna Beach High School,
Jackson Kollock spent the 2025 season at Minnesota before entering the transfer portal. While at Laguna Beach, Kollock set school career records for passing yards (7,087), passing touchdowns (94), total offensive yards (7,820) and total touchdowns (115). Over three years as a starter at Laguna Beach High, Kollock went 27-5, bringing home a Pac 4 League Championship during his senior season where he set a single-season records in both yards thrown (3,174) and touchdowns (41).
Coming out of high school Kollock was rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports Composite and Rivals, and he was ranked as the No. 20 quarterback in the nation and the No. 34 player in California by Rivals.
Robert Meyer, So., K (Missouri / Colfax, Calif.)
Thrusted into the starting kicker role following a season-ending injury to Missouri's starter in the season opener,
Robert Meyer took to the role naturally connecting on 10-of-14 field goals (long of 40 yards) and 36-of-38 point-after attempts for 66 total points on the 2025 season. One of the highlights of his season came when the Tigers visited Columbia, South Carolina in a conference match up early in the year. Not fazed by the atmosphere, Meyer would go 3-for-3 on field goals, including a career-long 40 yarder with just under two minutes in the game to secure the big road win for Missouri. His performance that weekend earned him Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honors.
A five-star recruit out of Colfax High School, Meyer was ranked the No. 13 kicker in the nation and during his final two seasons in high school he was an impressive 15-of-19 in field goal attempts.
Chauncey Sylvester, R-So., RB (Weber State / Long Beach, Calif.)
Chauncey Sylvester comes to Davis having spent the previous two seasons in Ogden, Utah with Weber State, during which he played in seven total games while racking up 305 rushing yards on 60 carries. Sylvester added four touchdowns on the ground, and he joins the Aggies having already rushed for over 100 yards in a single game, breaking the century mark with 135 yards on 19 touches when Weber State faced Portland State last season.
FRESHMAN AGGIES
Robert Beverly, Fr., OL (Carmel / Carmel, Calif.)
A three-star recruit,
Robert Beverly comes to the Aggies after graduating from Carmel High School, where in 2024, he helped anchor an offensive line that blocked for that season's California State Champions.
Nikolas Blocker, Fr., WR (Victor Valley / Victorville, Calif.)
A multi-talented three-star recruit out of Victor Valley High School,
Nikolas Blocker brings with him a flare for all things offensive yards and in his 2025 senior season he showcased that with 1,518 all-purpose yards recorded earning First Team All-League honors. Scoring 19 total touchdowns, Blocker hauled in 703 yards on 32 catches, finding the end zone from a pass seven times during his final year at Victor Valley.
Jack Brant, Fr., QB (Timberline / Boise, Idaho)
Rated the best quarterback coming out of Idaho and the 11-th best overall recruit,
Jack Brant adds another athletic tool to the Aggie quarterback room. An All-SIC honoree and three-star recruit, the young signal caller capped off his high school career by throwing for 2,156 yards and 25 touchdowns, adding 539 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns showcasing his dual threat capabilities.
Jeremiah Brown, Fr., DB (San Jacinto / Moreno Valley, Calif.)
A force in the San Jacinto High School secondary,
Jeremiah Brown joins an experienced and deep secondary in Davis. During his 2025 senior season, Brown totaled 58 tackles, defending 10 passes while also forcing two fumbles, showing his nose for finding the football on the defensive side of things.
Jackson Fay, Fr., WR (East Union / Manteca, Calif.)
Collecting an impressive 2,267 all-purpose yards in his final season at East Union,
Jackson Fay adds another piece to the incoming class. Fay, a three-star recruit. finished the 2025 season with 25 total touchdowns, making 60 receptions for 928 yards while collecting 19 of his 25 total touchdowns through the air.
Chaz Gilbreath, Fr., DB (Mayfair / Bellflower, Calif.)
Playing on both sides of the ball,
Chaz Gilbreath made his presence known during his time at Mayfair High School. A three-star recruit, Gilbreath totaled 35 tackles, defending 14 passes while making four interceptions during his final season at Mayfair. Not to be outdone, Gilbreath added 2,114 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns over his final two seasons at wide out, showcasing his abilities on the field.
Sam Haener, Fr., OL (Timberline / Boise, Idaho)
A three-star recruit and 12th-best recruit out of Idaho,
Sam Haener was a member of a Timberline High School offensive line that blocked for a team total of 1,714 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns during the 2025 season. Behind Haener and his Timberline teammates the rushing attack averaged 5.0 yards per carry, and he helped protect incoming Aggie quarterback
Jack Brant on Saturdays across the start of Idaho.
Coby Herman, Fr., RB (La Costa Canyon / Encinitas, Calif.)
Over
Coby Herman's time on varsity at La Costa Canyon High School, the future Aggie racked up over 2,100 rushing yards while averaging 9.77 yards per carry. He rushed for 29 touchdowns and added 1,255 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns caught to round out a productive and talented high school career.
Ben Honebin, Fr., DL (Kailua / Kailua, Hawai'i)
A three-start recruit and Hawai'i's 16th-best rated linebacker, Ben Honebin adds an x-factor to the Aggie defensive rush bringing speed and a nose for the quarterback to Davis. His 25 sacks recorded during the 2025 season, sacks that played an important role in Kailua High School winning the Hawai'i State Championship, showcases his ability to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.
Rickey Johnson, Fr., LB (Independence / Bakersfield, Calif.)
Carrying a three-star rating to Davis,
Rickey Johnson was nearly unstoppable as a linebacker for Independence High School, totaling 190 tackles (152 solo) and 1,402 all-purpose yards during his time on varsity. His senior 2025 season was one for the books, racking up 132 total tackles, 107 solo, while adding 20.5 tackles for loss in one of the more productive seasons by a linebacker in the state of California during the 2025 season.
Marcus McGeilberry, Fr., DB (Aquinas / San Bernadino, Calif.)
In limited action during the 2025 season,
Marcus McGeilberry made an impact in just eight games totaling 20 tackles while making three interceptions at Aquinas High School. Over three seasons, the three-star recruit, totaled 52 tackles while grabbing five interceptions.
Koen Parnell, Fr., WR (Mater Dei / Newport Coast, Calif.)
In six games played for Mater Dei High School during the 2025 season,
Koen Parnell made 17 receptions for 156 yards. Over his three seasons at Mater Dei, Parnell totaled 354 receiving yards.
Anthony Rodriguez, Fr., OL (Long Beach Poly / Long Beach, Calif.)
Anthony Rodriguez helped anchor an offensive line that opened holes during the 2025 season that saw Long Beach Ploy High School rush for 1,520 yards with 16 rushing touchdowns and an average of 7.2 yards per carry.
Donnie Vercher, Fr., LB (Central Catholic / Portland, Ore.)
Rated as the 14th-best recruit out the state of Oregon, and second-best linebacker,
Donnie Vercher brings his three-star rating to Davis and the Aggie linebacking corps. Over two seasons at Central Catholic, Vercher totaled 86.5 tackles, adding 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
Corbin Wade, Fr., DL (Green Mountain / Lakewood, Colo.)
A three-star recruit and the 22nd-best high schooler coming out of the Rocky Mountains,
Corbin Wade brings speed and a strong motor to the "Club Fred." In 2025 Wade racked up 35 tackles, making 13.5 tackles for loss and over two seasons of steady action at Green Mountain High School, Wade racked up 64 total tackles in 20 games played.
Lucas Winkler, Fr., OL (Rancho Bernardo / Ramona, Calif.)
Lucas Winkler helped open holes and block for a Rancho Bernardo High School rushing attack that racked up 1,549 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. During the 2025 season, he helped block for the Rancho Bernardo rushing attack that averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
2026 IS COMING: UC Davis Football opens 2026 on Aug. 29 when they visit Portland State for what doubles as its Big Sky Conference opener. The Aggies open home on Sept. 19 when Stetson visits UC Davis Health Stadium and the Aggies will welcome Montana, Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado, Utah Tech and Cal Poly to Shredville during the season. Season tickets, group tickets and single game tickets will go on sale at a date and time to be announced.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
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