UC Davis set to begin 2025 regular season vs. Mercer

It was a memorable 2024 season for UC Davis football, and the Aggies are ready for an encore performance in 2025.

UC Davis head coach Tim Plough joined The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross to preview this weekend’s season-opener against Mercer, highlight what fans should look forward to seeing from the Aggies this year, and much more.

Be sure to check out the entire interview with UC Davis head coach Tim Plough on the Sactown Sports 1140 YouTube page.

You can listen to UC Davis football take on Mercer this Saturday, August 23rd, with kick-off taking place at 4 PM PT right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM.

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

Click here for full episodes of The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross

More UC Davis Football content from Sactown Sports

The 2025 UC Davis football defense is poised to be one of the better units in the country, with six-year defensive coordinator Matt Coombs surrounding a returning strong core of Aggies with an equally talented group of incomers.

“We did a really good job of rebuilding our unit around the strong group of returners we have for the upcoming season,” said Coombs. “Up front we got bigger and in the secondary and among the linebackers we return some of our top guys from last year. I’m excited to see what the unit can accomplish in a challenging conference to defend.”

DEFENSIVE LINE: During 2024 the defensive line was one of the more consistent units on the defensive side of the ball and with transfers like preseason All-American Jacob Psyk and Derrell Porter coming on board with top contributing returners Trent Carrade and Joey Carrillo the Aggie front should continue to be a force.

“This year we will have, some young guys returning,” said Jane and Fred Arp Defensive Line Coach Jerry Brady. “But those guys will be key to how we play up front. For us, it’s all about stopping the run first and then being physical as a unit.”

Tom Sackinsky (Sierra College), Julius Ray (Pasadena City College) and Ike Ikegbu (American River College) join Psyk (Harvard) and Porter (Dartmouth) as transfers to the unit. Psyk and Porter were both All-Ivy League during the 2024 season, with Psyk finishing the season ranked 29th nationally in total sacks.

Carrade returns with the most tackles from 2024, having made seven total stops in a primary backup role during the season, while Carrillo made five total tackles and added one sack. Jake Williams, Rayne Mayo Jr. and Clayton Lynam make up the rest of the returning Aggies.

LINEBACKERS: In the middle, UC Davis football boasts a preseason All-American along with an experienced returning bunch that should put the Aggie linebacking corps in position to make an impact on both the run and the pass.

Read more below:

2025 UC Davis Football Positional Previews: Defense

2025 UC Davis football schedule

• Saturday, August 23rd – vs. Mercer – 7:00 PM PT
• Saturday, August 30th – @ Utah Tech – 7:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 6th – @ Washington – 8:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 20th – vs. Southern Utah – TBD
• Saturday, September 27th – vs. Weber State – TBD

Thank you for reading sactownsports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

Plough: UC Davis ready to chase down Big Sky title in 2026Position Preview: Confidence Defines Aggies’ Special Teams UnitUC Davis Football enters 2026 with Big Sky championship expectationsPosition Preview: Defensive Leaders Return for UC DavisPosition Preview: Inside the 2026 Aggie OffenseUC Davis Football Ranked Sixth In AFCA FCS Top 25