Samford Football Mega Preview: Time to Bounce Back
Hope springs eternal as the sport of the south is back which means Samford football is back. The Samford Bulldogs return following a 4-7 season in 2024 which saw Samford score their fewest amount of points per game (24.3) in the Chris Hatcher era. Now three years removed from the Southern Conference title team in 2022, Samford finds themselves at a crossroads.
Having had two seasons in the last five years finish with an under .500 record, Samford needs to turn it around in 2025. Samford lost four of their last five games last season finishing with a close home loss to Western Carolina. The season did have some high moments like in the penultimate week of the season, Samford showed that they had great football in them as they beat then ranked #19 Chattanooga, 36-13.
They also took down in what would end up being the SoCon champion and then #7 Mercer Bears at home, 55-35.
There were also some very low moments as Samford lost the season opener at then FCS newcomer West Georgia and a road loss at The Citadel where Samford scored just 11 points. West Georgia finished 4-7 and The Citadel finished 5-7 last season.
Under Chris Hatcher, Samford was previously 31-1 when holding opposing teams to 20 points or less. The losses to The Citadel and Wofford made Samford’s record 31-3 in those games.
Oh and Samford saw their nine-year winning streak over Wofford get snapped at Pete Hanna Stadium. The 2024 Bulldogs went 2-0 against ranked FCS teams and 2-6 against unranked FCS opponents.
After all of that has been said, 2025 is a chance to turn the page and right the wrongs of last season. Samford does lose key pieces on both sides of the ball led by All-American LB Noah Martin and S CJ Douglas who transferred to Houston. Then on offense WR Brendan Jenkins transferred to South Alabama and WR E. Jai Mason transferred to Charlotte following the NCAA JUCO ruling granting Mason an extra year of eligibility.
Overall, a young Samford team mixed in with some veterans will look to get Samford football back on the tracks. Samford returns just three starters from last season in QB Quincy Crittendon, LB Jaden Mosley, and DE Conroy Cunningham. All three of those players were named to the SoCon Preseason All-Conference teams. Samford rebuilt their secondary room with productive transfers led by former Fordham CB Nahil Perkins.
This Samford roster features 11 Power Four transfers and seven of those make appearances on the opening depth chart for the season opener against West Georgia.
The fellow SoCon coaches picked Samford to finish fifth in 2025 in the Preseason SoCon Coaches Poll.
Offense
The defense was not to blame for all of Samford’s seven losses but, unexpectedly, the aforementioned Samford offense struggled the most we had seen in the last decade. Here is where the 2024 Samford offense ranked in some offensive categories in nine seasons under Chris Hatcher (not counting the spring COVID season).
PPG: 24.3 (worst)
Total YPG: 358.9 (2nd worst)
Pass YPG: 244.4 (3rd worst)
Rush YPG: 114.5 (3rd worst)
Rush YD Per Attempt: 3.3 ypg (2nd worst)
Outside of the debut season under Chris Hatcher in 2014, last season is the only other time that Samford offensively averaged under 400 yards per game. Samford’s offense per ESPN’s SP+ was ranked 58th in the FCS. Samford’s 2022 SoCon title team finished 12th in the FCS in SP+.
QB Quincy Crittendon returns for his senior season after a 2024 campaign completing 70% of his passes with 2,689 passing yards. He had 25 total touchdowns with 12 interceptions behind a shaky offensive line. Crittendon is the highest rated returning QB to the SoCon by Pro Football Focus. He was also named to the Walter Payton Award watch list.
Crittendon himself looks to take the next step and wants to improve in every facet in 2025. “I just really want to be a true dual threat being able to pass and run,” said Crittendon at Samford’s local media day. “I definitely want to be able to have more rushing touchdowns and passing touchdowns. I think that'll, you know, have the offense firing on all cylinders because we have the different playmakers on the outside. So I think just adding that part of the elements to the game would truly increase our offense and productiveness.”
Chris Hatcher mentioned the same thing when asked and he’s looking forward to Crittendon using his legs more as he is even more comfortable in running the offense. “So he's got to be able to run with a purpose like he did those last two games and still be able to be a great point guard out there and spread the ball out with our running backs and receivers,” said Hatcher. “So that's the thing that, you know, I'm excited about of him, you, turning into a running back at times back there and using his legs.”
Speaking of running the ball, Samford also has to replace their leading rusher from a season ago in Damonta Witherspoon as they return just 24 non-quarterback rushing yards from 2024. Tennessee State transfer CJ Evans will be the starting running back. Evans, who started his career at Austin Peay, ran for 309 yards on 80 carries with three rushing TDs last season. The 5-foot, 8-inch running back does have over 1,600 career rushing yards.
True freshman Cam Bland gets the nod as the backup running back and sophomore Ken Cherry will also battle for carries behind Evans and Bland.
The wide receiver room is where the Samford youth will need to step up. Gone are Samford’s top four leaders in receiving yards from 2024 with Jenkins, Mason, graduating seniors DJ Rias and Iaan Cousin. Sophomore slot WR Preston Bird is the leading returner with 18 catches, 203 yards and one touchdown last season.
Samford added two transfers in the WR room with Virginia transfer Jaden Gibson and Western Carolina transfer Calvin Jones. Gibson, who Samford recruited out of high school originally, at 6-foot, 179-pounds had 15 catches with 145 yards in two seasons at Virginia. Jones, at 5-foot, 10-inch, 185 pounds has over 1,400 receiving yards in his career and had 249 yards at Western last season. Both will start on the outside as Preston Bird starts as the slot receiver.
WR Jaden Gibson at Virginia
A pair of freshman WRs made waves throughout Samford’s fall camp in Torrey Ward and Nicholas Bookman. Ward, one of the taller wide receivers at 6-foot, 3-inches from Helena, Alabama, had over 900 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over his high school career. Bookman, at 5-foot, 9-inches, has had multiple touchdowns in Samford’s fall camp scrimmages. Both are listed as backups on the depth chart.
Teddy Davenport and Rayf Vinson both had their moments in 2024 and are returning for another season after both transferring in. Redshirt freshman Nick Crayton and true freshman Sam Pickett III are listed as backups on the depth chart.
The Samford offensive line was inconsistent a season ago allowing 27 sacks and offensive line coach Shawn Bostick has a lot of work to do in building this year’s line. Samford has to replace all five starters from last season with two starters from 2024 on different teams in C Cooper Frazier at Southern Miss and OT Darian King to Mercer. King played over 650 snaps in his last two seasons in Homewood.
Samford added four offensive lineman via the transfer portal highlighted by Web Davidson from Virginia Tech, Kaleb May from Kennesaw State, and Kaleb Pearley from SE Missouri State. There are some returning players with playing experience with Duncan Johnson and Tyler Douthit. Both played in 10 and eight games respectively. Douthit will start at left guard.
The 2024 Samford offense ran for 144.5 yards per game last season averaging 3.3 yards a carry. Both numbers were the third worst and second worst in the Chris Hatcher era. Samford will need this new offensive line to lead the charge as this offense looks to improve that in 2025.
Here is how the Samford offensive line will look in the season opener against West Georgia. This line features two returners and three transfers.
LT - Kaleb May (So.)
LG - Tyler Douthit (So.)
C - Noah Watts (Jr.)
RG - Kaleb Pearley (So.)
RT - Web Davidson (RS Fr.)
There are quite a few unknowns when it comes to looking at this Samford offense and what they might look like. The numbers have to improve should Samford win more games in 2025. Which of the young skill position players step up and help their old, senior QB? How will the new offensive line fare?
Defense
Moving over to the Samford defense, who had a better year than the Samford offense in 2024, has new leadership. Well you could have said that multiple times this offseason. Samford defensive coordinator Scot Sloan was hired a week before spring football even began. Under their 2024 coordinator Adam Braithwaite, Samford played an attacking style of defense which finished third in the SoCon in sacks (25) and tackles for loss (58).
Right before Christmas, Braithwaite left Samford to become the new safeties coach at Cincinnati. Following a search, Samford head coach Chris Hatcher promoted linebackers coach Brandon Cooper to DC. Then in March, Cooper left Samford to go be the cornerbacks coach at Troy. Now Scot Sloan comes over from Appalachian State to be Samford’s defensive coordinator.
Chris Hatcher let Samford fans know what to expect from Sloan leading this Samford defense.
“Coach Sloan brings a wealth of experience,” said Hatcher. “We've been acquaintances and friends for a long time. He's coached high level defenses. We're going to be a little more multiple in our set from a three man to a four man front. It does cause some problems with the way that we line up, and if yesterday we worked a lot of situations, and if we can execute the blitzes that we worked yesterday at practice, we’ll be pretty good on defense again this year.”
Samford had another change in the defensive staff also with Cal King becoming the new linebackers coach. King comes over from Georgia Southern where he was a defensive analyst and linebackers coach during his time there.
There were some key departures from 2024 highlighted by LB Noah Martin, who was named All-SoCon first team leading Samford in total tackles with 114 and interceptions with two. Martin was the on and off-field leader for Samford last season. S Edwin Dearmon who was fourth on the team in tackles with 55 has graduated. DB Dontae Pollard has transferred to Temple and S CJ Douglas is at Houston.
Samford returns two starters from last season in LB Jaden Mosley and DE Conroy Cunningham. Mosley will look to fill that leadership void from Martin’s departure. Mosley had 75 total tackles (second behind Martin) and 14 tackles for loss (led Samford) in 2024. He was named second team All-Conference and has a chance to be the SoCon defensive player of the year.
Cunningham, was one of the top rated SoCon defensive ends by Pro Football Focus in 2024, had 27 total tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
CBs Jalik Yancey and Gumbo Gaskins both saw time in 2024 and have been named starters or co-starters for this Samford defense. Yancey had a good fall camp after appearing in seven games a season ago. Gaskins appeared in eight games last season.
Defensive coordinator Scot Sloan comes into a good situation as Samford has built depth on the defensive side of the ball and added experienced transfers. Here is how the Samford defense will line up in Sloan’s 4-2-5 defense.
DE - Corey Warren (Jr.)
DT - Hank Weber (RS So.)
DE - Conroy Cunningham (RS Sr.)
DOG - Donovan Grayson (So.)
WILL - Carson Sloan (Fr.)
MIKE - Jaden Mosley (Sr.)
STAR - Gumbo Gaskins (Jr.) OR KeShawn Washington (RS Sr.)
CB - Jalik Yancey (Sr.)
CB - Nahil Perkins (RS Sr.)
SS - Amari Wansley (Sr.) OR LaShon Young (So.)
FS - Jalen Nelson (Jr.) OR Trey Lendhart (RS Fr.)
The Samford secondary has been rebuilt from the transfer portal once again but this specific group brings the most production compared to previous portal classes. CB Nahil Perkins highlights these additions coming over from Fordham. Perkins a season ago had five interceptions which tied for third in the entire country. He also accumulated 56 total tackles and 15 pass breakups which was tied for second in the entire country.
Perkins was named a third team preseason All-American by STATS Perform and named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award. The Buchanan Award is given to the best defensive player in all of FCS.
Two transfers come from Murray State in the secondary room in S Amari Wansley and DB KeShawn Washington. Wansley, a projected starter, played in all 12 games for the Racers in 2024 totaling 57 total tackles and three PBUs. Washington played in every game for Murray State and finished with 41 total tackles and one tackle for loss.
Samford also added many others from the transfer portal like North Dakota State CB Tremaine Turner, Cumberlands (D-II) CB Malik Thornton, Jacksonville State CB Dee Newsome, and Miles College S LaShon Young.
All bring different levels of experience and production. Young had 53 total tackles along with eight interceptions and six PBUs for Miles last season.
Redshirt freshman S Trey Lendhart comes over from Appalachian State as he finds himself on the two-deep.
Moving to the linebacker room, outside of Jaden Mosley, Malik Gaither and Gavin Morris are the two in that room with the most returning experience. They are joined by Southern Miss transfer Jacob Johnson and Northwest Mississippi CC transfer Caulen Dunn. Redshirt freshman LB Carson Sloan will get that start, however, at WILL beside Mosley. Sloan did appear in eight games last season.
Mosley will lead this Samford defense on and off the field. He will wear the Charles Williams #5 Memorial Jersey this season, showing that his teammates see him as the leader of this team.
Over on the defensive line, preseason SoCon All-Conference member DE Conroy Cunningham returns from a season ago and he is also joined by a good mix of returners and transfers. DL Corey Warren will start opposite Cunningham. Warren had 10 total tackles and two quarterback hurries last season.
Wisconsin transfer DT Hank Weber will start in the interior of Samford’s defensive line. Weber, from outside of Nashville, is a former three star recruit, who did not get playing time at Wisconsin but will get the start at Samford. He is one of 11 Power Four transfers on this Samford roster.
Defensive line transfers on the two-deep include three newcomers with Iowa Central CC DE Joseph Shannon, Appalachian State DE Jackson Bussey, and West Virginia DE Donovan Grayson. Shannon has the most prior production out of this group finishing with 47 total tackles and four sacks.
Bussey along with S Trey Lendhart are playing for Scot Sloan once again after transferring in from Appalachian State.
Per ESPN’s SP+, Samford’s defense ranks 45th in the country which is good for fourth in the SoCon. To compare, the 2024 Samford defense finished 60th in the country although it seems like they played better than that.
This Samford defense has all of the pieces to be very good in 2025. The infusion of talent in the secondary should provide a much needed bump to this team. It always starts up front with the defensive line and they lose some key pieces from last season.
Another area where 2024 Samford struggled is in the kicking game. The Bulldogs struggled to find any kind of consistency in the kicking game, even struggling with extra points. Kickers Forrest Taylor and Wilson Beaverstock found playing time last year and neither made a field goal of over 41 yards. Both were a combined two-of-six from between 20-29 yards. South Florida transfer Ty Ippolito will handle the kicking duties in 2025.
Punter Will Thorley averaged 38 yards a punt last season on 69 punts. Georgia transfer Noah Jones has won the starting punting job.
Schedule
Samford’s 2025 football schedule has a unique wrinkle. Samford will play two buy games in 2025. The Baptist Battle takes place in week three as Samford will play at the Big 12’s Baylor Bears. Samford President Beck Taylor is a graduate of Baylor. Then in the regular season finale, Samford heads down to College Station to face off against Texas A&M in the Bucky Bowl* on November 22nd.
*I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself.*
The other twist to this schedule is that the 2025 SoCon opener will be in week two against The Citadel. Then the Bulldogs are done with their conference schedule by the second week of November. After facing ETSU at home on November 8th, Samford will go on the road to play at Austin Peay on November 15th.
Revenge will be on Samford’s mind the first two weeks of the season. West Georgia comes to Homewood for the return game of the home-and-home on Samford’s lone night home game on Thursday, August 28th. Following West Georgia is The Citadel game where Samford lost last season 28-11.
Two of Samford’s toughest conference games come on the road at Western Carolina on September 20th and at Mercer on October 4th. The full 2025 schedule is below.
8/28 - Vs West Georgia
9/6 - Vs The Citadel
9/13 - At Baylor
9/20 - At Western Carolina
9/27 - Vs Furman
10/4 - at Mercer
10/18 - At VMI
10/25 - Vs Chattanooga
11/1 - At Wofford
11/8 - Vs ETSU
11/15 - At Austin Peay
11/22 - At Texas A&M
Theoretically, Samford has a 10-game schedule that will make or break this season. Samford has to start 2-0, no matter what with Baylor coming up in week three. They absolutely cannot lose again to West Georgia or The Citadel. UWG was picked to finish tied for seventh in the UAC and The Citadel eighth in the SoCon.
To make the FCS playoffs, Samford would probably need to go 7-3 in their 10 FCS games. That starts with defending their home turf with five home games on the schedule. A win over projected last place VMI makes that six and projected seventh place Wofford gets you to seven. It of course depends on what the bubble looks like but again this is in a perfect world.
Everyone uses the team complimentary football, can Samford be a complimentary football team in 2025? The defense was put in some bad spots by the offense last season and the offense absolutely has to improve for Samford to get to live in that perfect world scenario.
Good thing that Samford has one of the best returning QBs in the Southern Conference helping guide this young roster through this season. Samford had one of their worst seasons record-wise under Chris Hatcher and the floor should, we think, maybe, be raised in 2025.
Can Samford correct the problems from a season ago entering Chris Hatcher’s 11th season at the helm in Homewood? How will the defense fare under new leadership along with replacing multiple starters? Those are two of the biggest questions as the football is back in Homewood.
Check out our State of the Bulldogs Podcast season preview episode and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Check out @SamfordScoop on X and Instagram also.
