The start to Matt Entz’s tenure as Fresno State’s head coach was, safe to say, a success.
The Bulldogs went 9-4 last season and 5-3 against Mountain West opponents.
That included a win over Boise State in the regular season and a victory over Miami (Ohio) in the Arizona Bowl.
Now the Bulldogs will aim to keep that same type of success going in the Pac-12, as five teams left the Mountain West to join Washington State and Oregon State in the new-look league.
Fresno State Season Preview
Fresno State has plenty of potential on both sides of the ball. But the team needs to figure out who the starting quarterback is.
Fresno State Starting QB Battle
Two quarterbacks are vying to be Fresno State’s Day 1 starter.
Khristian Martin, a sophomore, transferred to Fresno State after two years at Maryland. The former three-star recruit threw for 105 yards and a touchdown while completing 11 of 17 passes last season.
Jayden Mandal has a little more familiarity with the program. The former three-star recruit and current junior was out last season due to injury but played in six games in 2024. He threw for 39 yards and two interceptions while completing 4 of 9 passes that year.
Rayshon Luke & Bryson Donelson To Fuel Fresno State’s Offense
No matter who’s at quarterback, Fresno State will have explosive players on offense.
Rayshon Luke is back for the Bulldogs after leading them with 702 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 36 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns and returned 16 kicks for 341 yards. Bryson Donelson is back as well after rushing for 600 yards and five touchdowns while adding 107 yards on 17 receptions.
In the receiving corps, Josiah Freeman returns. The Group of Six Preseason All-American caught 52 passes for 642 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. Ezekiel Avit is also back after catching 28 passes for 255 yards.
Up front, the Bulldogs return both of their starting tackles in Rolan Fullwood (right) and Brayden Walton (left).
Fresno State’s Defensive Capabilities
Last season, Fresno State was first in the Mountain West and 10th in the FBS in total defense with 285.7 yards per game allowed. The Bulldogs were also second in scoring defense, allowing 18.8 points per contest.
It’ll be difficult to follow that up, but this unit still has plenty of players returning.
G6 Preseason All-American defensive back Simeon Harris stands out after tallying a team-best six interceptions as well as 54 tackles – the third-most on the team last year.
At linebacker, Tytus Khajavi and K’vion Thunderbird are back. Khajavi racked up 37 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a sack. Thunderbird, who played just seven games last year, added 32 tackles, three pass breakups, two INTs and 1.5 TFLs.
The Bulldogs’ defensive line should also be deep.
Jahzon Jacks chalked up 29 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries. Deijon Laffitte recorded 25 tackles, five TFLs, three sacks and three pass breakups in 2025. Martin Owusu totaled 22 tackles and is back as well.
Fresno State’s 2026 Schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| 9/5 | @ USC |
| 9/12 | vs. Sacramento State |
| 9/19 | @ San Jose State |
| 9/26 | vs. Rice |
| 10/3 | @ Washington State |
| 10/10 | vs. Boise State |
| 10/17 | @ San Diego State |
| 10/31 | vs. Oregon State |
| 11/7 | @ Utah State |
| 11/14 | @ Texas State |
| 11/21 | vs. Colorado State |
| 11/28 | FLEX |
| 12/4 | Pac-12 Championship |
Bold indicates Pac-12 contests
Fresno State’s Pac-12 Title Betting Odds
Fresno State’s college football betting odds to win the conference are +650, via BetMGM. The Bulldogs’ odds of making the College Football Playoff are +3000.
Fresno State’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Fresno State’s win total Over/Under is 6.5
- The Under is at +125
- The Over is at -150
Fresno State Season Prediction
I predict Fresno State won’t win the Pac-12 Championship but will go Over 6.5 wins.
I think whether the Bulldogs get to seven wins largely comes down to who they play in that flex game to end the regular season. But we do know that’ll be a home game for them, and that will help immensely.
I expect Fresno State, after a solid start to the Matt Entz era, will begin strong and go 3-1 in non-conference play. While I don’t see the Bulldogs beating USC, I do think they’re capable of beating Sacramento State and Rice at home as well as San Jose State on the road.
But the Pac-12 is going to be tough this season, even if there are only eight teams. I don’t know if the Bulldogs will go on the road and beat Washington State, San Diego State or Texas State. I also don’t know if the Bulldogs will beat Boise State at home, although Fresno State did defeat the Broncos decisively last season.
Still, I think Fresno State is perfectly capable of going 4-4 in conference play, which would put the Bulldogs at seven wins overall. While that would be a winning record and would mean bowl-eligibility, that likely would be a disappointing campaign for the program.
