Mercer ranks No. 12 in HERO Sports’ FCS Preseason Top 25.
The Bears finished 11-3 last year, losing 31-7 at North Dakota State in the FCS quarterfinals.
Here’s a look at the 2025 Mercer football squad.
Returning 2024 FCS All-Conference Players (4)
2nd Team
DL Andrew Zock
P John McConnell
RS Brayden Smith
RB Autavius Ison (transfer from Charleston Southern)
D1 Transfer Portal Movement
Transfers Coming In From The FCS (4)
| Player | Pos. | Previous School |
| Ke’Vion Wellington | DL | Austin Peay |
| Autavius Ison | RB | Charleston Southern |
| Darrian King | OL | Samford |
| Jamari Freeman | OL | Tennessee State |
Transfers Coming In From The FBS (7)
| Player | Pos. | Previous School |
| Blake Martin | OL | Coastal Carolina |
| Fabian Scott | DB | FAU |
| Ronald Cooper | DB | Georgia State |
| Ethan McDowell | DL | Miami (OH) |
| Jake Wilson | QB | Purdue |
| Tyler Murray | OL | Texas Tech |
| JP Pickles | QB | UTEP |
Transfers Lost To The FCS (3)
| Player | Pos. | New School |
| Eli Edwards | OL | Austin Peay |
| Isaiah Washburn | LB | Bethune-Cookman |
| RJ Evans | DT | Norfolk State |
Transfers Lost To The FBS (5)
| Player | Pos. | New School |
| Brayden Manley | DE | Georgia Tech |
| Israel Mukwiza | OL | New Mexico |
| Arias Nash | DL | Virginia Tech |
| Chris Joines | S | Rutgers |
| Whitt Newbauer | QB | Oklahoma |
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Offensive Outlook
Mercer’s offense loses its 1,000-yard running back, top wide receiver, and top three offensive linemen in snaps. The Bears return their No. 2 and 3 wide receivers, three offensive linemen who started at least six games last year, their starting quarterback in the first half of last season, and their No. 2 running back while bringing in an FCS All-Conference RB.
At quarterback, DJ Smith started the first half of last season before being slowed by an injury. Whitt Newbauer took the reins down the stretch, playing 451 snaps on the season compared to Smith’s 378. Newbauer transferred to Oklahoma after spring ball this offseason. Smith aims to reclaim the role of QB1 and replicate his strong start to 2024. He had games of 331 passing yards against Presbyterian, 237 yards at Bethune-Cookman, 253 vs. The Citadel, and 263 at Samford. Overall, he finished 101/138 for 1,311 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions while rushing for 142 yards and four scores.
Two FBS transfers add to the QB competition — Purdue’s Jake Wilson and UTEP’s JP Pickles. Neither saw game action last year as freshmen at their previous schools.
Kelin Parsons’ production needs to be replaced after leading the team with 40 catches for 646 yards and five TDs. But Mercer returns its No. 2, 3, and 5 wide receivers from 2024. Brayden Smith, an All-SoCon return specialist, returns after hauling in 32 passes for 425 yards and five touchdowns. Adjatay Dabbs is also back after finishing third on the team with 28 receptions for 417 yards and three touchdowns. Kendall Harris flashed last year as a redshirt freshman, catching 33 passes for 339 yards and one touchdown.
One more name to keep an eye on at wide receiver is Adonis McDaniel, a transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne. Last year, he caught 56 passes for 1,000 yards and five TDs, earning All-South Atlantic Conference honors.
Mercer’s offense will likely start with the run again.
Dwayne McGee’s 1,191 rushing yards and eight touchdowns need to be replaced. CJ Miller is back after being the top backup in 2024, rushing 76 times for 404 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears added Autavius Ison, a transfer from Charleston Southern. He was an All-Big South-OVC Second Team selection last fall, rushing for 795 yards and four scores on 171 carries.
The offensive line is a position of experience for Mercer.
Tyler Murray (6’2″ 285 lbs) and Amarii Atchison (6’8″ 300 lbs) are back after starting as freshmen last season. Murray logged 746 snaps, and Atchison added 563. Xavier Jennings (6’2″ 305 lbs) also brings back solid reps, tallying 342 snaps and six starts in 2024.
Two FCS transfers bring valuable experience. Darrian King (6’3″ 295 lbs) comes in from Samford, where he played nearly 300 snaps in 2023 and more than 350 last year. Jamari Freeman (6’4″ 300 lbs) played 550+ snaps at Tennessee State in 2023 and more than 700 last fall. Blake Martin (Coastal Carolina) and Tyler Murray (Texas Tech) are two transfers coming from FBS programs.
Mercer’s offense scored 30.6 points per game in 2024, ranking No. 29 in the FCS.
All-SoCon punter John McConnell returns for Mercer along with kicker Reice Griffith, who made 16/20 field goals.
Defensive Outlook
Mercer ranked No. 1 in FCS rushing defense last year (70.8) and No. 16 in scoring defense (20.1). A lot of production has to be replaced. The Bears return only three of their top 12 tacklers and 3/12 leaders in snaps.
Andrew Zock highlights the unit as a top defensive lineman in the FCS. Just a freshman last year, he totaled 38 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and 15 QB hurries while logging about 650 snaps. Caden Camese added 425 snaps on the d-line, totaling 15 tackles and 4.5 TFLs. Two players who look to get more playing time on the d-line are Brayden Dudley (219 snaps, 8 tackles) and Jordan Swain (174 snaps, 7 tackles).
Defensive backs Donovan Watkins and Tommy Bliss bring back strong experience. Bliss finished 10th in team tackles in 2024, totaling 25. Watkins played the fourth-most defensive snaps with 703 and had 22 tackles, one interception, and eight pass breakups.
Carmelo O’neal and Myles Weston could play larger roles in the secondary after both logged around 200 snaps last year as underclassmen. And Ronald “Buck” Cooper looks to step in at cornerback. He registered 553 snaps at Georgia State in 2023 before redshirting in 2024.
Linebacker and d-line depth are question marks for Mercer entering 2025. It is a program that emphasizes defense, though, so reloading on that side of the ball is a priority.
2025 Preseason Preview Central
Mercer Football Schedule
8/23 No. 11 UC Davis (Montgomery, Ala.)
8/30 vs Presbyterian
9/13 vs Wofford
9/20 at The Citadel
9/27 at RV East Tennessee State
10/4 vs Samford
10/11 at Princeton
10/18 vs VMI
11/1 at Furman
11/8 at No. 18 Western Carolina
11/15 vs RV Chattanooga
11/22 at Auburn
Bold indicates SoCon games
HERO Sports’ rankings
RV = Received Votes
