2025 MERCER FOOTBALL PREVIEW » Greenville Sports Media

Read Time:28 Minute, 17 Second

The 2024 season was a historic one for Mercer football and its fans, and it was worth savoring. The Bears were simply dominant in winning the outright Southern Conference title, and unfortunately, ended up being the lone participant from the Southern Conference in the 2024 FCS Playoffs.

With that said, the Bears are looking to break a trend in the Southern Conference, which has seen six different SoCon champions in six seasons. With Mercer’s triumph last season, the SoCon now has seen eight of its nine current members win the league title since 2012.
Below is a sample of the preview I wrote for FCS Nation for the 2025 season.

In that pressure now, to come out diamonds in the end. #FallCamp pic.twitter.com/8o3pBB6jcS

— Devin Figaro (@CoachFigaro_MU) August 3, 2025

Special thanks once again to George Bagwell for providing the quote for this article. This is just a rough draft of the full preview to be released later this month. I hope you enjoy.

HEAD COACH: Mike Jacobs (85-20 overall entering his 20th yr as a head coach/11-3 entering his 2nd year at Mercer)

Former Mercer Quarterback John Russ (photo courtesy of Mercer Athletics)

Mercer’s Tradition:

SHARED OR OUTRIGHT SOCON FOOTBALL TITLES: (1) 2024

FCS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES: (2) 2023 and ‘24

FCS PLAYOFF RECORD: 2-2

PEACH STATE PRIDE: Mercer brought back its football program in 2013 after a 72-year hiatus, and would join the Southern Conference a year later under then head coach Bobby Lamb, who help lay the foundation for what would become a SoCon title-winning program under Mike Jacobs—the Bears’ third head coach during since bringing back football—last fall, as the Bears polished off an 11-3 season, which included a 7-1 mark in league to win the crown outright and become the SoCon’s lone playoff participant.

The Peach State is steeped in football tradition and absolute fan madness. One need look no further than the program in Athens to discover that, as the Bulldogs claimed back-to-back FBS national titles in 2021 and ’22. At the FCS level, the Bears are looking for a similar perennial elite power status, and to do that, taking the small steps forward each season as a part of this current successful trend is vital. In other words, make the most of this window of opportunity and dominance.

Despite football’s rebirth being just a little over a decade ago, Mercer’s owns a football program, which is deep-rooted in tradition. In its first iteration as a football program, the Bears were one of the first to toss the old pigskin around in the Peach State, beginning play in 1892 under the direction of head coach John Beggs.

The Bears would sponsor football from 1892-1941 before dropping football following World War II. The Bears would play just three games in that 1892 season, playing their first-ever football game against Georgia, dropping a 50-0 contest on Jan. 30, 1892, in Athens. A March 27th battle against Savannah State Library Association didn’t go much better, as the Bears dropped 20-2 contest some two months after their loss at Georgia.

The third time would prove to be a charm for the Bears, who posted their first-ever gridiron win against the Ramblin’ Wreck of Georgia Tech, claiming a 12-6 win in Macon on Nov. 5, 1892. The Bears have several old rivals from their former days playing in their own league currently, as things have come full circle for the once defunct program. The Bears sport rivalries that precede World War I among the current league membership with both The Citadel (1906) and Samford (1907).

🗣️LIVE ACTION #WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/g3chl57ohC

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 2, 2025

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Multiple/Pro-Style base

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: Multiple

COACHES PRESEASON PROJECTION: 1st

FCS FANS NATION PROJECTION: 3rd

KEY OFFENSIVE RETURNERS: QB DJ Smith (101-of-138 passing, 1,311 yds, 9 TDs, 6 INTs/66 rush att, 142 yds, 4 TDs, 2.2 YPC in ‘24); RB CJ Miller (76 rush att, 404 yds, 3 TDs, 5.3 YPC in ‘24); WR Adjatay Dabbs (Preseason first-team All-SoCon selection/28 rec, 417 yds, 3 TDs, 14.9 YPR); WR Brayden Smith (32 rec, 425 yds, 5 TDs, 13.3 YPR); WR Kendall Harris (33 rec, 339 yds, 1 TD, 10.3 YPR in ‘24); OL Tyler Murray (Preseason second-team All-SoCon selection/started all 14 games for the Bears last season, logging 746 total snaps at right guard in ’24), RB Tyrell Coard (39 rush att, 136 yds, 1 TD, 3.5 YPC in ‘24); OL Xavier Jennings (Preseason first-team All-SoCon selection/started six games at LT in ‘24); RB Micah Bell (45 rush att, 248 yds, 5.5 YPC in ‘24); TE Samuel Albee (9 rec, 90 yds, 1 TD, 10.0 YPR in ‘24); OL Amarii Atchison (Logged playing time in 11 games, including eight starts at left tackle in ’24); TE Sawyer Burt (4 rec, 71 yds, 1 TD, 17.8 YPR in ’24); TE/WR Apollos Cook (13 rec., 151 yds, 11.6 YPR in ’24); WR Travion Solomon (14 rec., 121 yds, 8.6 YPR in ’23/DNP in ’24 due to off-season surgery and injury rehab);

drip drop 💧#WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/d36SCxDa97

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 4, 2025

KEY OFFENSIVE DEPARTURES: QB Whitt Newbauer (SoCon All-Freshman Team selection in ‘24/transferred to Oklahoma); WR Kelin Parsons (out of eligibility); RB Dwayne McGee (SoCon Offensive Player of the Year in ‘24/out of eligibility); LG Israel Mukwiza (first-team All-SoCon selection in ‘24/out of eligibility); OL Riley Adcock (second-team All-SoCon selection in ‘24/out of eligibility); OL EJ Johnson (Entered transfer portal with no destination announced); OL Avery Ferris (transferred to Dodge City CC); WR Parker Wroble (out of eligibility); OL Eli Edwards (transferred to Austin Peay); OL Matthew Johnson (entered the transfer portal in the spring and has yet to find a landing spot); WR Kelin Parsons (out of eligibility)
KEY DEFENSIVE RETURNERS: DL Andrew Zock (Preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year in ‘25/38 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 7.0 sacks, 15 QBHs, 2 PBUs, 2 FFs in ’24); DB Donovan Watkins (Preseason second-team All-SoCon in ‘25/22 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 8 PBUs, 1 INT, 1 FR in ’24); DB Carmelo O’Neal (18 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 2 PBUs in ‘24); DL Caden Camese (15 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 QBH, 1 PBU); DL Jordan Swain (7 tackles, 1.0 TFL in ’24); DB Kaleb Hutchinson (); DB Christian Davis (7 tackles, 1 FF in ‘24); DB Juwan Johnson (12 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PBU in ‘24); DB Tommy Bliss (25 tackles, 2 FRs, 1 PBU in ’24);

KEY DEFENSIVE DEPARTURES: DL Arias Nash (second-team All-SoCon selection in ‘24/transferred to Virginia Tech); LB Isaac Dowling (first-team All-SoCon selection in ’24/out of eligibility); LB Ken Standley (second-team All-SoCon selection/out of eligibility); DL Brayden Manley (SoCon Defensive Player of the Year in ‘24/transferred to Georgia Tech); DB Myles Redding (first-team All-SoCon selection in ‘24/out of eligibility); DB TJ Moore (first-team All-SoCon selection/out of eligibility); DL Chris Hill (out of eligibility); DB Chris Joines Jr. (transferred to Rutgers)

KEY SPECIAL TEAMS RETURNERS: K Reice Griffith (16-of-20 on FGs in ‘24/54-of-54 on PATs/52-straight PATs was a school-record in ‘24); P John McConnell (Preseason second-team All-SoCon selection/73 punts and averaged 43.4 YPP with six touchbacks and 32 punts that were fair-caught)

KEY TRANSFER PORTAL ADDITIONS: QB JP Pickles (UTEP); QB Jake Wilson (Purdue); Autavius Ison (Charleston Southern); OL Blake Martin (Wingate); DL Marius Landfield (Liberty); DL Ke’Vion Wellington (Austin Peay); TE Malik Simmons (Lenoir-Rhyne); DL Ethan McDowell (Miami Ohio); DB Fabian Scott (Florida Atlantic); DB Evan Taylor (Nebraska); P Marcus Meincke (Former UAB soccer player); OL Darrian King (Samford); Delano Marcelus (West Liberty)

LIIIVVVEEEE AAACCCTTTTIIIOOONNN!!! pic.twitter.com/E6mEKDYtwv

— Evan Barr (@CoachBarr89) August 2, 2025

HOME STADIUM: Five Star Stadium (10,500)

2024 RECAP: Mercer comes off what was a magical 2024 season, breaking through to win the school’s first conference title of any sort IN 92 years and first-ever conference title of any sort since bringing football back life some 11 years earlier. The Bears have 13 starters back from a team that won 11 games and made an FCS Quarterfinal appearance last fall before eventually being knocked out of the postseason by eventual national champion North Dakota State, dropping what was a 31-7 contest to the eventual national champion Bison.

It brought a close to a season which Mercer hopes becomes a dynastic reign atop the Southern Conference under the leadership of Mike Jacobs, who was in his first season leading the Bears following an exceptional three years as the head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears opened the Jacobs era by winning the six games, including out-scoring the first two opponents—Presbyterian at home and on the road at Bethune-Cookman—by a combined scored of 94-12.

Day 🖐🏽#WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/cx8LYDyoWZ

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 1, 2025

The Mercer Bears defense was elite all season, which started along a defensive front that featured 2025 Preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and 2024 SoCon Freshman of the Year and Jerry Rice Award finalist Andrew Zock, as well as his partner-in-crime on the other side of the line, in Brayden Manley—the 2024 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and league sacks leader with 9.5 sacks, which highlighted a defensive unit that finished the season with a total of 46 sacks last season, which led the country.

It was little surprise that the Bears also had the SoCon’s top offensive player as well in ’24, as running back and Lenoir-Rhyne transfer Dwayne McGee garnered the league’s highest offensive accolade by leading the SoCon with 1,193 yards and eight rushing scores to finish his career with over 6,000 rushing yards.

The Bears’ defense was relentless the entire season and when Manley or Zock wasn’t taking down an opposing quarterback in the backfield, the defensive backs were usually picking an errant pass out of the air thanks to that tremendous pressure applied along that awesome defensive front the Bears featured throughout the 2024 season.

The Bears, in fact, also led the nation in interceptions (25) in 2024, as well as defensive touchdowns (8) and finished ranked 10th nationally in turnover margin (+.86) and finished the season ranking 20th nationally in total defense (318.0 YPG), while leading the nation in total sacks (46) and rushing defense (70.8 YPG), and ranking 16th nationally in scoring defense (20.1 PPG).

𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩 😎 pic.twitter.com/NtX4YQjaDK

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 1, 2025

Individually, the Bears had two of the top four in the nation in INTs, with both defensive backs Myles Redding (9 INTs) and TJ Moore (7 INTs) ending up the season ranked first and fourth, respectively, in passes intercepted-per-game. Both Redding and Moore also finished with INTs returns for scores. Meanwhile, Mann’s 9.5 sacks ranked him tied for 21st nationally in sacks, while his 18 tackles-for-loss ended up seeing him finish the season ranked 12th in tackles-for-loss.

As for the season, the Bears did actually face some adversity. Mercer had starting quarterback DJ Smith go down with an injury in Mercer’s road-opening SoCon win which was a, 22-3, win at No. 23 Wofford. Enter Whitt Newbauer, who was a young rookie quarterback just getting his feet wet at the collegiate level. He would garner his first star in Mercer’s 34-7 win over Princeton at Five Star Stadium, which finished off Mercer’s FCS competition on their 2024 non-conference slate.
A week later, Smith would return to the fold in a game at Samford, however, the Bears ran into a buzz-saw for the first time all season, as Samford sprung one of a few surprises during the 2024 SoCon football season, handing the Bears a 55-35 loss, which raised more than a few eyebrows around the league.

Smith’s return would see him get injured once again, and that would then bring a change in starter under center for the remainder of the season, as Newbauer started the rest of the season at quarterback. In his first start against SoCon competition, the Bears found themselves down 24-7 to No. 24 Western Carolina at Five Star Stadium and looked like they might have headed for a second-straight league loss, which would have put their ’24 league title hopes officially on their proverbial way to hibernation.

However, behind McGee on the ground and Newbauer’s arm, the Bears would completely turn the game around in the final four minutes of the half, scoring 21 points in that span to get within a field goal at the break. McGee’s 64-yard run helped spark the turnaround, as it would end up being a big day on the ground for the graduate senior, who finished with 223 yards rushing on 18 carries, including scoring on a pair of long TD scampers, which covered 64 and 59 yards, respectively.

When CJ Miller scampered 31 yards for a score with just under two minutes left, it put the finishing touches on what was a wild 52-44 win over the high-octane Catamounts. The Bears and Catamounts combined for 1,130 yards of total offense, with the Catamounts holding a slight edge in total yards (582-548) in the game. From there, the Bears still had three tricky league games to navigate to win a league title, as well as finding a way to fit in a game against FBS and SEC juggernaut and No. 9 Alabama at the same time.

Feeling ALIVE again back where I belong. pic.twitter.com/hCQTcXaPCj

— Jimmy Long (@coachLong95) August 1, 2025

Following the win over the Catamounts, the Bears would be tested once again at home in what was really their final true test in league play against No. 23 East Tennessee State. The Bears scored 20 points on four ETSU turnovers and limited the Bucs’ top 10 ranked ground game to just 13 yards on the ground, holding out for a 37-31 home win.

The No. 10 Bears would then go on the road and get their only shutout of the season, knocking off VMI, 34-0, in Lexington in another dominant win over a SoCon foe. For the second time in three weeks, the Bears would put up over 500 yards of total offense, outgaining the Keydets a whopping 518-111 in total offense en route to the shutout road win.

The Bears would step out of league play for the final time before facing their final obstacle to a Southern Conference league crown, as Mercer headed to Tuscaloosa to face No. 9 and SEC power Alabama.

As you would expect, it was a humbling experience for a Mercer team that had been used to doing the humbling, as the Crimson Tide had little issue in brushing past the Bears, 52-7, at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The loss would see the Bears fall to 9-2 heading into their final game of the season, which was against a Furman program that was the defending Southern Conference champion and had knocked off the Bears in back-to-back seasons, bringing an end to the Bears’ league title hopes in both the 2022 and ’23 seasons.

When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life #MercerFootball #Landsharks🦈 pic.twitter.com/ZUpKDI6R13

— Chris Vega (@_CoachVega) August 1, 2025

This time, however, the Bears had the right formula, and with the motivation of being the first team in Mercer history to win a Southern Conference title, it was more than enough to fuel the Bears in their regular-season finale. And if that wasn’t enough, a boisterous crowd of 8,453 fans hungry to win a title, had their backs.

The Bears would fall behind 7-0 and 10-7 in the opening quarter, however, would break the game open with 21 unanswered points, which started with a Adjatay Dabbs 46-yard scoring catch late in the opening quarter, as the Bears went to the locker room leading the game 28-10. In the second half, it was more of the same from Mercer, out-scoring the Paladins 21-13 in the latter half to ride out of the season and into the playoffs as Southern Conference champions following the 49-23 triumph.

The Bears also posted a 10-2 record to close out the season as a result of the 26-point win over defending league champion Furman, and that would be enough to garner the Bears the No. 7 overall seed and opening round bye heading into the 24-team FCS Playoff field. First up would be Rhode Island, which was making its first FCS Playoff appearance since 1985.

The Bears and Rams struggled to gain their bearing in what was a defensive battle, however, Mercer eventually found its way to a 17-10 win and garnered a trip to the FCS quarterfinals with a rewarding trip to face North Dakota State at Fargo Dome in mid-December. Unfortunately for Mercer, that is where the dream would end with a 31-7 loss to the Bison.

shells on 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/IhzgzdU11o

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) July 30, 2025

There is much hope, however, that the 2025 season can be a repeat of the success that was established last season, as 13 starters return, including Along with both left tackle Xavier Jennings and right guard Tyler Murray, the Bears also return a number of guys that played meaningful snaps along the offensive line last season, as well as one of the two starting quarterbacks, in DJ Smith.

The Bears also have three of their top four receivers back and added an all-conference running back from Charleston Southern to help soften the blow left by the graduation of McGee. On defense, Andrew Zock is back, however, there are a lot of holes to plug from that elite unit of a year ago, including Brayden Manley, who transferred to Georgia Tech just after the completion of the 2024 season. With that said, the Bears are a preseason favorite of the league’s head coaches for very good reasons.
THE OFFENSE: A 2024 season which saw the Bears welcome in a new head coach, in Mike Jacobs, who would lead the Bears to a 11-3 mark in his first season as the head coach, which included a 7-1 Southern Conference mark.

After qualifying for the postseason for the second-straight year last fall, the Bears duplicated their opening round success of a year earlier at Five Star Stadium, capturing what was a hard-fought 17-10 win over Rhode Island before the Bears would eventually see their season come to an end in a destination several other SoCon teams have over the past 13 years, as the Bears dropped what was a 31-7 contest to eventual national title winner North Dakota State at Fargo Dome.

The Bison would go on to claim their 10th national title, finishing 14-2 for the season, which included a pair of wins over SoCon teams (at East Tennessee State and vs Mercer). The Bears will get to see what defense of their title looks like earlier than anyone in the 2025 season, as Mercer will once again take part in the Kickoff Classic vs. UC Davis on Aug. 23 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. The Bears have a decent amount of starting talent returning to the fold and won’t have quite the drastic uphill climb that 2023 defending league champion Furman entered the season having to replace.

👀🏆https://t.co/8FP5ExyoN6 pic.twitter.com/OebQ2PBpbQ

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) July 30, 2025

Still, it’s a different team and coach Jacobs knows that. One of the notable differences on the offensive side of the ball will be evident from the outset, as SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and running back Dwayne McGee has moved on, as has quarterback Whitt Newbauer, who transferred to Oklahoma following his ascent to the starting job following a mid-season injury to DJ Smith, who was the Bears starter under center for the first five games of the season. While Smith figures to be back in the saddle as the starter this fall, don’t count out Purdue transfer Jake Wilson and UTEP transfer JP Pickles.

Wilson was a record-setting prep quarterback at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club Texas, however, never really got a chance to show what he could do during his time in West Lafayette. The 6-2, 200-lb redshirt freshman has a big arm. JP Pickles redshirted his first season at UTEP after turning in a standout career at North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee, throwing for 9,513 yards and 97 TDs as a prep, posting a 60.3% completion rate as a three-year starter.

Both Wilson and Pickles to flat out fling it, and while it’s Smith’s job to lose, I wouldn’t necessarily count out either of the incoming freshmen as far as garnering action under center this fall, especially if things don’t start out well for Smith, who managed the Mercer offense well through the first four games until suffering an injury at Wofford, which led to him being a little careless with the football.

While Smith has good wheels, he benefitted in the run game some from having the threat of a running back as good as DeWayne McGee behind him last season. He might not have McGee back there to hand the football to in 2025; however, he will have someone that comes to Mercer from the transfer portal as a well-established running back, in Charleston Southern transfer Autavius Ison.

camp frames 🖼️ pic.twitter.com/laLUqFFtMc

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) July 29, 2025

During his two seasons spent at CSU, Ison finished just 88 yards shy of 1,000 in two seasons, as he concluded his career with 912 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 209 attempts, averaging 4.4 YPG. He finished the 2024 season as an All-Big South selection, finishing the season with 795 yards and four touchdowns on 171 attempts, averaging 4.6 YPC.

Ison posted a 29-carry, 229-yard against Western Illinois. He also finished the game with a season-best two rushing scores. His durability also showed against Tennessee State, carrying a season-high 33 times for 157 yards against the Tigers. Ison will be one of the running backs to watch this fall in both the league and the FCS, benefitting from running behind an experienced offensive line.

With the return of both CJ Miller and Tyrell Coard to the Bears backfield, it gives Mercer a trio of options that each brings a different strength to the table, with Miller being more of the banger in short-yardage situations, while Coard offers both speed and power. Both Miller and Coard also the versatility of being solid receiving options for Smith coming out of the backfield. Micah Bell even offers a fourth option, as the Bears look like they might even be a bit deeper at running back this season than in their title run a year ago.

Throwing the old pigskin around for Mercer shouldn’t be an issue, as the likes of Kendall Harris, Adjatay Dabbs and Brayden Smith all return at receiver this fall. In a league loaded with wide receiver talent, the Bears might once again have two of the best deep threats, in Dabbs and Smith. Smith showed big-play ability in the first half of the 2024 season, while it was Dabbs who really came on down the stretch run of the season, as well as in the FCS postseason.

⛺️day 1 pic.twitter.com/inOCsemT2q

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) July 28, 2025

As far as the offensive line is concerned, the Bears will bring back two starters on the offensive line from last season’s championship team, with left tackle Xavier Jennings and right guard Tyler Murray return from a unit that was solid in all facets last season, as the Bears finished the season ranking 53rd nationally in total offense (375.3 YPG), while ranking 38th in rushing offense (167.0 YPG). Darrian King will add another veteran to the offensive front, as the graduate transfer will be eligible immediately after transferring in from Samford, avoiding the one-year sit-out rule implemented by the league for in-conference transfers.
THE DEFENSE: The defensive side of the football was really where the Bears hung their hat last season, as Mercer finished the season ranking tops overall in total defense, while ranking 20th in the nation in total defense (318.0 YPG), while also ranking tops in the nation in rushing defense (70.8 YPG), while also leading the nation in total sacks (46.0).

Part of having such a successful season like Mercer did, especially on the defensive side of the football, means that, at least in this current age of college football, players will move on to bigger and better paying opportunities. The Bears will have to replace SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and the league’s sack leader from last season, in Brayden Manley, who has moved on to Georgia Tech in the transfer portal.

Arias Nash has also moved on to play at Virginia Tech. Safety Chris Joines Jr. has moved on to play at Rutgers, and cornerback TJ Moore was an undrafted free agent of New York Giants, while the Bears must also find replacements for arguably the two best linebacking tandem in the SoCon from last season, in Isaac Dowling and Ken Standley.

The defense does have some talent waiting in the wings, as well as some on the way from the transfer portal that is ready to step and be big impact pieces this coming fall. The Bears will look to Jordan Swain and one of the top returning defenders in the SoCon heading into the 2025 season, which is defensive end Andrew Zock.

At linebacker, Donovan Watkins returns to lead the unit heading into the 2025 season. The Bears finished the season leading the nation with 25 INTs last season, however, 23 of those 25 INTs have either graduated or moved on to the transfer portal. One of the most underrated players on the Mercer defense last season was defensive tackle Caden Camese, who really shined as the season wound down.

All-Conference Teams 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/m1fVMkeS7R

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) July 23, 2025

Also, two of the breakout players as a part of the 2025 defensive unit could be redshirt junior safety Christian Davis and senior safety Juwan Johnson, as they will be key leaders in the secondary this fall.

NON-CONFERENCE GAME TO WATCH: UC Davis (Aug. 23/FCS Classic/Cramton Bowl)

Defending Southern Conference champion Mercer will get to find out a lot about itself right off the bat in 2025, as the Bears will face off against Big Sky up-and-comer UC Davis in the very first college football game of the 2025 college football season, as it will mark the second time in the past three years that the Bears have started the season this early and paying in this game, facing off against North Alabama to kick off the 2023 season.

One of the advantages that Mercer has wisely taken advantage of during their time as a Southern Conference member is participation in the FCS Classic, which helps put the spotlight on the Mercer football program for not only the entire FCS, but also the entirety of NCAA Division I football that weekend, as the Bears are one of the very few teams to kick off the season in week zero with such an early test to open the campaign.

The opponent this time around will be a tad bit tougher, as the Aggies are coming off an 11-3 campaign, which saw the Aggies finish second in the Big Sky standings and make it to the quarterfinal round of the FCS Playoffs, which is also where the Mercer Bears saw its 2024 season, with a 31-7 loss at eventual national title winner North Dakota State. The Aggies saw their 2024 campaign come to an end against a Missouri Valley Football Conference member, with a 35-21 setback to No. 4 South Dakota.

The Aggies and Bears enter the season with some questions to be answered, but like the two games already mentioned, the opener represents an outstanding opportunity for both Mercer and the Southern Conference to get the season off to a strong start after what was a somewhat forgettable 2024 season, which saw only one team from the SoCon qualify for the FCS postseason.

Mercer will be looking to continue its current trend after having made the FCS playoffs in each of the previous two seasons and are coming off the program’s first conference title as an NCAA Division I FCS member and first conference crown overall in 92 years.
The Bears, who will be under the direction of second-year head coach Mike Jacobs, will be looking to reverse the current trend of teams to fall at the quarterfinal stage of the FCS playoffs and then fail to even make the FCS playoffs the following season, which has been the case for each of the past three league champions (East Tennessee State 2021, Samford 2022, and Furman 2023).

In fact, the past five SoCon champions have failed to return to the FCS postseason the following season, as neither VMI (spring 2020/21) or Wofford (2019) were able to return to the postseason, each losing their first FCS playoff game in those respective seasons. Interestingly, both UC Davis and Mercer were newcomers to the fold when it came to the final eight teams alive in the FCS Playoffs last season, as North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Incarnate Word, and South Dakota had been a part of every round of eight in the FCS playoffs since 2021.

That will be the kind of consistency that both Jacobs and UC Davis third-year head coach Tim Plough. In addition to looking to become regulars in the latter rounds of the FCS playoffs, the Bears and Aggies also faced similar questions about just how they will sustain the success of a double-digit win season of a year earlier. Both teams lost many key pieces to either the transfer portal or to graduation. For the Aggies and Plough, they must replace 28 seniors that have moved on, which includes sixth-year quarterback Miles Hastings.

The Aggies have just six total starters returning, which includes three on both sides of the ball. The good news for the Bears is that they have quite a bit more of their key returning pieces back from their quarterfinal run of the previous season than the Aggies do, and that could give the SoCon champs the upper hand in the college football season opener, and could be the kind of kickstart both Mercer and the SoCon needs and a win could loom large for both come selection on the third Sunday in November.

🏆#RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/swWfTq2Z0z

— Mercer Bears (@MercerBears) July 17, 2025

CONFERENCE GAME TO WATCH: at East Tennessee State (Sept. 27)—One of the games that will go a long way in deciding who walks away with the 2025 Southern Conference football title will be the one between the Bears and the Bucs, and it will be the first Southern Conference game for both teams.

In much the same fashion that Chattanooga hosted Mercer in a key Southern Conference game to open the 2024 season in league play, this game will carry the same type of importance and momentum-gaining opportunity moving forward into the conference slate. It should be a game where will see what a great ETSU offense against what should be a top-tier Mercer defense once again this season.

The Bears were able to hold on for what was a 37-31 win in Macon last season in what proved to be a pivotal win en route to the Bears’ magical run to a first-ever Southern Conference football crown last season. This has been one of the more thrilling series on the Southern Conference gridiron in recent seasons.

The meeting last season marked just the 10th all-time clash between the two programs, with the Bears now leading the series 6-4 after last season’s triumph at Five Star Stadium. The Bears have won three-straight in the series, accounting for their longest winning streak in the series.

In 2022, the Bears claimed a 55-33 win at Five Star Stadium before winning 24-6 in Johnson City two years ago. This game is also pivotal because ETSU goes on the road to Furman the following week, while the Bears will be at home to face a Samford team, which in recent seasons, hasn’t been the easiest out for Mercer.
QUOTABLE: Mercer Head Coach Mike Jacobs on the team scoring 89.9% of the time in the red zone last year

“The basics of football, right? It goes back to the line of scrimmage, having well designed plays and being able to take advantage of things that we’re seeing. And not being greedy, sometimes it’s ok to take a field goal and get points, but to be able to convert to touchdowns, you’ve just got to be very thorough and not turn the ball over.”

FINAL SYNOPSIS: Overall, the Bears should be good enough to garner a third-straight FCS playoff invite, however, while I think the defense will once again be one of the top units in the SoCon, I have some questions about this offense when DJ Smith is forced to throw the ball against teams, which he never really had to do much as a starter last season, but the one time he did against Samford, it resulted in the Bears’ lone loss of their championship run through the league.