College football has become one of the most popular sports across America, and a few familiar faces are suiting up for some of the biggest programs on the Division I stage.
— Anthony Frias II, UCLA
Former Turlock High and Modesto Junior College standout Anthony Frias II enters his second season in Westwood, and is expecting to take on a large role out of the backfield for the Bruins.
The redshirt senior is projected to complement running back starters Jaivian Thomas and Jalen Berger in UCLA’s run-heavy offense, led by second-year head coach and former NFL star Deshaun Foster.
Frias played regularly on special teams, and was the feature back for the Bruins in their last game of the 2024 season against Fresno State. He ran for a team-high 43 yards on 13 carries, averaging 3.3 yards per run en route to a 20-13 victory.
It was a performance that Frias said made him “hopeful for the future,” as he told the Journal last year. The 2020 Bulldog graduate notably transferred from Kansas State before the 2024 season.
Foster raved over the work ethic and development to UCLA Athletics on July 29 at Big Ten Media Day.
“(Frias) came in the Fresno State game and saved us,” Foster said. “A couple of guys missed protections in that game, and we kind of put them on the side and told him, ‘Just go.’ And guess what? He grabbed the reins and he’s still been running. He hasn’t stopped.”
The Bruins open their season Saturday night, at 8 p.m., from Rose Bowl Stadium against Utah.
— Everett Johnson, Montana (FCS)
Also entering his second season in a new program is Frias’ Turlock High teammate, Everett Johnson. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive lineman transferred from Cal after the 2023 campaign, and will begin his redshirt senior season with the Grizzlies when they host Central Washington on Sept. 6.
In his first year in Montana, Johnson was a regular special teams player, while serving as a backup on the offensive line. But after a solid spring season, he has emerged as a potential offensive starter, according to the program.
— Robert McDaniel, San Jose State
While it was believed for most of the winter and spring that Robert McDaniel would join Frias in Westwood, musical chairs in the Bruins quarterback room prompted the Hughson High superstar to transfer to San Jose State.
This year is all about development for the true freshman and 3-star recruit.
SJSU started fifth-year senior Walker Eget in their season opener on Friday night when they hosted Central Michigan. Behind him on the depth chart are junior Xavier Ward, redshirt freshman and Jesuit grad CJ Lee, and Tama Amisone, who like McDaniel graduated high school early this past winter to get a head start on his college playbook and strength program.
The Spartans are back in action next Saturday, when they hit the road to take on the AP’s top team in the nation, Texas.
— Malakai Sumter, Fresno State
Already having suited up this year, although he has yet to have seen any game action, is fellow 2025 Hughson graduate Malakai Sumter, who is adjusting to life at Fresno State.
The Bulldogs had a Week 0 game on the road against Kansas, which they lost 31-7, and will take on Georgia Southern in their home opener at Valley Children’s Stadium on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
The 6-foot-2, 177-pound Sumter is one of 14 wideouts on the Fresno State roster, and despite him on the lower end of the depth chart, has impressed staff members with a handful of acrobatic catches during summer camp. Speaking with the Journal during his visit to Hilmar in May, first-year head coach Matt Entz spoke highly of the former Husky, calling him “extremely talented” and “a high-character kid, which is what we look for.”
— Joey Stout, Northern Arizona (FCS)
After two electric seasons at Modesto Junior College, the 2023 Pitman High graduate is looking to make an immediate impact at Northern Arizona University.
The speedy wide receiver will debut with the Lumberjacks as a junior when they travel to Tempe to take on national championship-hopeful Arizona State for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.
Last season with the Pirates, Stout caught 54 passes for 975 yards and nine touchdowns. He also took 24 handoffs and pitches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. As a returner, he accumulated 181 yards and a score. On Oct. 26, he even tossed a 20-yard touchdown in a 52-10 rout of Reedley. He scored multiple touchdowns in three games last season.
— Cody Weaver, Eastern Illinois and Navi Arrechte, Mercyhurst (FCS)
Two of the top forces of MJC’s offensive line last season, Cody Weaver and Navi Arretche, are headed to the midwest to play for Eastern Illinois.
Weaver is a 2022 graduate of Turlock High while Arretche graduated from Hughson High in 2024.
Though there aren’t many statistics for the big guys in the trenches, Arretche and Weaver’s work is best contextualized with the numbers put up by the dynamic Pirates offense. Last season, they rushed for 2,302 total yards (191.8 per game) and passed for 3,054 (254.5 per game).
Eastern Illinois and Mercyhurst were both in action on Thursday, with EI defeating Dayton by a 24-14 score and MU dropping their opener to Youngstown State, 24-15.
There are 358 programs across the D-1 football landscape between the FBS and FCS. Did we miss anybody? Let us know! Contact Chris Correa at ccorrea@turlockjournal.com.
