‘Zo time’ begins: Sac State brings back QB for spring game as MAC move nears
They were active, fast and physical, which is exactly the type of football team that Alonzo Carter wants.
He is the first-year Sacramento State head coach, a Bay Area native big on spirit and vision. Carter bounced from one spot to another on Saturday night as the Hornets capped spring drills with the annual intra-squad spring game at Hornet Stadium in weather that felt more like late fall than early spring.
As Sac State bounds into the 2026 season as a first-time member of the FBS in the Mid-American Conference, Carter said his squad will not lack in effort. His motto is to seize the “Green Line” theme to match the team’s school colors.
“It’s 100 mph, 100% of the time,” the coach said. “You can’t teach effort. Effort is something that you give, being relentless. It’s just in you. They all have talent. That’s why they’re here playing Division I college football. I’m always demanding, but I love the energy, but I want more. I’m greedy.”
How did the quarterbacks do?
A year ago under one-and-done coach Brennan Marion’s much-hyped “Go-Go” offense, Sac State struggled at quarterback. That included the spring game and throughout the 2025 campaign behind quarterbacks Jaden Rashada and Cardell Williams during the Hornets’ 7-win season.
Both departed the program via the transfer portal in their lone seasons with the program. Now leading the charging is a familiar face in Carson Conklin, the Southern California native who was a Freshman All-American in 2024 at Sac State. He left for Fresno State after last year’s spring game, and now he looks in control. His passes were crisp, the offensive moved, he had everyone’s attention, and he was ecstatic afterward, and not because there were a couple of jersey No. 17 sightings to match his number.
“Glad to be back,” Conklin said. “Kind of felt like a dream. Now I’m excited I’m back, and it’s nice.”
The first half of the scrimmage saw Conklin complete 10 of 12 passes for 70 yards. Jackson Sharman, an Idaho State transfer, showed some promise in his game action, including completing passes of 22 yards to Jaxon Fresques and a 20-yarder to Drey Garner.
New Mexico State transfer Jaylen Patterson and redshirt freshman Jamar Malone from Los Angeles also had quarterback snaps.
How did the locals do?
Carter is adamant that the Hornets will recruit the Sacramento and Northern California region hard, and he had several local prospects who impressed in camp or in the game.
Veteran Hornets linebacker Derek Houston from Rocklin High School in Placer County is poised to have a big season after doing so in 2024 before missing six games last season due to injury. Former prep teammate Elias Brown rushed for two touchdowns on Saturday. He was a junior college All-American at nearby American River College under coach Jon Osterhout, now Sac State’s chief of staff.
Elijah Huddle of Casa Roble High in Orangevale made plays at tight end on Saturday, and linebacker Fata Puloka of Monterey Trail High of Sacramento and defensive back Lono Chouteau of Inderkum High in Sacramento had an interception as the defense recorded six sacks.
Who are some of the new coaches?
Carter raved about his coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau, who played quarterback at Portland State and was the offensive coordinator and interim head coach at Fresno State in 2016 and was the offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2022.
Kiesau is working with holdover quarterbacks coach Bobby Fresques, a mainstay with his alma mater as coach since 2019.
Angus McClure, a former Sac State lineman and assistant head coach, rejoined the Hornets to coach the offensive line after Carter’s hire in December, joining holdover position coach Kris Richardson.
“Two great coaches on the offensive line,” Carter said.
‘It’s Zo time’
Carter is mindful of the head coaches at Sac State who preceded him, including Troy Taylor, who steered the Hornets to three Big Sky Conference championships, and Andy Thompson, who followed Taylor and led the Hornets to the FCS playoffs in 2023.
Marion joined the Colorado Buffaloes as offensive coordinator. Taylor and Marion were offensive-minded coaches and Thompson doubled as the program’s defensive coordinator in his two Sac State head-coaching seasons. Carter now has his own stamp on the program.
“The coaches before me do a great job,” Carter said. “Now it’s the Zo era. It’s Zo time, and we want to be fast and physical on both sides of the ball.”
What’s next?
The Hornets return to organized team practices in early August. The season opener is a Mid-American Conference contest at Eastern Michigan. The home opener is Sept. 5 against Mississippi Valley State.
Sac State is still adding players, Carter said, including incoming high school recruits and college transfers.
“We’re still adding players,” Carter said. “We have three things — FVP — which stands for fast, violent, physical. That’s who we are and that’s what we teach and that’s what we preach. I want us to not just look a certain way but to play a certain way. We’re trying to get good players, and not just good on the field but in the locker room, in the community, on campus.”