Sac State WR is a 145-pound blur. Is he ‘the fastest guy in college football’?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Ernest Campbell's 10.02 100-meter dash time marks him as a top-speed threat at WR.
- Sac State plans dual-QB usage after Cardell Williams impressed in Week 2.
- Hornets seek first win after narrow loss to Nevada and opener at South Dakota State.
Football is, as the cliche goes, a game of inches.
Measurements and measurables can be gauged in this sport if there is a 4th-and-goal situation, a pass that just missed, a tackle that just missed. Or the body length of a tight end, or the considerable girth of a behemoth linemen in the trenches.
So what about the little guys, the ones who don’t tip the scales but turn heads with their own unique skill set? There’s always room for a playmaker.
In this sport, the motto has long been that “speed kills,” and Sacramento State has a host of diminutive players who can turn on the jets, which fits right in with the program’s motto of the “Go-Go” offense. That gusto includes Ernest Campbell, all 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds of him.
A Texas native, Campbell’s game is all about burst, of taking the ball and racing with it. His first reception for the Hornets after his transfer from Texas A&M was a 75-yard beauty last week in Reno, from Cardell Williams. That was a highlight in an otherwise frustrating day for Sacramento State, which lost by an inch to the FBS-level Nevada Wolf Pack, 20-17.
The Hornets had two winning touchdown runs in the closing seconds called back for holding calls. One seemed legit, the other not as much, and then the Hornets dropped to their knees when a last-second field goal just missed.
Ranked No. 21 in the FCS, Sacramento State takes its 0-2 record into its home opener Saturday night at Hornet Stadium to face Mercyhurst University of Pennsylvania. First-year coach Brennan Marion said the aim is to “win!”, to entertain, to have fun — and to use every resource he has to rev up a fan base ready to soak in a victory. Sacramento State lost its opener 20-3 at FCS No. 3-ranked South Dakota State.
‘Might be the fastest guy in college football’
Marion recruits for need, be it stoppers on defense or to get a player who can stretch the field. In Campbell, he has what longtime Hornets sports information director Brian Berger says “might be the fastest guy in college football.”
Campbell clocked a 10.02-second 100-meter dash last spring at Texas A&M as a freshman, earning All-American honors. He was a two-time state sprint champion at Refugio High in the southeastern corner of Texas, where he was also a 4-star national recruit receiver.
“I’ve always had guys with speed,” Marion said. “If you can score touchdowns, it has nothing to do with size and has everything to do with your heart and skill set. If you can score touchdowns, then we’ll put you on the field and you’ll be an asset to our program.”
When Marion was an assistant coach with the Texas Longhorns before his two-year stint at UNLV that led to his current job, he recalled excitedly telling coaches about a fast talent torching defenses. It was Campbell.
“I’m like, ‘Man, there’s a little dude that can really, really run,” the coach said. “He’s small, but he scored six touchdowns against one of the top teams in Texas. I thought, ‘This kid’s going to be special.’ His dad (Derick) reached out to me and said, ‘He’s ready to come play for you,’ and so now he’s here.”
Respect among teammates
Hornets defensive lineman Miles Bailey, a 6-4, 285-pound bulk from Vallejo, said he can envy speed and appreciate burst. Big guys in this sport generally have neither attribute.
“Ernest had a very electric play (against Nevada),” Bailey said. “He does that in practice, too. We’re not surprised.”
Another speedy receiver for the Hornets is Ajon Bryant, a 5-6, 160-pounder from national prep powerhouse Mater Dei of Orange County.
“I’m a small guy, and I do what I can,” he said with a grin. “Ernest puts on a show for all of us. There’s nothing us smaller guys can’t do.”
Williams will start at QB
Marion said after Wednesday’s practice that the Hornets will start Williams at quarterback this week after the Tulsa transfer impressed in relief of opening-day starter Jaden Rashada.
Rashada was knocked out of the Nevada game with a crushing hit, though he could have gone back in. Marion held him out for precautionary reasons.
A Texas native, the 6-2, 180-pound Williams completed 11 of 14 passes for 181 yards against Nevada, and he finished with a 92.7 grading, the highest among FCS quarterbacks last week. He played in 15 games over two seasons at Tulsa, alma mater of coach Marion, passing for 1,186 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushing for seven scores.
“Both quarterbacks are going to play on Saturday, for sure,” Marion said. “I like the way Cardell finished the game. Where I’m from, you ride the hot hand. When the hand is hot, you let it roll. I think we’re going to be a two-quarterback system the majority of the system.”
Mercyhurst (1-1) at No. 21 Sacramento State (0-2)
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
On air: ESPN 1320, KMAX 31, ESPN+
Of note: The visiting Lakers started their football program in Pennsylvania in 1981, competing at the small-college Division III ranks through the 1992 season before playing the next 30 years at Division II. Mercyhurst with a campus enrollment of fewer than 3,000 moved up to the Division I FCS ranks last season, going 4-7. The Lakers have one conference championship in their history and one playoff berth, that coming in D-II in 2010
.Mercyhurst has a host of California players on its roster, many of them junior college transfers, including quarterback Adam Urena, who has passed for 658 yards and four touchdowns. He has 6,082 career passing yards with Mercyhurst and 58 touchdowns. Sac State safety Koa Akui was named the co-Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week after the junior had two interceptions, the first of his Hornets career.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 3:09 PM.