UC Davis Aggies football camp underway as team aims to build on last year’s success
MERCYHURST FROM ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA. THE UC DAVIS AGGIES FOOTBALL PROGRAM FINISHED FIFTH IN THE NATION LAST SEASON AND WILL LOOK TO BUILD OFF OF THAT SUCCESS THIS YEAR. KCRA 3 MICHELLE DAPPER HAS MORE FROM THE AGGIES FALL CAMP. IT’S BACK TO WORK IN SHRED VILLE FOR THE UC DAVIS AGGIES DAY TWO OF FALL CAMP. AS WE’RE COMING OFF THAT HISTORIC 11 WIN PROGRAM RECORD SEASON LAST YEAR, AND NOW THEY’RE READY TO BEGIN THEIR THIRD UNDER HEAD COACH TIM PLOW. THE AGGIES ARE PRACTICING EARLIER THAN, QUITE HONESTLY, MOSTLY EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY, AS THEY DO HAVE A WEEK ZERO MATCHUP AGAINST 12TH RANKED MERCER DOWN IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, THEIR FIRST TRIP TO THE DEEP SOUTH, BY THE WAY, SINCE 2008. BUT THE AGGIES READY TO GET THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND GRINDED OUT FOR THE NEXT MONTH HERE AT UC DAVIS. EXCITED FOR THE CHALLENGE AHEAD. AND IT’S ONLY TWO DAYS IN. BUT HE’S BUILD BLOCKS EVERY DAY. TRY TO BUILD THAT MANSION. THE QUARTERBACK BATTLE UNDERWAY BETWEEN GRANT HARPER AND FORMER DEL ORO PRODUCT CAYDEN PINNOCK, WHO’S THE EARLY FRONTRUNNER. YOU KNOW, CAYDEN PINNOCK, LOCAL GUY COMES IN TO CAMP AS THE LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE. YOU KNOW, AFTER SPRING. BUT I THINK GRANT HARPER, WHO’S ANOTHER LOCAL GUY FROM THE BAY AREA THAT’S PUT IN THE WORK, YOU KNOW, STILL DESERVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE. THE DEFENSE, ANCHORED BY ALL-AMERICAN REX CONNORS, WHO WAS RECENTLY NAMED THE BIG SKY PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BUILD A LEGACY HERE AT DAVIS. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND FOR PEOPLE TO REMEMBER ME. AND THAT’S JUST KIND OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRIVING FACTORS OF WHY I STAYED. AND HE’S NOT THE ONLY PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN. WINSTON WILLIAMS LED THE BIG SKY IN TOUCHDOWNS BY A TIGHT END LAST SEASON WHILE FINISHING SECOND IN THE NATION. I THINK I DON’T PLAY FOOTBALL FOR ME TO GET ALL THESE ACCOLADES. I PLAY FOOTBALL TO WIN AND I’M WITH MY BEST FRIENDS. IF WE WIN 13 GAMES, I DON’T GET ANY ALL CONFERENCE, ANY ALL-AMERICAN, BUT WE WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THOSE ACCOLADES. YOU KNOW, HE’S ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS. WE CAME IN AS THE IN THE SAME CLASS, OUR DORM ROOMS RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. SO I’VE BEEN BEEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOING AGAINST HIM MY WHOLE CAREER HERE. SO IT’S JUST FUN. ALL RIGHT. SO DAY TWO IS OFFICIALLY IN THE BOOKS. THEY NOW HAVE 23 PRACTICES LEFT OF FALL CAMP AS THEY GET READY FOR THAT AUGUST 23RD MATCHUP AGAINST THE MERCER BEARS OUT OF MACON, GEORGIA. THAT GAME WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA IN DAVIS, MICHELLE DAPPER KCRA 3 SPORTS. ALL RIGHTY. AS MICHELLE SAID, THE AGGIES WILL KICK OFF THEIR SEASON ON THE ROAD, TAKING PART IN THE FCS KICKOFF CLASSIC VERSUS MERCER. THAT GAME IS IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA. THEN THE
UC Davis Aggies football camp underway as team aims to build on last year’s success
Updated: 7:39 PM PDT Jul 24, 2025
The UC Davis Aggies have kicked off their fall football camp, coming off a program-record 11-win season as they prepare for their third year under head coach Tim Plough. Plough said he’s excited for the challenge ahead while camp is only two blocks are being built every day. A quarterback battle is underway between Grant Harper and former Del Oro product Caden Pinnick, with Pinnick emerging as the leader in the clubhouse after spring camp. The defense is anchored by All-American Rex Connors, who was recently named the Big Sky Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.”Our defense starts with Rex and his brother Porter,” Plough said. “The Connors established a legacy here.”Rex Connors expressed his commitment to the team, saying, “I wanna build a legacy here at Davis.”Winston Williams, another preseason All-American, led the Big Sky in touchdowns by a tight end while finishing second in the nation. “I don’t play football to get all these accolades, I play to win and I’m with my best friends,” Williams said.Williams talked about his camaraderie with Connors, saying, “He’s one of my best friends, we came in during the same class and were in the dorm rooms together and I’ve been going against him my whole career, it’s fun.”With day two of fall camp completed, the Aggies now have 23 more practices left as they prepare for their August 23 matchup with the Mercer Bears from Macon, Georgia. The game is set to take place in Montgomery, Alabama.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The UC Davis Aggies have kicked off their fall football camp, coming off a program-record 11-win season as they prepare for their third year under head coach Tim Plough.
Plough said he’s excited for the challenge ahead while camp is only two blocks are being built every day.
A quarterback battle is underway between Grant Harper and former Del Oro product Caden Pinnick, with Pinnick emerging as the leader in the clubhouse after spring camp. The defense is anchored by All-American Rex Connors, who was recently named the Big Sky Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
“Our defense starts with Rex and his brother Porter,” Plough said. “The Connors established a legacy here.”
Rex Connors expressed his commitment to the team, saying, “I wanna build a legacy here at Davis.”
Winston Williams, another preseason All-American, led the Big Sky in touchdowns by a tight end while finishing second in the nation.
“I don’t play football to get all these accolades, I play to win and I’m with my best friends,” Williams said.
Williams talked about his camaraderie with Connors, saying, “He’s one of my best friends, we came in during the same class and were in the dorm rooms together and I’ve been going against him my whole career, it’s fun.”
With day two of fall camp completed, the Aggies now have 23 more practices left as they prepare for their August 23 matchup with the Mercer Bears from Macon, Georgia. The game is set to take place in Montgomery, Alabama.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel