Another season of Sacramento State football is underway and this year’s team has a completely different look.

Spring conditioning began on March 28, and 23 familiar faces were missing from the field.

On offense, last year’s starting quarterback Jeff Fleming, starting wide receivers Brandyn Reed and Chase Deadder and starting running back Bryan Hilliard are all graduating in May.

But head coach Marshall Sperbeck has brought in new players to help fill those holes.

Fresno State senior transfer running back A.J. Ellis has been brought in to help the backfield and challenge senior running back Sam McCowan for the starting spot.

Ellis said he is up to the challenge and is looking forward to helping out this season.

“The competition is great,” Ellis said. “It’s great to be able to compete and try and fight, and earn a spot. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to get some playing time and hopefully if I play well enough, I can do that.”

So far, the Hornets have played two spring scrimmages and Ellis said the offense has improved since the first day and he is starting to get the hang of things.

“The spring games are kind of where the offense is able to take off,” Ellis said. “The more we get into the offense, the more we are clicking and starting to connect. The quarterbacks are starting to look better, the offensive line is looking better and I’m working on my footwork. The footwork is a little different than what I’m used to, but I’m working on it and everything is getting better.”

For the wide receiving core, returning junior wide receiver Morris Norrise will look to become the team’s No. 1 wide receiver barring any setback in his recovery from shoulder surgery.

Norrise has not yet been able to practice with the team and he said it has been hard not being out there.

“I try and make the most out of practice,” Norrise said. “It’s hard and stressful not practicing, but it’s better to miss now instead of the season.”

But the biggest opening and position battle is at the quarterback position with Fleming graduating and backup Tommy Edwards transferring to Divison III Occidental College. 

Sophomore quarterback Garrett Safron, who played in five games last year and was the starter at the end of the season, is returning for his second year along with two redshirt freshman.

But Sperbeck brought in junior transfer Mason Magleby from the University of Nevada to compete for the job as well.

After spending two years as the backup at Nevada, Magleby will look to win the starting job for the Hornets and he said he is excited to see what the team can do this year.

“I’m excited to be here and have a chance to get the starting job and run with it,” Magleby said. “This spring is going to tell quite a bit where this team is going to go and where this offense is going to go, especially with the new offensive coordinator.”

The new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Hornets this year is Paul Peterson. 

Peterson spent the last four years at Southern Utah University as the quarterbacks’ and wide receivers’ coach and the team’s passing game coordinator.

Peterson will take over for Sperbeck, who was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the Hornets since he arrived in 2007.

Sperbeck said it will be helpful to have Peterson take over so he could focus on the entire team now instead of just the offense.

“I think it will help me in the management of the game and being able to get around to different position groups,” Sperbeck said. “Coaching the quarterbacks, I was often at times just locked into that group. Now I have the flexibility to get around to other positions and interact with more players and being a part of the entire team on a more regular basis I think will be helpful.”

On the defensive side, starting defensive lineman Zack Nash and David Coleman and starting defensive backs Joe Larche, Evander Wilkins and Kyle Monson are graduating in May.

The Hornets will look to the upperclassmen in junior linebacker Todd Davis, senior defensive back Ryan McMahon, junior defensive back Osagie Odiase and senior linebacker Jeff Badger.

Davis said losing so many senior leaders will be hard, but he is looking forward to being one of the leaders on the team this year. 

“I will lead the team in any way I can,” Davis said. “Whether it’s trying to pump my team up or making sure I’m doing my job the way it is supposed to be done. I won’t be alone either. We have a lot of leaders on the field defensively doing the same things to lead our team.”

A few Hornets have moved positions as well.

Freshman Aleksandar Milanovic moved from offensive tackle to offensive guard and senior Clay DePauw moved from offensive tackle to center. Junior DJ Maciel moved from tight end to offensive tackle and senior Reese Heaslet will return to the defensive line after spending two years at tight end.

Sperbeck said he has liked what he has seen so far in the first two games and he thinks the team is headed in the right direction. 

“I think we are making improvements every day,” Sperbeck said. “Every practice you have is a different experience and a new learning adventure and I think that we are doing a really nice job and going out and becoming a better football team.”

Josh Stanley can be reached at [email protected].