Bulldog Fans rejoice — Samford football is back. Soon enough, the Bulldogs will kick off at home against West Georgia, kicking off the 2025 season.
What can fans expect in 2025? While some are still riding the highs of record-setting 2022, others are maybe still picking up the pieces from last season’s 4-7 disappointment. Which Samford will they see in 2025? Look at these facts.
Samford’s lone returner on offense is quarterback Quincy Crittendon. Instead of reloading via the portal, coach Chris Hatcher will rely on underclassmen to make up the differences. The wide receiver core is 90% underclassmen — a far cry from the past two seasons, when the group was mostly graduate students and upperclassmen.
The defense is also faced with similar turnover. Senior linebacker Jaden Mosley is the sole returning starter. Transfers Keshawn Washington and Jackson Bussey are expected to contribute as they both had a big impact in Samford’s scrimmage. The defense was one of the bright spots in 2024 but now will be relied upon to perform under first-year coordinator Scot Sloan, who spent the last two years at Appalachian State.
In the Southern Conference, no program has repeated as champion in the past 10 years. Samford went 4-7 in 2021 before bouncing back for its best season in a decade with a conference title the following year. For Bulldogs fans, that’s reason to enter the season with optimism. With so many new faces, it’s impossible to know what will click until they take the field.
The Schedule
The Bulldogs begin the season Thursday night in Homewood against West Georgia in a rematch. It is the Wolves’ second year in Division I. While last season was not a fairy tale, they proved they could play FCS-level football, defeating Samford in their season opener. The Wolves do have two new coordinators but with returning starting quarterback Davin Wyder, fans can anticipate another high-scoring affair.
Samford then hosts The Citadel. Maurice Drayton is in his third season as head coach. Starting quarterback in waiting Dustin Fletcher has missed camp, so Air Force transfer Quintin Haynes has been taking the first-team snaps.
Samford will then travel to Waco, Texas, for their annual matchup against a power four opponent, this one at Baylor. Baylor is on the outside looking in the Top 25 and will hope to use this game to springboard them in. This game may prove to be a challenge, but Samford has covered the spread against FBS (football bowl subdivision) opponents every year since 2021.
From there, Samford heads to Western Carolina, who finished last year 6-2 in SoCon play. The Catamounts return their coaching staff and freshman All-American quarterback Taron Dickings.
The following week, Furman comes to Homewood. The Paladins were 3-8 last season but are looking to rebound with four starters back on the offensive line and a head coach who has twice won the SoCon. Furman cannot be counted out.
In October, the Bulldogs will face preseason favorite and No. 11-ranked Mercer. The Bears return 13 starters, including defensive end Andrew Zoch, the preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year.
They then journey north and send Samford to VMI, which is being rebuilt after a 1-11 season. A new offensive coordinator is building around underclassmen on the team.
Chattanooga, perennial SoCon contender, comes next. The Mocs replaced a lot of their key contributors through the portal but come into the year just outside of the Top 25.
Wofford is up next, where the Bulldogs’ offense is met with a stout defense and first-team all-conference linebacker CJ Coombes.
Samford finishes its SoCon slate at ETSU, which has new staff but plenty of experience in the forms of former Michigan and Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara.
The Bulldogs conclude the regular season with two nonconference games. They host Austin Peay first, a program that is returning both its coaching staff and top players. Lastly, Samford plays Texas A&M on the road, an SEC team with aspirations of a College Football Playoff. The Aggies host Texas the following week, so they could be vulnerable to looking ahead.
Samford’s 2025 schedule is packed with challenge, but the Bulldogs appear ready to embrace difficulty.
The new Samford football era takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at Pete Hanna Stadium.
