The Sacramento State Hornets took a risk by hiring Brennan Marion as head coach. Still, the early returns have been positive, as the offensive guru is already making his impact felt in the transfer portal.
The Hornets won’t transition to the FBS until 2026, but Marion is already building a powerful team through the transfer portal. Who has he landed, and what does it mean?
Sacramento State Succeeding in Transfer Portal Early in Brennan Marion’s Tenure
We at College Football Network haven’t been shy about talking up Marion, whose “Go-Go” offense is the most unique scheme in college football.
We’ve put him on multiple coaching hot lists, and replacement candidate pieces for schools with much more power and influence than Sacramento State, but the Hornets were the first team to take a chance on the first-time head coach.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Marion is already garnering attention from players in the transfer portal, even those who could have chosen more prominent schools.
Marion’s Go-Go scheme runs on the back of a true dual-threat quarterback and multiple running backs as the hallmark of the scheme is the triple option, often run with two running backs to the same side of the quarterback.
At every coaching stop, Marion has first locked down his quarterback and running backs. It seems that he’s already done that with the Hornets, securing the transfer of former Tulsa Golden Hurricane signal-caller Cardell Williams.
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Willams played extensively in 2023, completing 60% of his passes and averaging nearly 10 yards per designed run. That skill set should translate to Marion’s scheme, where the quarterback is expected to make decisions in the running game and hit shots down the field.
Marion has also found early success by recruiting his old players. Despite having over 1,500 rushing yards in his career, former Pittsburgh Panthers running back Rodney Hammond played in just four games this season, maintaining eligibility. Now, he’s reuniting with Marion, who helped recruit him to Pittsburgh.
Hammond isn’t the only impressive running back to join the Hornets, as Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Jamar Curtis committed to Marion on Monday. In three seasons with Lafayette, Curtis ran for over 3,000 yards and 32 touchdowns.
He’s also gone back to his old UNLV Rebels squad, landing receiver Timothy Connery and linebacker Brennon Scott, who was one of UNLV’s highest-rated recruits in the school’s history and had 35 tackles last season.
What Marion’s Early Success Means For Sacramento State
While recruiting isn’t the biggest question mark on Marion, it’s one of the more significant unknowns. We know that his Go-Go offense works. UNLV was 31st in yards per play and 27th in points per game. The Rebels were ninth nationally in rushing.
If Marion can get talent to Sacramento State, the Hornets will be lethal on offense, especially against an FCS schedule in 2025. The Hornets should be in good shape when transitioning to the FBS level in 2026.
The early returns are promising. Marion’s been on the job for less than a week, and he’s already landing FBS talent. If that continues, they’ll be more than ready to transition.
He’s going to need to land some more defensive talent, but we know the offense will go. If he builds a talented defense, the Hornets will be an actual threat almost immediately.
MORE: College Football Network All-Mountain West Team Dominated By UNLV Rebels
As some have said, Marion’s cooking. The Hornets will benefit from hiring a guy we thought a more established FBS team would nab. It’s early, but expect Marion’s recruiting success to continue. Players see what many teams couldn’t.
If the transfer portal is any indication, Marion will make Sacramento State immediately competitive. Who knew?
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