August 22, 2025 — Buchanan alumni are making their presence felt on the Fresno State football team for the 2025 season. Currently, there are 8 former Bears on the roster.
Keeping it local is one of the many things that new head coach Matt Entz promised when he took the job in December 2024. He wanted the kids to stay home and build the program off of Central Valley talent.
Last year, the Bulldogs went 6-7 and lost to Northern Illinois in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. They were led by interim head coach Tim Skipper in his first overall season with the team when Jeff Tedford stepped down in July 2024 due to health concerns.
The big bear on the team is redshirt senior Camryn Bracha, a third-year defensive back for the Bulldogs who wears number 22. He returns to the field after suffering a season-ending injury at New Mexico last season. Before the injury, Bracha started the first four games, recording 19 tackles, three pass breakups, and one interception. Bracha has been named to the watch list for the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award, announced by the College Sports Communications in association with the Associated Press and Fiesta Sports Foundations. The Bulldog is among 75 college football student-athletes from 51 different schools who are under consideration for the award.”
Coach Entz declared Bracha a team captain for the year. Bracha knows the team is looking up to him for leadership.
“That’s a huge honor…I have a lot of confidence in the work I’ve put in. It’s been about doing my job, how can I help the team by doing my job…and never not making it be about me. It’s cool that I get to do that,” said Bracha.
The motto for the school is “Bulldog born, Bulldog bred,” and that encapsulates his journey. He was born in Clovis, and his mother was a former cheerleader at Fresno State.
Bracha played two seasons on varsity at Buchanan. He was an all-conference selection in 2021 and won the Bear Award. He graduated in June 2021.
While playing for two seasons at Fresno City College, he was an all-conference and all-state player and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
According to gobulldogs.com, he “chose to attend Fresno State because his family could watch him play and still be involved with church.” He transferred as a walk-on in 2023, appearing in 11 games and earning four starts that season. He came into 2024 as a starter until it was cut short.
Now that he’s recovered, he’s looking to play better than ever. Nick Benedetto enters his first season as defensive coordinator and safeties coach from Northern Illinois. He speaks highly of Bracha.
“What he has to do is go out and be himself every day, and great things will happen for him. Camryn is the heartbeat of the defense. What he does each and every day, very few people do, and I’m just proud of him. I’m proud of what he brings to the table in our position room and the defense and the integrity,” said Benedetto.
Bracha and the secondary are the most experienced group on the defense. Last year, they were ranked among the Mountain West Conference’s top pass defenses, and they hope to build off that momentum. He’s looking forward to his role in the scheme.
“We got a great group of safeties and corners. I’m excited to see where Coach B kind of uses us all differently, we got so many different skill sets. I’m ready to help wherever that’s going to be for me and how that’s going to help us win,” said Bracha.
With a veteran like Bracha at the helm, Benedetto believes the defense will be successful, and he’ll have a standout year.
“We look to him for everything. You always have to have a guy on the defense that, when things don’t go right and when it breaks down, who do they look to? Camryn is one of the guys that the guys are going to look to and step up to what he does. He does a great job, and he’s going to have a great senior season,” said Benedetto.
Profiles of Other Bears on the Team
Quarterback Jayden Mandal, Sophomore, No. 7 – Both parents are Fresno State Alumni. According to gobulldogs.com, he “chose to attend Fresno State because he was born and raised in the Valley, and has always been a Bulldog fan. Says he is excited to play in front of the Red Wave.”
Mandal helped lead Buchanan to two TRAC league championships. He was the 2022 TRAC Football Player of the Year and 2021 first-team All-TRAC quarterback and third-team all-state. He was a three-year varsity starter for the Bears.
He appeared in six games in 2024 and was the starting quarterback against NIU in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Wide Receiver Josiah Ayon, Senior, No. 85 – According to gobulldogs.com, he “chose to attend Fresno State because it was the hometown school, and always a dream of his.”
Ayon was a three-year varsity letterwinner for the Bears and was a wide receiver and an outside linebacker. He was a starter as a junior and senior and received first-team All-League honors as a senior and senior year team MVP. He helped lead Buchanan to a conference championship his junior season.
He was an All-Valley Conference receiver in both of his years at Fresno City College (2022-2023). While at Western Colorado in 2024, he was a second-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection. He’s now a Bulldog.
Offensive Lineman Brayden Walton, Freshman, No. 76 – According to gobulldogs.com, he “chose to attend Fresno State because it is the hometown school.”
Walton played right and left tackle for the Bears and was a varsity starter in his junior and senior years. He originally committed to Washington State in July 2024 but flipped his commitment to Fresno State in September. Former Fresno State head coach Pat Hill points out that Walton is the 1st player in program history to start a season as a freshman at left tackle.
The 6-foot-7, 325-pound blocker has been taking reps with the first team offense at left tackle.
Linebacker Logan Studt, Redshirt Freshman, No. 18 – Both parents are graduates of Fresno State. Studt lettered and started all four years of high school. He was 2023 first team all-conference. He’s friends with Mandal. They’ve been attending Bulldog football games together since they were six years old.
Defensive Lineman Bryson Harrington, Redshirt Freshman, No. 93 – His father, Grant, played at Fresno State from 1998-02 (defensive line), and his grandfather Mark Walbeck as a linebacker from 1970-71.
Harrington was a two-sport athlete in wrestling and football at Buchanan and was a starting offensive lineman. In 2024, he was at Pittsburgh as a member of the wrestling team. He’s now a Bulldog.
Linebacker Zane Rix, Senior, No. 57 – According to gobulldogs.com, he “chose to attend Fresno State because he was born a Bulldog and he wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps.” His father Zack, played from 1989-1992.
Rix played at Fresno City College (2021-2022) where he was teammates with Bracha. He appeared in two games in 2024 as a Bulldog.
Tight End Caden Rodgers, Junior, No. 28 – According to gobulldogs.com, “he chose to attend Fresno State because it is his hometown, and he felt it was where he needed to belong.”
Rodgers was a four-year varsity letterwinner as a Bear and was a linebacker and running back. He was a two-time All-TRAC selection and named TRAC Offensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player for the County Team in Fresno’s annual City-County Game.
Fresno State opens the season at Kansas on Saturday, August 23. Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m. PT on Fox.