Mercer Athletics released the schedule for the 2025 football season on Jan. 10, and in the days since, the team has announced some coaching staff and player turnover as well. The Bears finished last season first in the Southern Conference with an 11-3 record, including a 7-1 record in the conference. The season also saw the Bears win their first-ever SoCon championship after knocking off Furman University, 49-23, in the final game of the regular season. The Bears averaged over 30 points per game last season with 2,338 rushing yards, 2,916 passing yards and 54 touchdowns, and were at the top or near the top of the FCS in many major defensive statistics. The University of Alabama was a notable non-conference opponent for Mercer last season, and this year, the team will travel to Auburn, Ala. to take on the SEC-side Tigers. The entire regular season schedule is below with home games in bold and SoCon opponents listed with an asterisk:
University of California-Davis: Saturday, Aug. 23. Montgomery, Ala. Note: This game will be the FCS Kickoff, a game Mercer won in 2023.
Presbyterian College: Saturday, Aug. 30.
*Wofford College: Saturday, Sept. 13.
*The Citadel: Saturday, Sept. 20. Charleston, S.C.
*East Tennessee State University Saturday, Sept. 27. Johnson City, Tenn.
*Samford University: Saturday, Oct. 1.
Princeton University: Saturday, Oct. 11. Princeton, N.J.
*Virginia Military Institute: Saturday, Oct. 25.
*Furman University: Saturday, Nov. 1. Greenville, S.C.
*Western Carolina University: Saturday, Nov. 8. Cullowhee, N.C.
*University of Tennessee at Chattanooga: Saturday, Nov. 15.
Auburn University: Saturday, Nov. 22. Auburn, Ala.
Coaching changes
Brian Folkerts is a new addition to the offensive line coaching staff, according to Mercer Athletics. He is a former professional football player and college football coach. Folkerts signed with six NFL teams and four UFL teams during his time as a player. Before coming to Mercer, he coached at Washburn University for a year with the offensive line, two years at Wingate University coaching tight ends, full backs and the offensive line, and one year at the University of Northern Iowa as the tight ends and tackles coach. Mercer's offensive line ranked 104th among all FCS teams in sacks-allowed, giving up more than 2.75 sacks a game, on average, and 263 yards total throughout the season.
Player changes
Since the end of last season, six players have signed with Mercer football from five different states and another country. The team has also lost a few players through the transfer portal, notably defensive linemen Brayden Manley '27 and Arias Nash '26. The two combined for more than 18 sacks last season on a D-line that registered the most sacks of any FCS team. On offense, the team lost 1,000-yard rusher Dwayne McGee '25, who declared for the NFL Draft in December, as well as Kelin Parsons '25, who also declared for the NFL Draft after he led the team in reception yards. Incoming transfers are listed below, all of whom were announced by Mercer Athletics since the team finished its season in December.
Autavius Ison '27, RB, Atlanta. Transferred from Charleston Southern University.
Marius Landsfeld '28, DL, Brühl, Germany. Transferred from Liberty University.
Adonis McDaniel '27, WR, Columbia, S.C. Transferred from Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Daniel Hicks '26, DL, Lansdale, Pa. Transferred from West Chester University.
Matthew Frazier '29, DL, Cheshire, Conn. Graduated from high school early.
Ke’Vion Wellington '28, DL, Indianapolis. Transferred from Austin Peay State University.
