With more than 20 underclassmen on the two-deep, the Pacific football team will kick off the 2026 season Friday night with one of its youngest rosters.

But the Boxers also have a strong senior class ready to lead the way.

"There is some youth where these guys are going to have to learn on the job, and there's just no way around that," Pacific head football coach Ian Falconer said. "I think their greatest teacher is experience. But they want to be held to a very high standard, and we're excited for them."

Even with all of the new faces, the team has come together quickly this fall.

"That is something the guys have expressed back to me about this fall, is that they feel like this team is very tight," Falconer said. "And as young as we are, for them to be saying that before our first game has me excited."

With a 2-5 record, the Boxers finished sixth in the Northwest Conference last season. Pacific was also picked sixth in the 2026 NWC Preseason Coaches Poll.

"I think the best version of a coach is somebody that's just focused on how much you can improve every single day and that you don't get too caught up in your own predictions or even the predictions of others," Falconer said.

"I want these guys showing up every single day with the willingness to bring their best to our program, to give everything that they have. I think that's when a team becomes special, and when you have this kind of youth, you're hopefully going to have a tremendous competitive aspect of who you are."

Offense

One of the biggest question marks coming into the season was who would start at quarterback, and the competition will continue into at least Week 1.

At the top of the depth chart is junior Lorenzen Horace, but freshman Luke Berlin and sophomore Reagan Nicanor are also expected to get snaps under center.

Horace transferred to Pacific from Otterbein a year ago, but missed all of his sophomore season with injuries.

"He [Horace] has a ton of resilience in him, and it's good to see him kind of finally getting himself back to what we always thought he was capable of," Falconer said.

Berlin, a freshman from Peoria, Arizona, quickly made a strong impression at fall camp, climbing to No. 2 on the depth chart.

"Luke is exciting," Falconer said. "There's no doubt Luke is going to have a chance to be a very good football player here at Pacific. He's an unbelievable fit for our campus, and has really, really stood out, even though he's at the ripe old age of 18.

"I'm excited for all three of those guys. I think for us it's going to be finding the best us every single Saturday. And I think good coaches always leave that open."

Whoever ultimately wins the quarterback job will have a proven receiver threat in senior Riley Camarillo, who led the Boxers in catches (39), yards (486) and touchdowns (5) last season.

"Riley's just been for us on offense a stone-cold competitor, and it's been cool to see him start to grow. He's a voice inside of our team. Riley's going to have a chance at a tremendous year, and I'm super excited for him. Our plan is to use him in all sorts of different ways," Falconer said.

Sophomore Brandon Figueroa leads the running back room after seeing limited action as a freshman.

"Fig kind of spent most of his freshman year hurt, kind of nursing some hamstring issues, but has looked tremendous in camp and had a great summer," Falconer said.

Pacific has also added Linfield transfer Carson Mullins to the Boxer backfield.

"We're excited that he's here," Falconer said of Mullins. "He obviously really loves football and is a tremendous academic fit at Pacific. His goals in life are high. He's doing a great job connecting with our team, too, which I really appreciate. He's clearly got some real leadership qualities in him, and I'm excited to see what he looks like against another opponent."

Pacific's offensive line is led by three seniors — Nicholas Pogue, Jacob Barona and Keale Valenzuela-Conte.

Defense

The Boxers also return experience on the defensive line in seniors Jimmy Green and Xavier Walker.

"It's nice to have that experience, and I think we can be good up front," Falconer said. "We're going to need to stay healthy. That's going to be really important. There are some sophomores that are going to need to contribute, but they're [the linemen] about the best guys in our program."

Walker, nicknamed "Big Chop," recorded 39 tackles from his defensive tackle position last season.

"He's worked his tail off, and just from the minute he got here, he just dialed into that weight room and has really built himself into what he is now," Falconer said.

Green, a leader not just on the defense but of the entire team, had 19 tackles last season.

"As far as all of our leaders, I think he's the guy that people really listen to," Falconer said. "He's got the voice of the team."

Senior Avin Tanioka leads the Pacific secondary after recording 50 tackles and two interceptions last season.

"He's been with us through thick and thin, and I think we have him in the best spot he could be in on the field for him to really express his talents," Falconer said.

Another senior, Noah Narain, also returns in the secondary and is expected to be an impact player on the defense. Falconer paid Narain the ultimate compliment.

"He's just one of the better human beings you're ever going to have the chance to be around," Falconer said. "He has really developed as a competitor in this last year, and I think has a chance to have a great year."

Pacific is in its second season under defensive coordinator John Bates, who came over from George Fox.

"He does just an unreal job with our defense and has really cultivated a mindset of how we play defense here," Falconer said. "It's been fantastic watching it grow. And to be fair, he [Bates] is so himself that they kind of almost needed a year underneath him before they could start to see exactly what it was going to take to play well in this defense. I'm jacked for those guys."

Season Opener

The Boxers kick off the 2026 campaign Friday night at home against Howard Payne. The Yellow Jackets finished 4-6 last season, including a 21-13 win over Pacific.

"It's always about building, not eroding, because you can't stay in the same place," Falconer said. "A lot of coaches and people believe that, but that's a big core of who we want to be — constantly building week in, week out, looking for sometimes small victories during the week, so they lead to bigger victories on Friday this coming week, or Saturdays after that."

For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on Instagram and Twitter.
 
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