Fresno State starting safety Ryan Wilson expected out for season

The Fresno State Bulldogs had multiple players exit the 39-0 loss at No. 14 USC. Head coach Matt Entz confirmed Monday at his weekly press conference that safety Ryan Wilson will be out and is not expected back this season. Wilson went down with an injury in the second quarter of Friday's season-opener. He had to be carted off the field with a cast on his lower leg, giving a thumbs up to the crowd as he exited. Entz said, "From an injury standpoint, Ryan Wilson will be out with a lower leg injury at this time," Entz said. "I would anticipate he won't be back this year." Wilson was initially a walk-on for the Bulldogs, arriving in 2022 out of Ranchos Palos Verdes (Calif.). By 2023 he was a special teams contributor with 6 tackles and in 2024 he saw his first big opportunity on defense with 7 tackles at Air Force. Wilson rose into the starting lineup in 2025, finishing with 7 starts and totaling 28 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 4 pass breakups. Wilson was honored on senior day in 2025, but he was granted an extra year of eligibility in January to return in 2026. Wilson would be grandfathered in to former NCAA rules to apply for an additional medical redshirt in 2027. All new freshmen in 2026 and beyond will now receive 5 years of eligibility to play 5 seasons with no redshirts or medical hardships in a change by the NCAA. On Monday, Wilson was removed from the team's official depth chart due to the injury. Ethan Tierney is now listed in his place, starting alongside safety Taylor Powell. Tierney started 5 games last season with 22 tackles, 1 interception and 2 pass breakups. At USC, Tierney had 5 tackles while Powell had 3 tackles and .5 tackles for loss. Entz said of Tierney, "He understands the defense. His name is on there (the depth chart), he needs to continue to do a good job in the back end. He has great familiarity with the defense and he was at NIU with Coach Benedetto. We have to make sure he's ready to go from a schematic standpoint and understanding the game plan." RJ Regan and Gerayas Grimes are listed as the second-team safeties. Entz said that local Clovis product Jaden Carrillo, who is not on the depth chart, is also expected to have a role. "As you've seen, what's on the depth chart doesn't necessarily represent how many snaps someone is gonna get," Entz said. "Jaden Carrillo is gonna play a bunch for us. TP (Taylor Powell) is gonna play a bunch. RJ is going to continue to play a bunch. We have four or five safeties that will continue to elevate their game." Starting offensive guard Jonah Leaupepetele also exited the game at USC and did not return. The Bulldogs had also previously lost returning starting guard Edward Fonua to an offseason injury. "No update right now," Entz said of Leaupepetele. "Yesterday being Sunday and tomorrow being a holiday, haven't gotten anything back from some images that we're waiting on. But he's moving around, walking around. Saw him at meetings this morning." - Get more intel HERE on Fresno State's injuries coming out of the preseason and new ones suffered at USC - LIMITED TIME Join BarkBoard VIP for 75% off a year, just $2.92 per month! - Fresno State moves on to Sacramento State for the Bulldogs' home opener on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT. Also on the injury front, former Bulldog and current Hornet quarterback Carson Conklin was unable to play last week due to a wrist injury. Back-up QB Jackson Sharman was 18-of-28 for 247 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception in Sac State's 52-0 win over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday.