Photo by: Reuben Potter/Davidson Athletics
Energy, Optimism High as Football Opens Preseason Camp
7/28/2026 4:55:00 PM | Football
Each day, as the preseason sessions stack and the calendar flips toward an Aug. 27 season opener, the Davidson football team will add a little more to the mix.
Soon, the Wildcats will be in full pads. They'll explore the deeper details of the playbook. Referees will visit and officiate some live action. And all of it will count as additional pieces in the puzzle in preparation for the 12-game season that begins next month.
Tuesday morning marked a significant step in that process as the Wildcats gathered for their first preseason workout on Field 76 inside Davidson College Stadium. It was a welcomed 78 degrees for late July on artificial turf in North Carolina. And head coach Saj Thakkar, now entering his second season, was pleased with what he saw during the 9:25 a.m. session.
"That was a great day one," he said. "We got a lot of reps in, a lot of quality reps in an hour-and-a-half practice. ... It's great to see our guys flying around, and I thought they handled day one really well. We now have to build off of this as camp gets further along and we start adding more periods."
Thakkar saw good energy from the players and staff. He saw execution at a high level, and he was pleased with the chemistry and communication that seemed to carry over from the spring workouts.
"I saw our older guys really taking ownership of things — this thing is going to go as these guys want it to go," he said. "We challenged these guys with leadership and communication, and they did a phenomenal job. They're helping the young guys come along. And I think as far as the X's and O's go, we picked up where we left off in spring ball, which is great to see."
Thakkar said the Wildcats' motto is to "compete for and with each other," rather than against each other, as they build a unit. He saw players working together, and as the full team gathered for the first time — returners and newcomers alike — fun was in the air, too.
"Guys laughing, guys joking with each other, getting back," said senior receiver Andrew Frazier. "We haven't seen each other all summer, so getting back, we're talking to each other, talking about what we did this summer and things like that, establishing that chemistry."
Blending the work, the energy and the camaraderie — it's all part of it at preseason camp.
"These first couple days are very crucial to the whole season," said Frazier. "(We're) just getting our bodies right, getting our bodies acclimated again to playing football, getting used to these intense practices. So then when the season comes, things are a lot easier, guys are a lot more durable and we can finish out the games."
Soon, the Wildcats will be in full pads. They'll explore the deeper details of the playbook. Referees will visit and officiate some live action. And all of it will count as additional pieces in the puzzle in preparation for the 12-game season that begins next month.
Tuesday morning marked a significant step in that process as the Wildcats gathered for their first preseason workout on Field 76 inside Davidson College Stadium. It was a welcomed 78 degrees for late July on artificial turf in North Carolina. And head coach Saj Thakkar, now entering his second season, was pleased with what he saw during the 9:25 a.m. session.
"That was a great day one," he said. "We got a lot of reps in, a lot of quality reps in an hour-and-a-half practice. ... It's great to see our guys flying around, and I thought they handled day one really well. We now have to build off of this as camp gets further along and we start adding more periods."
Thakkar saw good energy from the players and staff. He saw execution at a high level, and he was pleased with the chemistry and communication that seemed to carry over from the spring workouts.
"I saw our older guys really taking ownership of things — this thing is going to go as these guys want it to go," he said. "We challenged these guys with leadership and communication, and they did a phenomenal job. They're helping the young guys come along. And I think as far as the X's and O's go, we picked up where we left off in spring ball, which is great to see."
Thakkar said the Wildcats' motto is to "compete for and with each other," rather than against each other, as they build a unit. He saw players working together, and as the full team gathered for the first time — returners and newcomers alike — fun was in the air, too.
"Guys laughing, guys joking with each other, getting back," said senior receiver Andrew Frazier. "We haven't seen each other all summer, so getting back, we're talking to each other, talking about what we did this summer and things like that, establishing that chemistry."
Blending the work, the energy and the camaraderie — it's all part of it at preseason camp.
"These first couple days are very crucial to the whole season," said Frazier. "(We're) just getting our bodies right, getting our bodies acclimated again to playing football, getting used to these intense practices. So then when the season comes, things are a lot easier, guys are a lot more durable and we can finish out the games."
Players Mentioned
WR
/ FootballTuesday, July 28
Thursday, March 19
Tuesday, November 18
Tuesday, November 11
