The Fresno State football team host Hawai’i this Saturday at Valley Children’s Stadium. They’re the former team of senior cornerback Cam Lockridge before he became a Bulldog. When he lines up against the Rainbow Warriors, based off the year he’s had, expect a performance that’ll showcase his capability of playing on Sundays.

The six foot, 182-pound defensive back already has five interceptions on the year. He has 14 career interceptions (11 at Fresno State, 3 when he was at Hawai’i), leading all active FBS players in that category.

The senior defensive back appeared in four games before having a season-ending injury in 2023. He spent the whole offseason recovering and now he’s playing better than ever.

Lockridge’s Impressive Stats

His play is showing up on the stat sheets. He’s ranked No. 2 in the FBS and No. 1 in the Mountain West conference in interceptions per game; including passes defended (FBS: No. 4, MW: No. 2); total interceptions (FBS: No. 2, MW: No. 1); and fumbles recovered (FBS: No. 37; MW: No. 3).

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Lockridge’s efforts have contributed to the Bulldogs’ defense being No. 1 in the conference.

NFL Aspirations and Team Focus

With statistics like that, he’s primed for the NFL. Even though he has sights set on the pros, he says his main focus is finishing out the season strong and fulfilling the team’s goal of playing for the conference championship.

“The NFL is on my mind, but I try to bury that deep in the back of my brain, because this game can be taken away from me. I experienced it last year. I just want to focus on the main thing which is giving it my all,” said Lockridge.

He has the intangibles of being a first-round pick. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 10 in the country in passes intercepted with 12, with much credit going to him.

Recent Performance and Family Support

Last weekend against San Jose State, he balled out with two takeaways. His last double interception game came against New Mexico State on Sept. 14. For his performance against the Spartans, he was crowned MW Defensive Player of the Week.

What made it more special was he did it in front of his family that so happen to include MLB legend Ken Griffey Sr., and MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Senior is his grandpa and Junior is his uncle. Lockridge says his grandpa is his favorite athlete.

“It’s good that they came out to support me. My family don’t travel a lot from Florida to see me play. When they do come, I try to make the most of it,” said Lockridge. “My granddad comes to a lot of my games. My uncle is a very busy man, so it was funny that he came because it’s rare to get him to the games.”

NFL Potential and Coaching Praise

Whether it’s in the genetics or natural talent, he’s proving to the NFL scouts that he deserves a shot at the next level. His stock will rise not only by his performance on the field, but the support of his coaches. They can’t rave enough about him.

Head coach Tim Skipper: “He’s got a nose for the ball. He does a great job with getting his eyes on the quarterback. He can track the ball better than anybody. A great player, a lot of instincts, and has the move onto the next play cornerback mentality. I love having him here and it’s been a joy to see his journey.”

Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle: “To play in the NFL you have to have exceptional physical tools. He has speed, quickness, and length. He has the confidence to compete. Cam has all the traits to make it in the league.”

DB coach J.D. Williams, a first-round pick in the 1990 NFL Draft out of Fresno State, is aware of Lockridge’s potential and what he must do to achieve it.

“There’s some good things in the future if you apply yourself today. We just got to get him to focus on playing one game at a time,” said Williams. “He’s a very smart football player; he studies more film than anybody on the team. His teammates learn from him.”

His leadership has made an impact on junior cornerback Julian Neal.

“(Cam) being a leader, it comes to him like its nothing. He deserves everything that comes his way. Ever since he got here, he’s always told me to keep going and ‘I see big stuff in you’ and ‘your future is bright.’ That gave me a lot of confidence,” said Neal.

Lockridge is focused on beating his former team and having a championship season before he holds up a professional jersey on stage come draft day.

“Every Saturday is a new mission to be great and try to dominate my competition and win my one-on-ones. Ultimately, I’m trying to etch my name into the record books at Fresno State,” said Lockridge.

Key Players to Watch for Fresno State

Offense: Freshman running back Bryson Donelson, No. 26

Donelson is a true freshman from Visalia. He’s the first freshman to get significant playing time since the running back duo of Ronnie Rivers and Jordan Mims in 2017.

His statistics might not jump out with 40 rushing attempts for 187 yards and one touchdown, but with senior Malik Sherrod out with an injury the last few weeks, he and senior Elijah Gilliam have carried the workload. Their runs help balance out the offense, open up the passing game, put them in positions to score, and run out the clock to get victories.

He’s showing that he can be the foundation of the running game in the future.

Defense: Junior cornerback Julian Neal, No. 15

Neal is a depth player, and with the loss of senior safety Camryn Bracha due to injury the secondary has had to step up. They’ve done just that. Against San Jose State, the defense accumulated four interceptions, all of them from the defensive backs, including one from Neal.

He’s spent most of his time with the program as a safety and special teams contributor. He has 17 tackles and two interceptions on the year.

“We’re going to keep on going and get more picks. We tell each other we can’t be messed with. Dominate and the rest will play out,” said Neal.

Key Players to Watch for Hawai’i

Offense: Senior quarterback Brayden Schager, No. 13

He leads the conference in total offensive plays, total offensive yards, total offensive touchdowns, pass attempts, and pass completions. Rushed for a career-high four TDs against Nevada last week. Schager is just the third quarterback in the FBS this season to rush for 100 yards and four TDs.

Defense: Senior defensive Back Cam Stone, No. 4

Stone is a three-time All-Mountain West honorable mention performer, twice with Wyoming and once as a Rainbow Warrior. He has 26 tackles and one interception on the year.

Mountain West Football Matchups

All games will be played on Saturday, Nov. 2, (except San Diego State vs. Boise St.) and broadcast times are Pacific.

Air Force (1-6) at Army (7-0)

Game Starts: 9 a.m.; Broadcast: CBS/Paramount+. Analysts predict the Black Knights will beat the Falcons. Unbeaten Army looks to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 12 games, dating to last season, and Air Force hopes to end a six-game losing streak.

San Diego State (3-4) at Boise State (6-1)

The game is on Friday. Game Starts: 8 p.m.; Broadcast: FS1. Analysts predict the 15th-ranked Broncos will beat the Aztecs. Boise State leads the series 5-4. The Broncos have lost only to No. 1 Oregon.

Colorado State (5-3) at Nevada (3-6)

Game Starts: 5 p.m.; Broadcast: CBSSN. Analysts predict the Rams will beat the Wolf Pack. Colorado State leads the all-time series 14-5 and has won the past two meetings.

Wyoming (1-7) at New Mexico (3-5)

Game Starts: 1 p.m.; Broadcast: truTV/Max. Analysts predict the Lobos will beat the Cowboys. It will mark the 77th meeting between the schools. Wyoming leads the all-time series 40-36 and has won the last two meetings.

(Analysts predictions are from Fox Sports and ESPN.)