A “Hometown Hero” is defined as someone who is celebrated and held in high regard within their community for their accomplishments, kindness, or contributions.

The San Diego State football team has a plethora of players who fit that mold. Sixteen players on the 2025 roster are San Diego natives, and most play key roles. 

Since Sean Lewis arrived on campus, he made it an emphasis to keep local talent home.

“It’s been a priority for us since day one to keep the best players in San Diego home (and) we refer to our hometown heroes quite a bit,” said Lewis when asked about what it means for players to stay home. “We intended on keeping our best guys here out of the high school ranks, and in this day and age that we live in, I intend on keeping our best players on our roster as retention of talent is going to be our biggest priority.”

Not only has Lewis and his staff done a good job of recruiting local talent, they have done just as well retaining it. In today’s college football landscape, players enter the transfer portal left and right, so not only is it important to obtain new players from the portal, it is also crucial to prevent players from leaving via the portal. Last year’s best retention was star EDGE rusher Trey White, who decided to return to the Mesa for “unfinished” business.

With so many players on the roster with San Diego roots, here is a look at five (in no particular order) that will have the biggest impact on the season. 

Player – Lucky Sutton

Position – Running Back

High School – Cathedral Catholic

Sutton is a household name in the San Diego high school football world. He was a star for the Dons, leading them to a state championship while racking up accolades such as the Silver Pigskin winner in 2021. He committed to SDSU in December 2021. 

He has been patient during his time at SDSU, as he hasn’t seen the field as much as some expected. In three seasons, he has rushed the ball 37 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns, all numbers he should eclipse this year. When other players could have left for more playing time, he decided to stay home. 

“Lucky really emerged as we moved through the spring,” Lewis revealed when asked about the running back room this season. “I really think we’re poised for him to have a great year because of the work that he’s done while he’s been waiting.” 

That decision is looking to pay off this season, as Sutton should see plenty of carries after the departure of Marquez Cooper left the starting running back position open for the taking.

Player – Trey White

Position – EDGE

High School – Eastlake

Before fans heard White’s name announced on the speakers at Snapdragon Stadium after crushing an opposing team’s quarterback, he was making plays on Friday nights for Eastlake High School. 

White was a nightmare for quarterbacks during his time with the Titans. As a senior, he had 64 tackles and 13 sacks. He was highly recruited and had offers from Penn, Air Force, Army, and Yale, among others, but committed to SDSU in October 2021.

Last season was White’s breakout year with SDSU. He led the country in sacks for several weeks at the beginning of the season. He accumulated 60 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He was constantly in the backfield disrupting the offense’s timing. 

11.5 of his 12.5 sacks came in the first seven games,  with only one in the final five games. The drop in production came as the defense faltered late in the season.

There was a lot of speculation during the offseason about whether he would transfer, but he decided to stay home. As the most anticipated returner for the Red and Black, White has been named to many preseason watch lists, including the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronco Nagurski Trophy, and was named the Mountain West Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. 

“Trey gets a lot of attention and rightfully so,” Lewis explained of the attention he may get this season. “He has added more techniques and more moves to his repertoire to be able to impact the pass rush.”

White will be looking to have a big final season for SDSU. He was recently named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Top 300 players and should garner NFL teams’ attention.

Player – Tano Letuli

Position – Linebacker

High School – Cathedral Catholic

Letuli, like his current Aztec teammate Sutton, played running back for the Dons. He rushed for 259 yards and five touchdowns. He enrolled in the Army in June 2022 and played 11 games during 2023 for the Black Knights. He entered the transfer portal in December 2023 and committed to Lewis and the Aztecs on January 1, 2024.

He made an immediate impact for the Red and Black during the 2024 season, not only as a hard-hitting linebacker but also as a leader, being named a team captain alongside Trey White and Marquez Cooper.

Letuli played in 10 of the team’s 12 games, missing only two due to a broken right thumb, before returning to play with a cast for several weeks. 

The tough-nosed linebacker was all over the field for the Aztecs, leading the team in tackles (70) while also accounting for two turnovers (one fumble and one interception).

As one of the top returning players on the defense, Letuli should pick up where he left off last season and be a force to be reckoned with on the Gridiron.

Player – Jerry McClure

Position – Wide Receiver

High School – Mater Dei Catholic

McClure was a star wideout for Mater Dei, while also playing special teams and some defense. He helped his school win back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022. He had an incredible senior season, catching 98 passes for 1,964 yards and 22 touchdowns.

His success in high school earned him a long list of offers from powerhouses such as USC, Michigan, Cal, UCLA, and Tennessee. McClure committed to UCLA on November 15, 2022.

After playing in two games his first season with the Bruins, McClure decided to enter the transfer portal and chose SDSU.

He did not make much of an impact in his first season with the Aztecs as the offense failed to get things going, but year two under Lewis with a new transfer quarterback, Jayden Denegal, should see improvements.

McClure’s size and speed, matched with his ball-hawking skills, set him up to make a big impact in Lewis’ offense this season.

Player – Byron Cardwell Jr.

Position – Running Back

High School – St. Augustine & Morse

One of the big additions of the spring portal window was Cardwell Jr. The three-year letterman was a stud for St. Augustine. He was a San Diego DII All-Conference player his sophomore and junior seasons. During his sophomore season, he rushed for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. In his junior year, he rushed for 872 yards and 21 touchdowns as the team went 8-3 but lost in the open division championship. 

Cardwell Jr. transferred to Morse High School, but his senior season was postponed due to COVID-19. He played in two games in a shortened spring 2021 season. 

Cardwell Jr’s success in high school made him a highly sought-after recruit. He was ranked four stars and the number one running back in California, holding offers from UCLA, Tennessee, LSU, Florida State, Texas A&M, Virginia, Florida, Notre Dame, Auburn, and Oregon. 

He committed to Oregon on January 25, 2021, and played two seasons for the Ducks. In those two years, he rushed the ball 72 times for 493 yards and four touchdowns. An ankle injury limited his availability and production in his second season.

He transferred to Cal, but a knee injury caused him to miss the entire 2023 season. In 2024, he rushed 24 times for 75 yards. 

“Excited to have Byron here,” Lewis proudly said of his new addition to the running back room. “You don’t just go to a program like Oregon and start as a true freshman without some sort of ability, and we’re pretty excited about getting him in the mix.”

Despite the injuries, his skillset is just what Lewis and his staff are hoping can replace what is missed without Cooper. He brings experience to the backfield and should pair well with Sutton and the other backs.

Johnny Olivieri

Johnny is born and raised in San Diego and a diehard fan of all his hometown teams. He is an avid collector of sports memorabilia that help paint a picture of the history of sports in San Diego. He spends a lot of his time attending sports games across San Diego county and enjoys studying the history and spreading knowledge of San Diego’s diverse sports.