The future of San Diego State football’s roster could be taking shape. Twenty athletes from the Class of 2025 are on official visits this week.

Sources told EVT that WR Marcus Mozer, TE DJ Asiasi, OL Ashdon Wnetrzak, EDGE Cole Cogshell, and CB Trey Glasper arrived on Wednesday and will leave on Friday. 

As they depart, 15 more visitors will roll in, highlighted by RB Quaid Carr, the lone athlete on the trip already committed to the program. The Aztecs hope a handful of the other recruits will join Carr by giving their pledge this weekend.  

WR Jaylon Hawkins, TE Gavin Garretson, TE Jacob Alvarez, OL Jett Thomas, OL Chase Duarte, OL Delon Craft, DL Sidney Dupuy, DL Kal-EL Togafau, LB Etene Pritchard, LB Alexander Green, DB Tre Harrison, DB Chase Shumate, DE Kameron Brown, and DE Jaden Williams are expected on campus beginning on Friday. 

This article is the third in a series detailing the 20 recruits coming to town this week. EVT writers Johnny Oliveri and Andre Haghverdian contributed to this piece. 

DJ Asiasi, Tight End

Rank: 3 Star

Attitude, physicality, and football IQ jump out on DJ Asiasi’s Hudl film. He plays like a service academy athlete, but with size (6-foot-3, 240-pound) and athleticism cadets typically do not possess. Asiasi also competes in a run-oriented offense at De La Salle High School in Concord, CA, so the triple-option programs would not have to guess if he could thrive in their systems. 

De La Salle ran 539 times compared to 167 passes in 2023. Their blocking concepts are advanced for a high school team and it showed in Asiasi’s tape. He is already adept at next-level double teams, using leverage, and is effective with his hand in the ground or standing up. 

Most impressively, Asiasi displayed an understanding of how the plays were designed. He was not content to just engage a defender, but he frequently worked to turn his opposition away from the intended hole. 

These skills should allow Asiasi to see the field early in his career. Most tight ends coming into college have to learn how to block. With few exceptions, tight ends in their first few years at the next level are not featured as pass-catchers. Asiasi has the feet to run good routes, but with limited experience catching the ball, his potential as a receiver is unknown. 

Asiasi is also DI-caliber on the defensive line. His explosiveness at the snap of the ball is fantastic and allowed him to record a pair of sacks and four tackles for loss last year. This quickness on the defensive side also suggests he can grow into a good route runner on the other side of the ball. 

The talented Northern California athlete likely wants to get his recruitment finished before the start of his senior season. In October, De La Salle is playing a game in London. Securing a spot before then would help make that trip more enjoyable. 

Ashdon Wnetrzak, Offensive Line

Rank: 3 Star

Unlike basketball, where some high school players are ready to compete in the professional ranks, 18-year-olds rarely have the ability to play in the NFL. Development, then, is key in college football. 

As important as the coaches and systems are, the athletes a player competes with are just as impactful. Learning from veteran players or picking up techniques by watching others with similar skill sets can make a world of difference. 

Sierra Canyon High School’s OL Ashdon Wnetrzak stands at a hulking 6-foot-8 and weighs 325 pounds. Linemen his size have a challenge learning how to play because the techniques developed for the position suit smaller players better. If Wnetrzack attended SDSU, he could form a learning community with Christian Jones (6-foot-9, 315 lbs) and Joe Borjon (6-foot-8, 325 lbs). 

Jones and Borjon have welcoming personalities and would be excellent hosts on Wnetrzak’s trip. With chemistry, the trio could figure out together how to maximize all of the advantages of having their size while compensating for any weakness. 

As a prospect, Wnetrzak is desirable because he embodies the nastiness that offensive line coach Mike Schmidt covets. He attacks the opposition and punishes defenders. For someone his size, he showed good footwork as a right tackle at Sierra Canyon but would need to be smoother to move to left. Playing in an up-tempo offense would be a plus for Wnetrzack to help reshape his body over the next few years. 

SDSU is competing against Maryland, Oregon, and a handful of other schools for Wnetrzak’s services. 

Cole Cogshell, EDGE

Rank: 3 Star

The promise of the 4-2-5 is attracting a higher caliber of athletes at EDGE than SDSU landed in the past. Cole Cogshell is an early test to see if the opportunities in Eric Schmidt’s defense trump competing in a power conference. 

Boston College and BYU stand out among Cogshell’s offers due to the leagues they are in. The Aztecs’ task on his visit this week is showing on tape how he will get to showcase his pass-rushing ability more at SDSU than those other schools. Cogshell is an ideal EDGE for SDSU and he could be in the rotation as a true freshman. 

Proximity to home is also something the Aztecs can offer the Southern California prep star. Cogshell plays at John Muir High School in Pasadena, which is about 135 miles from Montezuma Mesa. 

On tape, the talented defender shows an advanced skill set. More than just the biggest, most athletic player on the field, his pass-rushing arsenal already includes a swim move, power rush, and a terrific punch. He packages these with excellent pursuit and intelligence. He focuses on the backfield and making plays. Cogshell utilizes his techniques not for their own sake but to give him an advantage against the opposition. 

Development happens most with experience. With the extra reps given at EDGE, Cogshell could grow into an NFL prospect at SDSU.  

Chase Duarte, Offensive Line

Rank: 3 Star

The Aztecs extended a scholarship to Clayton Valley High School offensive lineman Chase Duarte first. His subsequent opportunities with Sacramento State, Fresno State, and Portland State came a couple of months after SDSU’s late February offer. After winning OL MVP a few weeks ago at the UC Davis football camp, the Aggies also jumped into the fray. 

Duarte projects as the type of player who thrived under Mike Schmidt during his first tenure. At 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, he has great size and shows promise as a blocker. With skilled tutelage, a college weight program, and a great work ethic, Duarte should be competing for a starting role by his redshirt sophomore season.   

Unlike most linemen in high school who bully people with their size, Duarte’s film does not show highlight reel pancake blocks. He is very workman-like in his approach, gets the job done, and then lines up for the next play. His lack of explosive plays might have cost him some recruiting interest, but it has also highlighted areas of strength.

The Northern Californian is advanced in his footwork in pass protection and pulling down the line on run plays. Those qualities are part of the reason SDSU was on him earlier than anyone. 

Delon Craft, Offensive Line

Rank: 3 Star

SDSU recognized Salesian High School’s Delon Craft’s potential as a DI athlete first. They offered him as an unranked prospect before any other program. Since the Aztecs extended a scholarship, FCS programs Cal Poly, Montana, Northern Arizona, Portland State, and UC Davis have done the same. 

Craft’s recruitment is an interesting case study. Before NIL and unlimited transfers, the Aztecs would be competing with many FBS programs in his recruitment because investing in athletes for years was how G5 schools competed with P5 institutions. Now, Craft does not have the opportunities a player like him used to have because teams can go to the portal for reinforcements down the road. 

By offering him early, the Aztecs are showing that they still believe in development and find value in that process for offensive linemen, even if other FBS programs are shying away from it. Schmidt’s success in grooming undersized, athletic linemen into NFL talent makes this a sound strategy for the Aztecs. 

A good player comparison for Craft (6-foot-6, 260 lbs) is Zachary Thomas. Thomas arrived on campus in 2016 at 270 pounds, added 30 pounds over his first two years, developed into an all-conference performer, and was drafted in the sixth round by the Chicago Bears. Craft has all of the measurable attributes to follow in Thomas’ footsteps. Does he have the qualities that metrics are blind to? The answer to that will be evident over the next few years. 

Craft’s best skill is his athleticism. He played defensive line and EDGE in addition to left tackle. As he gains weight to fill in his 6-foot-6 frame, keeping his quickness and sweet feet will be key. 

Sidney Dupuy, Defensive Line

Rank: 3 Star

Ready-made players on the defensive line are among the most coveted athletes in college football and are typically outside of SDSU’s recruiting reach. If the Aztecs are to have the required players up front, they will have to develop them. When a rising high school senior is 6-foot-5, 265 pounds like Sidney Dupuy is at a local school, landing him has to be a priority. 

In a traditional 4-2-5, Dupuy profiles at either interior line position. Early in his career, he could play the smaller of the two before adding weight to be a prototypical tackle. What path he is willing to take and how that process progresses will determine his ceiling as a player. 

Strength and size at the point of attack are his biggest strengths. For Cathedral Catholic, he played multiple spots on the line and excelled as a read-and-react defender more than a penetrating player. He showed good, short-burst explosiveness that allowed him to make plays even through would-be blockers. 

As a sophomore, Dupuy was a forward in the Dons basketball program. Expect a jump in production in 2024 as he thinks less and reacts more. Colleges certainly believe in his potential. He currently has a dozen offers. 

Paul Garrison

My earliest sport’s memory involve tailgating at the Murph, running down the circular exit ramps, and seeing the Padres, Chargers and Aztecs play. As a second generation Aztec, I am passionate about all things SDSU. Other interests include raising my four children, being a great husband and teaching high school.