With new head coach Sean Lewis came a fierce battle for the starting quarterback position. A competition that was led by two fresh faces. Danny O’Neil (true freshman) and AJ Duffy (transfer from Florida State) seemed neck and neck throughout the offseason.

O’Neil had previously committed to play for Lewis at the University of Colorado but flipped his commitment to San Diego State after Lewis became the head coach. Duffy joined the Aztecs via the transfer portal after spending two seasons with the Seminoles.

Duffy took many of the first team reps until the last few weeks of fall practices. Two big scrimmages at Snapdragon Stadium, one during Fan Fest on August 10 and one closed scrimmage the following Friday, seemed to be the deciding factors in naming a starter.

Lewis kept things hush throughout the process, not giving any indication on a timeline of when a starter.  Each time the question was asked, it was quickly shot down with a “not yet” or “hopefully sooner rather than later.”

Post Fan Fest, Lewis mentioned the strengths each of the competing quarterbacks had. He stated O’Neil’s anticipation and knowledge of the game were his strongest attributes and Duffy’s improvement with accuracy through camp was his greatest strength as the competition was coming to a head.

On Monday after practice, Lewis confirmed that O’Neil earned the nod and will debut at the reins of the newly anticipated Aztec Fast offense at Snapdragon Stadium on August 31st against Texas A&M Commerce. O’Neil will become the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Red and Black in over 50 seasons as a D1 team.

“Danny was the most accurate and the most productive throughout camp,” Lewis described as what ultimately made O’Neil the starting quarterback on Monday afternoon. “He went about his business the right way and was excited to see the team respond and rally around him while we continue to build the identity of this club.”

O’Neil graduated early from Cathedral High School to enroll in the spring semester at SDSU and begin competing for the starting quarterback position, a move that has now paid off big.

“If I was to get here just in the summer or just a few weeks ago like some of the other freshmen, I would be swamped just trying to figure out the offense,” newly announced starting quarterback O’Neil said about his decision to enroll early. “Getting here in the winter, getting through the install one time before spring ball, and just repetitions all throughout summer and spring ball has been super beneficial.”

In an April episode on The SDSU Podcast, quarterbacks coach Matt Johnson referred to being the quarterback of the Aztec Fast offense as being given the keys to the Cadillac. We now know who was given that set of Red and Black keys.

The Battle

O’Neil helped himself in several ways this offseason, from enrolling early to improving his craft. That combination, combined with his knowledge of the game and anticipation, earned him the starting quarterback role.

When the first depth chart of the Lewis era came out on July 11, Duffy was listed above O’Neil with an OR capitalized between the two. Throughout the offseason, both quarterbacks improved their accuracy and decision-making. Neither quarterback had played in Lewis’ fast-paced offense, and that may have played into the decision taking longer than usual.

O’Neil struggled with decision-making early on, and Duffy’s downfield arm strength was an area of concern. What O’Neil lacked, he made up for with his knowledge of the game. Duffy overcame his arm strength by improving his accuracy to move the ball downfield.

Duffy led statistically in the Aztec Fast showcase as he went 7 for 11 with 112 yards and two touchdowns compared to O’Neil’s 2 for 6, 15 yards, and one interception. During the team’s Fan Fest, O’Neil and Duffy both threw first-half interceptions, and the defense stole the day.

This scrimmage showcased the top three quarterbacks: AJ Duffy, Danny O’Neil, and Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson. Tupou’ata-Johnson threw the only touchdown of the scrimmage, a laser to WR Jerry McClure. O’Neil did make some accurate deep throws that were dropped by his receivers, one that would’ve been a touchdown, but the drive stalled when he threw an interception on a high-slant pass.

After Fan Fest, Lewis summed up the quarterback play, stating, “They all had some highs, they all had some lows.”

Despite O’Neil’s poor showings in the two scrimmages in front of the fans, Lewis seemed confident in his ability to tune out the outside noise. He said the main goal was to identify the root of it and find out why O’Neil’s practice performance was not occurring when the lights came on.

“He settled into doing what he was capable of doing,” Lewis stated as what O’Neil changed from his poor public scrimmage outings. “Not trying to do too much and just treating those moments just like he has every day of practice. We get to asses and evaluate everything, how he does, and we’re really big about that process and not just the end result on a given day.”

What lies ahead

With only 12 days until the first game and a starting QB named, the fine-tuning and game prep can fully begin to get this Aztec Fast offense ready for the season. O’Neil will have h,igh expectations and with being, a young quarterback will have to focus on the internals and block out the noise.

“He’s a pretty focused young man,” Lewis explained when asked about his new starter’s ability to tune out the outside noise. “Since he’s been here he’s put the blinders on, he’s been about the work, he’s very comfortable with who he is and he’s going to be focused into living the lifestyle that he needs to live as a starting quarterback.”

With the fast pace of the offense, O’Neil will have to step up as a true freshman and, command the respect of his older teammates and prove he is the Alpha to lead this team. Being named the starter reflects not only on his skillset as a quarterback but also his ability to be a leader. The quarterback position requires both of those important skills.

“He’s going to be able to be a little bit more vocal now know that it’s his,” Lewis said of O’Neil’s leadership as a true freshman. “He’s been productive, he’s been accurate, he’s highly competitive, and the guys rally around that.”

With 12 games in the season, there are sure to be highs and lows with a new head coach, quarterback, and offense. O’Neil will have to stay focused and make adjustments to his game as weeks go by. His ability to continue to grow will be crucial to him remaining the starting quarterback of the Aztecs.

Earlier in spring practices, Lewis mentioned the speed of the Aztec Fast offense. He said it is still coming along, and ideally, when implementing a new system like this, they hit their stride around week four of year two. With a young quarterback like O’Neil that has time to develop, that gives Lewis an advantage to mold him into the quarterback he thinks will fit his system best.

O’Neil will command Lewis’ Aztec Fast offense beginning August 31 against Texas A&M Commerce. The game will be at Snapdragon Stadium, and kickoff is set for 5:00 PM with free Hawaiin shirts for the first 10,000 fans.

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.