SDSU football hosting 20 official visitors this week
The future of San Diego State football’s roster is taking shape. Twenty athletes from the Class of 2025 are on official visits this week to SDSU.
Sources told the East Village Times that WR Marcus Mozer, TE DJ Asiasi, OL Ashdon Wnetrzak, EDGE Cole Cogshell, and CB Trey Glasper arrived in America’s Finest City yesterday and will leave Friday.
As they depart, 15 more visitors will roll in, highlighted by RB Quaid Carr, the lone athlete already committed to the program. The Aztecs hope a handful of the other recruits on the trip 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.
Below is a breakdown of six of the 20 recruits coming to town. This article is the second in a series highlighting one of SDSU’s busiest recruiting weeks. Three weeks ago, EVT published the first detailing three of the high-profile recruits visiting The Mesa this week. Expect a rundown of the remaining players in the coming days.
Kal-El Togafau, Defensive Line
Rank: 3 Stars
Bio: Kal-El Togafau’s speed and quickness are evident when watching film. On his junior season highlight reel, the first clip is him flying by an offensive tackle to force an incomplete pass. Last year, Togafau used these skills to rack up 30 total tackles, 12 of which were solo and seven sacks.
That aptitude, combined with his 6-foot-3, 225-pound build, is key to his long-term success as an EDGE or defensive end.
During spring ball as glimpses of defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt’s new 4-2-5 defense came to light, the importance polished rushers have to the scheme’s success has been evident. That focus means the Red and Black must keep a steady flow of talented recruits joining the program.
Togafau has the raw talent and ability to develop into an important piece of the Aztec defense if the coaches can get him to commit. He has offers from Mountain West rivals San Jose State and UNLV, as well as Idaho and Colorado.
Player: Jaden Williams, Defensive End
Rank: 3 stars
Bio: Jaden Williams is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound DE at Mission Viejo High School in California. He had outstanding stats last season with 139 total tackles and a staggering 18.5 sacks on his way to earning D2 Defensive Player of the Year for the Southern California CIF section. His 18.5 sacks ranked eighth in the state. With his stellar play on defense, he helped elevate his team to a 13-3 record in 2023.
If Williams committed to play defense on The Mesa, Schmidt would gain a young star he could develop into an elite pass rusher for his defensive attack. San Diego State was the first school to offer Williams back on June 19, 2023. Following the offer from SDSU, he then received his second from Sacramento State.
He also has an offer from Boise State, SDSU’s storied rival. Although he has the size and impressive stats, he has had a lack of offers, but that might change if he leaves San Diego without committing. His offer from BSU came on June 7 of this year, just three days after he announced his official visit to San Diego. He previously made a trip to Snapdragon Stadium for the team’s spring game on April 21.
Player: Marcus Mozer, Wide Receiver
Rank: 3 stars
Bio: Lewis has put together his Aztec Fast offense that will debut on The Mesa this season, with it he has also shown the type of athlete he covets as key pieces for the future. Bringing on Marcus Mozer, a football and track star, is right on par with his style of recruitment for the receiver position.
The star wideout plays for Fossil Ridge High School in Colorado. In track, he ran the 100M (personal best of 10.85), 200M (21.73) and 400M (49.65). That speed shows on the football field as Mozer is a deep threat for Fossil Ridge. He is coming off an impressive junior season where he caught the ball 54 times for 940 yards and nine touchdowns.
He would be a great addition to the program as his track speed allows him to take the top off a defense. His commitment would pair well with Jerry McClure and other Aztecs who have been successful on the gridiron and the track.
Mozer was first offered by Lewis and receiver coach Lanear Samspon back on April 30. He has since been to campus two times. His official visit will be his third trip to The Mesa in the month of June. He visited campus and posted a photo in the weight room on June 4 and was back just this past weekend on June 16 for the Aztec Football Skills Camp. Mozer is one of the five athletes visiting from Wednesday to Friday. He currently has offers from Yale and Washington State.
Player: Jaylon Hawkins, Wide Receiver
Rank: Unranked
Bio: Despite SDSU’s plethora of weapons this season, it is key to the future prosperity of the program to continue to lock down future Aztecs. Jaylon Hawkins is a skilled wideout who could boost the Aztecs’ offensive attack. Lewis and his staff have already had success in signing another Texas receiver from the Class of 2024, Heath McRee.
Hawkins attends Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas. His speed is shown on and off the gridiron as he is a track star as well. He holds his school record in the 400m (47.51), 4×100 (1:27), and 4×400 (3:19.24). His personal bests in the 100m and 200m are 11.05 and 21.71, respectively. Offers have come in from 13 schools, including the University of Connecticut, Grambling State, and Arkansas State.
The speedster enters his senior year after a stellar junior season where he reeled in 13 touchdowns off of 38 receptions for 589 yards. What is most stunning is his average of 15.5 yards per reception. This is a player who fits the mold of what Lewis and his offense need to continue and hold down the reputation of an Aztec Fast offense. If he commits to State, Hawkins would be an impressive reinforcement coming to Snapdragon.
Player: Jett Thomas, Offensive Tackle
Rank: 3 stars
Bio: Thomas won’t have to travel far for his official visit. The hometown product plays for La Jolla High School, less than 10 miles from SDSU. Getting players in their own backyard is considered a big win for college coaches, and this caliber lineman won’t be any different.
The Class of 2025 tackle uses his 6-foot-4, 300-pound frame to pancake defensive lineman. He also has the ability to pull in the run game which is shown on film. Thomas’ athleticism allows him to keep moving his feet and drive defenders five to ten yards downfield while run blocking.
Thomas currently has offers from Washington, Northern Arizona, Nevada, Columbia, Colorado State, and Arizona State as well as Mountain West rivals Boise State and San Jose State. The former staff offered him on January 19, 2023, and he visited campus on March 15, 2023. Showing the priority Thomas is to the new staff, he was re-offered on December 5, just six days after Lewis was announced as head coach.
Player: Gavin Garretson, Tight End
Rank: 3 stars
Bio: Gavin Garretson is a two-way star at tight end and defensive end for Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California. He first played on varsity his sophomore year where he recorded a respectable 127 yards, two touchdowns, and six receptions. In his junior year, he made a jump and had 312 yards and five touchdowns off of 20 receptions.
His 6-foot-7 height makes him a lethal weapon in the red zone, and he uses that size to box out defenders to make receptions. He also has the speed to get past linebackers and defensive backs on deep routes. On film, he routinely made catches of 25-plus yards. Garretson could eventually replace super senior Jude Wolfe, who has a similar style of play. Garretson’s older brother, Gabe, is currently a tight end on the team.
Garretson was also wrecking ball on defense, recording 16.5 sacks and 43 total tackles last season as a junior. Those numbers would be impressive alone if he just played defense but since he put them up while also dominating as a tight end they are even more impressive.
Lewis and tight end coach Zac Barton offered him back on March 20. He will be making his official visit June 21-23. This will be his second trip to San Diego, as he was at the Aztec Fast Showcase at Snapdragon Stadium on April 20. He currently has offers from Cal Poly, Eastern Washington, Idaho, New Mexico State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis.
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.