SDSU football completed its first week of Fall Camp on Saturday, with its third practice in three days. 

Before the Aztecs turn their attention to Texas A&M-Commerce, the first opponent of 2024, they must sort out competition at nearly every position. With a plethora of new faces working in new systems in all three phases, the depth chart is in flux. 

As they will be throughout August, this week’s dress rehearsals were only open to the media for the first 30 minutes. Most of these brief glimpses were dedicated to warming up and stretching, which makes reporting much of substance a challenge. 

Among head coach Sean Lewis’ favorite sayings is “so what, now what.” In the spirit of that philosophy and despite the limitations, post-practice interviews and a watchful eye revealed much about the 2024 Aztecs.     

Leading by Example

On Saturday, as the last of the team trickled onto the field, two coaches emerged from the Fowler Athletic Center and performed The Run and Bump, a celebration seen across sports where athletes leap, turn, and gracefully nudge into each other. 

The excitement the two assistants brought to the synthetic grass on a hot August day was a fitting example of one of Lewis’ points of emphasis. He charged his staff with modeling for their players the energy level needed to compete.

“I truly believe that as coaches, we’re in the business of transferring energy,” Lewis said following Thursday’s practice. “So, if I’m just standing in the middle of the field observing with my arms crossed, that’s not the energy I want the football team to represent and play with. So, I’m going to get my hands dirty.”

As they laid their cultural foundation, Lewis and his staff have drawn lines in the sand of what they demand from their players. An individual’s competitive spirit, for example, is measured by their exuberance for trivia or other small games at the beginning of position meetings. Without ambiguity, if someone finds these events sophomoric and doesn’t fully engage, they are seen as less competitive and weeded out. 

Quick processing, likewise, is a must for the Aztecs, even if some of the best athletes in the world do better with a few more seconds to understand. With the speed the offense wants to play at, this quality’s importance is self-evident, but Lewis has demanded the same from his defense, even though that side of the ball does not need that skill to excel. Athletes who cannot make the most of Aztec Fast will not be in the program long, even if they are terrific college football players. 

Bringing contagious energy to the activities on the field is another cornerstone of Lewis’ philosophy. When the players lined up to stretch, a ritual where passion can disrupt as much as help, sophomore LB Tano Letuli stepped in front of his teammates, yelled multiple expletive-laden sentences, and was met with a chorus of cheers.

The Aztecs will compete with energy in all they do. The coaches will lead them in this pursuit.

“As much as we can model as coaches … what we’re looking for, that’s what we’re trying to do,” defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt said on Saturday. “We don’t want to have any off days as a coaching staff …  Every day we’re out here, we’re setting the tone. We’re bringing it. We’re hustling around. We have great enthusiasm. Our guys will feed off of that. You watch any great organization and how that process goes; the players are trying to emulate the coaches.”

SDSU is still talented

The turnover this offseason after waves of transfers left and entered the program gives Fall Camp the unique feeling of the unknown. What should not be lost among all of the changes is the Aztecs are talented. 

“We match up great,” freshman LB Owen Chambliss said Saturday when asked how the talent at SDSU compares to the University of Utah, where he transferred in from. “Upfront, we’re great. Our skill positions are neck and neck. It really could go either way. Nothing much changes, in my opinion, from P4 to G5, especially at the top of G5.”

The brief window Lewis allowed the media to see revealed world-class athletes at every position. EDGE Marlem Louis has an NFL body and explosiveness to match. S Deshawn McCuin’s burst in a hit-and-rip drill stood out. SDSU’s offensive line is huge and can move. WR Louis Brown, TE Jude Wolfe, EDGE Ryan Henderson are specimens. Chambliss stands out with his ability to move at 230 pounds. 

This is just a sprinkling of the athletes fans should be excited to see. The Aztecs have the talent to win every game on their schedule. 

The caution, of course, is that many of the 2023 players who transferred from SDSU are scattered throughout the power conferences. Talent was not the reason they went 4-8 last year. The Aztecs were unable to maximize what they had. 

Efficiency Matters

The pace of practice and even the energy from the coaches is not wildly dissimilar from what the team did in previous seasons. What is noticeably different is the attempt to insert as many activities as possible into the allotted time. 

The beginning of practice is dedicated to walk-throughs. Against a skeleton defense of third-string offensive players, the offense did installs. The QBs did not pass the ball, the offensive line did not fully engage, and the running backs did not finish runs, but Lewis called plays with the same pace he would in games. Even in installs, they simulated the needed processing speed. That pace also allowed all four QBs to lead the offense. 

Defensively, Schmidt maximized how many players got to walk through the designs. With trash cans set up to replace four of the offensive linemen, Schmidt stood in place of the center, and an assistant simulated the snap of the QB. After one group practiced the play, Schmidt turned around, and a different set of defenders executed his plans from the opposite of the ball. 

The push for efficiency was not limited to the players. While the athletes stretched and the special teams portion of practice was set up, the coaches took out their phones and recorded short videos for recruits in the Class of 2025 and 2026. 

Director of Player Personnel Sean Dillon was present during the session and made sure the task was completed properly. WR coach Lanear Sampson could be heard saying, “We’re here at practice during Fall Camp” before trailing off. As he spoke, he lifted the phone above his head and rotated his entire body in a full circle to show where he was. 

The recorded videos were later sent to the prospects SDSU covets. It is a terrific technique to show how important the potential Aztecs are to the staff. Even during practice, the coaches are thinking about the recruits. 

It also highlighted how SDSU tries to maximize the time they have to build a winning program. 

Physicality Wanted

Former head coach Brady Hoke’s most consistent compliment about his team during his second tenure was the physicality with which the Aztecs played. Over the first week, Lewis and his staff have pointed to the lack of it as their main focus early in Fall Camp. 

“We need to establish our physicality and our identity,” Lewis said at Tuesday’s press conference. “We have to figure out one another. Obviously, a ton of conversation about the quarterback play, but it doesn’t matter who’s back there if we can’t protect them. So, establishing our identity up front and still being a physical unit that can control the line of scrimmage and be able to run the football, be balanced, and push the ball vertically down the field as well. So, that physicality and identity up front is a big piece of who we’re going to be.”

This emphasis makes sense on two fronts. With so many new players, there is no telling what the acceptable level of physicality was at the different places much of the roster was at before SDSU. Emphasizing it now helps to ensure the Aztecs are where they need to be. 

Second, the knock on uptempo offenses at Baylor, UCLA, or Oregon is that it makes athletes soft. The Ducks, in particular, sprint through their schedule most seasons before getting beaten up by more physical teams. 

Most of the Mountain West copied SDSU’s recipe for success after the Aztecs’ dominance in the middle of the last decade. Physicality matters in the conference as much as anywhere in the country. 

While Lewis and his offense will be able to dictate times when finesse and speed should be used, SDSU’s opponents will pound the Aztecs’ defense. Schmidt and company are preparing for that inevitability.

“Physicality, that’s going to be the biggest thing for us,” Schmidt explained. “You’ve got to build this thing inside out. It’s won up front. …  Obviously, the places I’ve been at that was a huge piece of it. It wasn’t anything fancy scheme-wise or anything like that, it’s your guys up front wearing down those guys and winning the line of scrimmage. That is number one for us.” 

SDSU begins practice with special teams. Every coach oversees a portion of the groups, with Zac Barton overseeing the entire team. Even Lewis submits and only focuses on his assigned group.

During punt return drills with Lewis and Barton looking on, RB Marquez Cooper played the up-man and laid out one of his teammates. “You better wake up,” Cooper exclaimed. As a senior leader, Cooper demonstrated what his coaches would like to see from the rest of the team. 

Quick Takes

• Professionalism prevents revealing any of the strategies learned by watching the team’s walk-throughs. Suffice it to say, if offense sells tickets, Snapdragon will be sold out at some point this year. 
• WR Jordan Napier is an impressive athlete from the slot. He is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, and can fly. He arrived on campus as a safety but could be very exciting as a wideout.
• On Thursday, local product Mekhi Shaw spoke positively about the change in practice because it made the weather more favorable. True to his prediction, the temperature rose from comfortable at the beginning of Saturday’s event to unbearable by the end.
• AJ Duffy and Danny O’Neil shared time with the first team on Saturday. Javance Tupouata-Johnson was next in line. 
• QB coach Matt Johnson said on Friday that all the QBs have plenty of arm strength to run the offense, but from observing warm-ups, only Tupouta-Johnson’s ability in this regard was impressive. O’Neil made all the throws. Crum’s arm was adequate. Duffy left some to be desired. 
• TE Mikey Harrison looked like a receiver playing tight end. SDSU wore shoulder pads but not leg pads on Saturday. He looked out of place with huge shoulders but thin legs. Given the physical differences, it is a credit to him that he alternated with Wolfe on the first team. 
• Athletic Director JD Wicker and Deputy AD Bob Moosbrugger took in practice. They witnessed more than the media. Their takeaway, the offense looked great.
• Among the more interesting drills was for the gunners on special teams. On the ground was a circular pad with about a three-foot diameter. Three Aztecs ran around the pad quickly multiple times. Some of the athletes’ smiled showing they were getting dizzy. As the punt passed overhead, Lewis blew a whistle, and the players had to locate the returner even in their quasi-inebriated state.
• Encouragement is more noticeable than in years past. On one drill, Barton yelled, “Good job, Baylin (Brooks)!” Safeties coach CJ McGorisk, among the most animated staff members, echoed Barton, “Way to go, 80.”   
• Chris Johnson looked good wearing the No.1. That jersey was not handed out by the previous staff.

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.