SDSU Football Roundup: Transfer Portal, High School Class and Coaching Staff
LB Tano Letuli celebrates a big defensive stop. Credit: Brandon Pollard/EVT
While the games have ended until September 2026, Aztecs football has been busy during the offseason, reloading their roster and staff for their inaugural season in the reformed Pac-12 Conference.
Transfer Portal Recap
In a previous article on January 12, EVT recapped 15 already signed transfer portal additions and six committed yet unsigned players. All six are now signed. This list added to the two junior college players that were already signed as part of the Early Signing Day period in early December. In addition, the Aztecs secured four other signed players since then.
- Justius Lowe, WR – Senior (Oregon)
In four years at Oregon, he caught 27 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown, including two receptions for 27 yards in the 2024 CFP Quarterfinal against Ohio State.
- Mike Lindsay, CB – Junior (Idaho State)
Played ten games in 2025, totaling 28 tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception.
- Djibril Rahman, EDGE – Junior (Rutgers)
Played in 24 games across three years at Rutgers, totaling 12 tackles and one sack. In 2025, he earned a 64 overall PFF grade in 160 snaps.
- Evan Lawrence, OL – Sophomore (Indiana)
Played in seven games on the National Championship team, lining up at LT on 69 snaps, earning a 69.7 pass blocking grade per PFF.
In his press conference on February 4, head coach Sean Lewis described their process of retaining and adding to their roster over the last two months. Lewis specifically noted that the staff identified 25 players with over 200 snaps in 2025 that they wanted to keep, and they kept 21 of them. The four they were unable to keep were Trey White, Ryan Henderson, Owen Chambliss, and Dwayne McDougle.
Out of the 27 total collegiate players they brought in, eight were from P4 schools, four from the Group of Six, nine from FCS, two from Division II, and four from JuCo.
“We talked all about wherever those talent buckets are, we’re going to go look, and we’re going to go find the kids who can help us genetically and then their character who are a great fit for our culture and for our great city and this proud university,” Lewis said.
Nine of the new players were All-Conference performers at their previous schools, and a majority are either from California or returning back home.
Class of 2026 Signing
The Aztecs did almost all of their high school class of 2026 work in the early signing period in December, announcing 23 players.
They added one more on the official signing day of February 4, inking offensive lineman Brady Hill from St. Francis High School in Wheaton, IL. Hill is an interior lineman who initially committed to the Aztecs in June 2025. He held three other offers, according to 247Sports.
Nine of the Aztecs’ high school signings from December enrolled in school early and are listed on the spring camp roster.
The players are:
- Tainoa Lave (S)
- Alijah Lash (LB)
- Javari Nash (LB)
- Dominic Coelho (EDGE)
- Harlem Nellum (OL)
- Jarvis Williams (OL)
- Derek Stevenson (WR)
- Daishaun Davis (WR)
- Carson Diehl (WR)
Coaching Staff Updates
Over the past few weeks, Lewis has announced several additional changes to the assistant coaching and support staff.
Scott White steps in as the linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator in 2026. The Linebackers Coach role was previously held by defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, who departed to Nebraska earlier in the offseason. White has spent the past 17 years on college staffs, including nine at UCLA. Last year, he held the role of associate head coach and inside linebackers coach in Westwood. He played football at nearby Mission Bay High School, earning CIF-San Diego Section Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 after totaling 167 tackles, 11 sacks, and four fumbles recovered.
Bill O’Boyle returns to the Mesa as offensive line coach and offensive run game coordinator after spending two years at Northwestern. O’Boyle was hired to the same role by Lewis at the outset of Lewis’ tenure, but soon took the job at Northwestern before the start of spring camp. O’Boyle has coached under Lewis at previous stops at Colorado and Kent State. O’Boyle replaces Mike Schmidt, who left for Kansas State.
Matthew Middleton replaces Lanear Sampson as wide receivers coach and offensive pass game coordinator. Middleton spent the last three years at Kansas State, but previously spent five years under Lewis at Kent State.
On the support staff side, Lewis welcomed Sam Brenner as assistant football strength and conditioning coach. Brenner will join the team led by head of football performance, Jeff Sobol.
“I think first and foremost, it speaks to the vision that our leadership has to support us at a really, really high level, and to get the new coaches into the building, the new assistant coaches in their roles, plus, some auxiliary roles that we’re able to bring in, just you’re able to get more manpower, more wisdom, more knowledge, more truth tellers in the building to help expedite, the building of a team,” said Lewis about the influx of the new staff.
“It’s the same deal with them that we’re doing with the new guys, assuming nothing and restressing and reinstalling how we build our culture, how we build our team, how everything’s going to be earned. What the end goal is that we all know is that we got to win a whole bunch of ball games. We are excited about that challenge and that opportunity.”
Lewis was also in the news last week, named one of six new head coaches to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Board of Trustees last week. Lewis will represent the Pac-12 on the Board, which formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA.
Class of 2027 Commits
Just as the 2026 high school class period was finishing up, the Aztecs received a head start on the 2027 class, securing verbal commitments from two players from Arizona.
Nasim Eason, DB (Higley High School, Gilbert, AZ)
In 2025, Eason totaled 25 tackles, 8 passes defensed, one interception, one fumble recovery, and one blocked field goal. He is a 3-star recruit and holds offers from five P4 schools (Arizona State, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, and Louisville).
Braxton Huynh, WR (Liberty High School, Peoria, AZ)
In 2025, Huynh caught 35 passes for 521 yards and four touchdowns. He holds offers from P4 schools Arizona and Kansas.
The early signing period for Class of 2027 athletes is not until December 2026, so a lot can change over the next ten months.
Avid sports fan and historian of basketball, baseball, football and soccer. UC San Diego and San Diego State alumni living in America’s Finest City. Diverse team following across multiple sports leagues, but Aztecs come first in college athletics.