Season three under Sean Lewis begins in about a month, on September 5 at Snapdragon Stadium. But the preparation ramps up when Fall Camp begins this Wednesday, August 5. The Aztecs are coming off a very successful 9-win season and embarking on the revitalized Pac-12 Conference. 

Here are three areas of concern heading into the start of Fall Camp. 

• Injury Recovery

Three starters and one primary reserve sustained season-ending knee injuries last season. All four of them are back with the team this year and in play for starting roles again in 2026. How their rehab and recovery have gone and how soon they can get on the field on Saturdays will be critical to the Aztecs. Fall camp will provide a glimpse into that answer. 

WRs Jordan Napier and Jabob Bostick, LB Tano Letuli, and CB Jelani Whitmore were limited in spring camp as they recovered from their major injuries. 

Napier and Bostick’s injuries derailed the passing offense immensely last season. The staff hopes that the immense depth that the room possesses after infusion from the transfer portal should help minimize that drop off if either or both are limited to start the season. 

While the depth at WR could help Napier and Bostick’s easing into the lineup, Letuli and Whitmore may not have the same luxury, given the losses sustained at the position from a year ago. Letuli is the leader of the defense and will be needed to stay healthy in 2026, something he was unable to do in his first two seasons as an Aztec. 

• Can anyone bring down the QB?

Trey White is at Texas Tech. 

Ryan Henderson is at Texas A&M. 

Niles King graduated. 

Owen Chambliss is at Nebraska.

August Salvati is at Troy. 

These five players produced 28 of the team’s 32 sacks last year. 

No returning EDGE player recorded a sack last year. Brady Nassar returns as an experienced veteran in this system and hopes to make the leap. Two redshirt freshmen, Brian Townsend Jr and Lucan Amituanai, will have to step up. Incoming transfers Kai Wallin (Oregon State) and Nate Henrich (Gannon) will also be asked to step in to fill big shoes. Wallin was injured during spring camp and did not get to show the talent that led him to stops at Nebraska and Oregon State previously. 

Whether the staff did enough to infuse talent into the position room will be evident soon enough. 

• Replacing all five starters in the secondary

When Dalesean Staley decided to withdraw from the transfer portal and return to San Diego State, it was a huge boon for new DC Demetrius Sumler. Having already lost three starters to graduation and another to the portal (Dwayne McDougle), having a key returner to lead the unit would make the transition much smoother. Staley can still be a leader, but he will unfortunately have to do it from the sideline after sustaining a season-ending knee injury during spring camp. Now, Sumler and safety coach CJ McGorisk are looking for starters at every position. 

Josiah Cox seems to be the only one to pencil in as a starter after backing up Eric Butler at the nickel position last year. Several veteran players who have been at SDSU over the past three to four years without starting roles will now have a chance to shine at safety. Max Garrison, Jelani McLaughlin, and Josh Hunter are among those. Redshirt freshmen Chase Shumate and Kaiman Tufaga, and transfers Isaiah Green, Solomon Davis, Jalen Thomeson, and Carsten Mamaril are also looking to break through. 

Whitmore, Prince William,s and Braylon Cardwell are the only returners at CB, but they will have stiff competition from incoming transfers Caleb Ricks, Jason Oliver, Mike Lindsay, and Jamison Starks. 

There is a good chance that the five players who are on the first string in practice on August 5 are not the same five who start against Portland State on September 5. 

Andre Haghverdian

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.