In six days, SDSU football will participate in its first practice of Fall Camp.

Summer Conditioning is wrapping up this week. After a long weekend, the players will report on July 30 and hit the practice fields two days later.

Head coach Sean Lewis and his staff will have 25 opportunities to improve the Aztecs before they take on Texas A&M Commerce on August 31. Typically, game preparation begins ten days before the first game. The depth chart should be set about three weeks after the start of camp.

“The time that we get to in the summer is much more dedicated to the strength and conditioning component of it,” Lewis said last week at the EA Sports College Football 25 Launch Party. “We get a little bit of ball, but we haven’t had a chance to really get immersed (in building the offense), to really put the throttle down, to really increase where we want to get to. We have the whole month of August to get it right and to increase the tempo of play to where we want to be. We’re excited to do that work as we move forward.”

One important date to circle is August 10. SDSU hosts its annual Fan Fest from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on that day. While that event is just one of the 25 practices, it could indicate which athletes are ready to perform under the bright lights of Snapdragon Stadium.

With as much turnover as the team experienced since the end of last year, there is open competition for playing time at nearly every position. How that plays out over the next month will decide the team’s shape in 2024.

Here are the top 10 position battles to watch.

No. 10 Field Goal Kicker

At the beginning of the year, SDSU recruited a pair of kickers to compete with Gabriel Plascencia for the starting job and a scholarship. Plascencia won the competition and the full ride. As great of an offseason as he had, the kicking competition is still open.

Louisville transfer Nick Lopez is still with the program and will be pushing for the top spot in camp. Near the end of Spring Camp special teams coordinator Zac Barton said the kickers had been inconsistent, so there is still work to be done for Lewis to feel comfortable lining up for three points.

No. 9 Running Back

Marquez Cooper, the NCAA’s active leading rusher, joined the program this offseason to compete with a stable of running backs led by Kenan Christon and Jaylon Armstead. Those three will be pushed by Lucky Sutton, Cam Davis, and true freshman Cincere Rhaney.

In Cooper’s final two years under Lewis at Kent State in 2021 and 2022, he earned 241 and 285 carries, respectively. In 2021, his backups carried the ball 125 and 49 times. The following year, Cooper’s understudies only had 64 and 35 attempts.

Cooper said in June that this is the most talented room he’s ever been in. How the touches are distributed will be determined starting next week.

No. 8 Interior Offensive Line

University of North Dakota transfer Brayden Bryant has earned rave reviews at center. Teamed with guards Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli and Myles Murao, the trio could form an imposing interior for SDSU. The question is the health of the players surrounding Bryant. Murao and Ulugalu-Maseuli did not participate in Spring Camp while recovering from off-season surgeries.

LG Dean Abdullah and RG Tennesse State transfer Nico Green are listed second on the depth chart. Abdullah played in 12 games last year and made seven starts. He was solid but unspectacular in those appearances. Green started two contests while redshirting last season at his previous school.

No. 7 Linebacker

SDSU boasts a pair of all-conference linebackers in seniors Cody Moon and Kyle Moretti. Neither is listed as a starter. Instead, a pair of underclassmen, freshman Owen Chambliss and sophomore Tano Letuli, earned first-team distinction. Moon is listed behind Chambliss at “Will” LB. Moretti, who transferred from Central Michigan, is third string at “Mike” LB behind Letuli and junior DJ Herman.

Chambliss and Letuli (11) have 12 combined career tackles. Moretti (205) and Moon (204) have proven production over three seasons. Depending on two young athletes as SDSU transitions to a new defensive scheme could make the move to the 4-2-5 even more challenging. On the other hand, Chambliss and Letuli would have to be far ahead to push their elders to the bench.

No. 6 Cornerback

Chris Johnson has emerged as a leader at cornerback. Early in Spring Camp, his name was floated inside the program as a possible defensive representative at Mountain West Media Days. Johnson shined in a small reserve role last year, but his ability to lockdown one side of the field is an unknown.

In the offseason, SDSU brought in transfers Bryce Phillips and Bennett Walker to bolster the ranks. Phillips and Walker are seniors and are listed as the top options at right corner. A wild card in the competition is senior Jelani Whitmore. Listed second on the depth chart behind Johnson, Whitmore has the program’s most coveted attribute: speed.

The 4-2-5 succeeds by countering size with athleticism. Whitmore’s speed is more important in SDSU’s new system than in the 3-3-5.

No. 5 STUD

Deshawn McCuin is one of the faces of the program, which reflects the great work he has done in 2024. Though he boasts tremendous athletic ability, his production in games is limited. McCuin has yet to prove he can be the physical tackler SDSU will need their STUD defender to be. If McCuin cannot fill that role, Josh Hunter waits in the wings. Hunter was the Aztecs’ most consistent tackler in 2023.

The types of tackles the Aztecs need from their STUD will likely determine if McCuin or Hunter holds down the position. Ideally, the defense will get back to bottling up offensive players by taking better angles to the ball. Last year, the team failed to get that proper leverage, forcing more solo stops. Hunter is the better open-field tackler, and if leverage continues to be a weakness for the team, he could be forced into action.

No. 4 Left Tackle

Potentially, the most curious part of the depth chart was Joe Borjon’s ascension to first-team tackle. Borjon was brought in after spring from Arizona, where he was in the mix to start for the Wildcats. As Lewis’ quote above alluded to, most of the on-field workouts in the summer are done away from the coaches, so, interestingly, the staff saw enough from Borjon to elevate him over Christian Jones.

The staff might be using the depth chart to light a fire under Jones and unlock the aggressiveness in his game. Borjon is a marvel at his size and athleticism, but there are questions about why someone with his physical gifts has yet to make a significant impact. Whoever wins the QB battle will need protection from his blindside, making this competition one to watch.

No. 3 Tight End

Lewis’ offense hinges on the versatility of the tight ends. Jude Wolfe looks like an NFL player but has yet to make a serious impact in college due to injuries. Health and conditioning for a long season aside, there were moments in spring when Wolfe did not provide the physical presence needed for the position. With a healthy summer, his development will be fun to watch.

Mikey Harrison is a great college football story. A walk-on at Colorado, Harrison flourished in Lewis’ offense a year ago. After completing his undergraduate work in Boulder, Lewis gave him a scholarship to come to SDSU. Weight is Harrison’s biggest mark.

Logan Tanner is the third tight end. Weight is also a concern for him. He has been in the program for three years and is not pushing 250 yet. With his plus athleticism and hands, lack of bulk could prevent him from being the all-around player the position needs.

No. 2 EDGE

When SDSU named Eric Schmidt defensive coordinator in December, it switched to the 4-2-5 and carved out a new position on the team. At the time, only Dominic Oliver looked like a true EDGE. Through Spring Camp, Richmond transfer Marlem Louis and converted linebacker Trey White proved adept in the role. With Ryan Henderson and Brady Nassar lining up at Field EDGE, there was a need at Rush EDGE, and the Aztecs appeared to have found answers there.

They added Illinois transfer Jared Badie and Yale transfer Ezekiel Larry after spring. Larry competed as a Rush EDGE at Yale and looks poised to handle the step up in competition. Badie is intriguing because he could mark the beginning of a trend where athletes play different positions in the 4-2-5 than in a traditional defense. Badie played linebacker for the Fighting Illini. If Badie, Larry, Henderson, and Nassar could complement White, Louis, and Oliver, Schmidt could run out EDGE athletes in waves.

No. 1 Quarterback

One veteran Aztec said the demeanor inside the program resembles what the team had in 2021 when it went 12-2. Like that squad that finished the year in the Top 25, there is potential and depth at every position on the field but uncertainty at quarterback.

AJ Duffy is likely to start. He has the pedigree to star in 2024. Duffy is entering his athletic prime but failed to separate himself enough to win the role in spring. True freshman Danny O’Neil has been limited in summer workouts but is expected to be ready when Fall Camp rolls around. His progression in the offense, as he has grown accustomed to life in college, should have him prepared to push Duffy.

Duffy and O’Neil are listed as starters, but Kyle Crum and Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson are also in the mix. The 7-on-7 work in the offseason has been done outside the eye of the coaching staff, so the first few days of practice will reveal the progress made in understanding the offense and the chemistry built with the skill position players.

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.