The San Diego State Aztecs are just more than a month away from the start of one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons in school history. They’re officially part of the rebuilt Pac-12 Conference and are looking to build on last year’s breakout 9-4 performance.
Entering his third season, coach Sean Lewis will direct a squad that has some big holes to fill as it looks to make a strong impression in the Pac-12, which also includes fellow former Mountain West foes Fresno State, Utah State, Colorado State and Boise State.
The Aztecs, picked by most prognosticators to finish second behind BSU, also will face fellow newcomer Texas State and holdovers Oregon State and Washington State in the race for the championship.
First, though, the Aztecs need to answer these big questions during camp, which starts on Aug. 5.
1. Who will be the new sackmaster?
Two seasons ago, EDGE Trey White had 12 ½ sacks to tie for fifth in the country. His production fell off to seven last year — tied with Ryan Henderson — but his two-year total was good enough to earn a reported $1.5 million deal from Texas Tech.
The race for a new sackmaster is on, in a big way. The D-line was savaged by departures via the transfer portal and graduation. Overall, the defense, which gave SDSU its hard-nosed identity last year and came up with three shutouts, has lost players who accounted for 31 of 32 sacks.
The only player on the roster who had a sack last year, Amari Cormier, with one, is back. He started the final four games, including the New Mexico Bowl.
Fellow tackle Malachi Finau is back, as is EDGE Brady Nassar.
An early contender to be the new sackmaster is EDGE Kai Wallin, who transferred from new Pac-12 rival Oregon State.
California’s Brandon High Jr. breaks the tackle from Oregon State’s Kai Wallin during an NCAA football game at Reser Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Corvallis, Ore. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
2. Who will step up along the offensive front?
There’s a pretty good reason why Lucky Sutton rushed for a career-high 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns, which earned him a spot on the All-Mountain West first team. He was running behind a solid line that included left tackle Christian Jones, center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli — who also was first team All-MW — and right guard Bayo Kannike, a trio that started every game.
All three are gone, leaving Joe Borjon and Kalan Ellis as returning starters.
Borjon is moving from right tackle to left tackle, which is also important for protecting quarterback Jayden Denegal’s blind side. Athlon Sports placed Borjon on its All-Pac-12 first team, along with Sutton. Borjon will no doubt be stoked to play his final season with his younger brother, Brian, as a teammate. Brian Borjon is a freshman offensive lineman.
Ellis started the entire season at left guard but had shoulder surgery at the end of the season. He could play right guard this season.
The Aztecs turned to the transfer portal to sign Evan Lawrence, who is slated to play left guard after playing in seven games for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers. They also brought in Dennis Jones from Texas Southern, who could play right tackle.
It’ll be an interesting fall camp as the coaching staff puts the pieces together. They’ll have four non-conference games, including tilts at UCLA and a home game against James Madison, a 2025 College Football Playoff participant, to prep for the Pac-12 slate that begins with a home game against Texas State on Oct. 3.
3. Can Jayden Denegal improve his passing numbers?
Senegal knows what he needs to do in his second season as starter — be more efficient.
He wants to double the 1,807 yards he had last season and knows he needs to drastically improve on his touchdown-to-turnover ratio. Last year, it was nine touchdowns to eight interceptions.
Denegal dealt with shoulder injuries all season, starting when he hurt his non-throwing left shoulder on the fourth play of the season opener. He revealed after the season that he had been dealing with increasing fatigue in his right shoulder, which affected his practice time. He had surgery on his left shoulder a few days before the New Mexico Bowl so that he’d be full-go for spring drills.
One factor that could help Denegal get off to a fast start is that he comes in as the incumbent starter. Last year, he was named starter over Bert Emanuel Jr. after 13 camp practices. Emanuel has moved to wide receiver to capitalize on his talents.
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