SAN DIEGO -- When the San Diego State football team hosted a launch party for the new EA Sports College Football 25 game July 19, it was a celebration of the newest edition of an old favorite.
It will feel much the same on the field in a matter of weeks, as San Diego State football embarks on the new AztecFAST era under first-year coach Sean Lewis and a completely remade program.
Later in the fall that same quick turnaround will be found on the hardwood of Viejas Arena, where coach Brian Dutcher and the men’s basketball team will be incorporating seven new players.
In an era where changes to the structure and rules surrounding NCAA athletics have come increasingly rapidly, the Scarlet and Black have been doing their part to keep up to pace.
Football revs up
It’s more than the 55 players listed as either newcomers or previously redshirted freshman on the depth chart released ahead of football’s fall practices.
The shifts for SDSU under Lewis have been a re-imagining of what the program can and will be.
After qualifying for bowls in 12 of the last 13 full seasons with a run-focused offense that at times felt more Playstation 2 than PS5, the Aztecs will be ramping up the pace. During his first head coaching stop at Kent State, Lewis guided the Flashes offense to finishing in the top 10 nationally in plays-per-game twice and in the top 25 in the stat four times in his six seasons at the helm.
The only returning starters on offense are running back Keenan Christon, wide receiver Mekhi Shaw, and linemen Miles Murao, Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli and Christian Jones. The quarterback room has just two returners, while there are six new wide outs alone with five new tight ends. Nine of the 14 linemen listed on the depth chart are new.
Gone is the 3-3-5 base defense that employed an "Aztec" third safety and in its place is a 4-2-5 base, which makes use of a 'Nickel' or 'STUD'. The unit returns just three starters from last season, with 2023 leading tackler Cody Moon and Josh Hunter the starters amongst nine of the returning linebackers.
Nose DL Tupu Alu Alualu is the lone starter among eight returners on the defensive front to go with seven newcomers.
The secondary has no returning starters, with 10 new of the 18 defensive backs listed on the depth chart.
After missing a bowl for the first time in a full season since 2009 and with coach Brady Hoke retiring, it was the perfect time to shift gears. With the second-ranked recruiting class in the Mountain West by On3, the program is just starting to hit the accelerator.
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher smiles as he talks with broadcasters during practice in preparation for their East semifinal game against Connecticut at TD Garden.
Quick study for hoops
One constant during the Aztecs’ run to the National Championship game in 2023 and last year’s Sweet 16 appearance was a roster packed with experience.
As Dutcher heads into his eighth year as the bench boss on the Mesa, he does so with a roster that he’s had to quickly add experience to from the portal. With only five players returning who appeared in ten or more games last season, it’s been about incorporating the new squad members of four senior transfers and four freshmen (three incoming, one redshirt).
It means third-year sophomore Miles Byrd and junior Demarshay Johnson Jr. are the two longest tenured players on the team. Senior Reese Waters, sophomores Miles Heide, BJ Davis are the only other players who appeared in ten or more games last year, as freshman Magoon Gwath redshirted with an injury.
The last time SDSU had this kind of year-to-year roster turnover was in 2021-22, when the team had to replace five of their top six minute men from the team that started the current four-year streak of March Madness appearances.
So while the freer portal has made an impact — seeing the likes of Lamont Butler, Micah Parrish and Elijah Saunders head out — this kind of turnover isn’t new. Even the coaching staff saw changes, with former 15-year UC Irvine assistant Ryan Badrtalei joining the Scarlet and Black bench after Chris Acker accepted the head coaching job at Long Beach State.
While there will be bumps along the way, history shows that once the Aztecs get up to speed they will be competing near the top of the Mountain West Conference and looking to continue the standard of success set by Steve Fisher.
Game on
As football and men’s basketball have changed “on the fly,” several other fall programs like defending regular season Mountain West champion women’s soccer and the men's soccer team — newly moved to the Western Athletic Conference — will feature a host of familiar returning faces.
The off season for college athletics has been plenty fast paced, both for the Aztecs and at the national level.
It’s only a matter of weeks until the game action moves from video game consoles to the fields and courts on the Mesa.