Vacation Musings

My family and I recently returned from a summer respite in the Eastern Sierras, a place John Muir famously described as his favorite.

Photo byDon De Mars/ EVT Sports

Between kayaking on Mammoth Lakes, catching trout at Big Pine Creek, and enjoying too many pastries at Erick Schat's Bakery, it was a trip that ranks among my personal favorites.

Among the best parts of camping is how the passage of time changes without access to clocks or the demands of daily routines. The SDSU football events that occurred during the vacation, such as Mountain West Media Day and the depth chart reveal, may lack timeliness at sea level, but they are the perfect topics for those who have just left the mountains.

Media Day

Jude Wolfe and Deshawn McCuin represented the Aztecs at the Mountain West Media Days on July 10-11. Their selection as the program's face was interesting because the duo has made two starts in total for the Red and Black.

The combination of unlimited transfers and no cap on the number of players a program can bring in has led to a remake of the Aztecs’ 2024 roster. Despite what occurred this year, head coach Sean Lewis continues to emphasize development and building from the high school ranks. Future seasons will reveal if Lewis’ aims are realized.

For now, SDSU, like most schools around the country, wants fans to be more loyal to the university than the athletes on the field. Asking Aztec Nation to gravitate to Wolfe and McCuin, two athletes they have no history with, instead of someone like WR Mehki Shaw is another sign of the changing landscape in college athletics.

Eighth Place

At the start of Media Day, the Mountain West released its preseason poll and predicted a tough year for the Aztecs in Lewis' first season.

SDSU received the eighth-most points in the poll, seven spots behind preseason favorite Boise State. The low expectations reflect the uncertainty surrounding the program.

In addition to the roster, Lewis completely revamped the team’s systems, replacing the coordinators in all three phases. Coming off a 4-8 season with so many new faces, the voters did not give SDSU the benefit of the doubt that they could replace key departures.

Slightly more surprising than its standing in the eyes of the Mountain West community was SDSU's failure to land a single player on the preseason all-conference team. The uncertainty surrounding the team likely contributed here as well. Most of the athletes on the MW’s list were all-conference selections last year.

RB Marquez Cooper, who has rushed for 1,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, was probably the biggest snub. Cooper has been placed the most on various preseason publications.

Depth Chart

As they do every year, SDSU released its most up-to-date depth chart. There was a lot to analyze.

• QB is still an open competition. AJ Duffy is the favorite, but every scholarship athlete has a chance.
• Joe Borjon landing above Christian Jones without competing at an official practice is noteworthy and shows more movement on the depth chart during summer than the previous staff.
• If Myles Murao and Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli can return to form, the interior of SDSU’s line could be a strength. Brayden Bryant has impressed at center.
• Jordan Napier came to SDSU as a safety but is in the two-deep at slot receiver. His size and speed from that position are tantalizing.
• Trey White profiled as a Field EDGE but was listed as a Rush EDGE. All eyes will be on Jared Baddie or Ezekiel Larry in camp.
• Darrion Dalton, as the first-team 3-Technique, shows he has progressed, and the team likes his explosiveness.
• Tupu Alualu as a Nose DL makes sense, given the lack of an alternative. This position will be the hardest for SDSU to fill each year. Alualu’s athleticism should allow a lot of stunting.
• If SDSU has tackling issues like they did in 2023, Josh Hunter might take over as the STUD. He was the Aztecs' best tackler last year.
• The collection of STUD players offers a lot of versatility. McCuin and Hunter are hybrid players, Tayvion Beasley is a nickel corner. Jatavious Magee is a tackling safety in the mold of the former “Aztec” position.
• Has the Eric Butler era finally started at SDSU? With the number of transfers listed first on the depth chart, his place above UCLA transfer William Nimmo stands out.
• Mekhi Shaw, listed first at outside receiver and as a punter returner, is significant. Shaw’s consistency and deceptive athleticism mixed with the up-tempo offense should give him the stats to be an all-conference player by the end of the year.

Has anyone had a better offseason than Gabriel Plascencia?

Gabriel Plascencia began the offseason as the lone holdover in the field goal kicker competition. In spring camp, he narrowly won his first-place position on the depth chart and the scholarship that came with it.

Last week, Sons of Montezuma announced an apparel NIL deal with Plascencia. The custom-made gear includes t-shirts, hats, a can cooler, stickers, and posters. Moving from a walk-on to a scholarship athlete and now having an NIL deal, has anyone had a better off-season?

Fans interested in supporting Plascencia can do so here.