ENTIRELY NEW SECONDARY MAY BE NEEDED
San Diego State’s defensive secondary was perhaps the deepest position group — and certainly most experienced — on the team this season.
But the Aztecs could be auditioning for five new starters in the spring.
In recent days, three starters — junior cornerback Darren Hall and senior safeties Tariq Thompson and Dwayne Johnson Jr. — declared on social media for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Two other senior starters — cornerback Tayler Hawkins and safety Trenton Thompson — also could be gone.
The NCAA has extended an extra year of eligibility to players amid the COVID-19 crisis, so Hawkins and Thompson could potentially return. Their 2021 plans have not yet been made public.
Hall and Tariq Thompson were both first-team allMountain West selections. Thompson distinguished himself as the first player in school history to receive postseason honors four straight seasons.
Both players have been invited to next month’s Hula Bowl, scheduled for Jan. 31 in Honolulu.
Hall led the Aztecs with three of the defense’s eight interceptions and six pass breakups. He returned an interception at Colorado for a 57-yard touchdown.
Tariq Thompson led the Aztecs in tackles (41) and had an interception and fumble recovery.
Johnson was second on the team in tackles (39) and also had three pass breakups.
There is experience returning in the secondary with sophomore cornerbacks Cedarius Barfield and Dallas Branch and redshirt freshman Noah Tumblin, as well as sophomore safeties Allan Mwata and Patrick McMorris and redshirt freshman Kyron White, among others.
Junior Rashad Scott, a candidate to start, suffered a serious knee injury in midseason that makes his availability uncertain in the com
ing season.
Prep punter/kicker commits
SDSU has added another player to its 2021 recruiting class with the verbal commitment of Collyn Hopkins, a punter/kicker from Illinois’ Bradley-Bourbonnais High.
Hopkins’ 2020 high school season was wiped out by the coronavirus, so SDSU was primarily able to track his progress through na
tional kicking camps.
He has received top-10 national rankings from several camps and recruiting services.
Hopkins plans to enroll at SDSU for the 2021 spring semester and, he said, be on scholarship come the fall semester.
SDSU returns placekicker Matt Araiza, although the Aztecs need to replace senior punter Tanner Kuljian, who was a second-team all-Mountain West selection this season.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Hopkins expects to compete for the starting punter position, perhaps kickoff duties and serve as the backup to Araiza in the place-kicking role.
Hopkins had offers from more than a dozen schools, most notably Boston College, Kansas, Dartmouth and Cornell.
“I chose SDSU for a few reasons,” Hopkins said in a direct message, noting conversations with special teams coach Doug Deakin and head coach Brady Hoke. “SDSU is a very dominant program in the Mountain West. I would love to be part of conference championships and bowl games.
“And who wouldn’t want to go to a great school in San Diego. I am born and raised in Illinois. I look forward to being able to train outside all year round.”
The Aztecs signed 23 players during the NCAA’s early signing window two weeks ago.
In the transfer portal
SDSU has had three players enter the transfer portal since the season ended — redshirt freshman linebacker Jeff Blake, redshirt sophomore running back Zidane Thomas and redshirt freshman tight end Charlie Rogers.
Blake played in three games on special teams in 2019 before redshirting. He couldn’t find a spot on the depth chart at linebacker this year.
Thomas rushed for more than 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Arizona’s Centennial High, but never earned a place in SDSU’s crowded backfield. He carried just five times over the 2018-19 seasons and did not play in 2020.
Rogers came into the season listed at fullback, but was moved when the position was de-emphasized in the offense.
At tight end, he was buried on the depth chart and did not play.