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August 13, 2018: Aztecs Fall Camp Weekly Update
The Aztecs spend the next 16 days readying themselves to play No. 13- ranked Stanford in their season opener. Here’s the latest news. . .
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Find out what’s going on in fall camp and other news about Aztecs football.
Saturday Night Scrimmage
NCAA football has been adjusted nationwide to limit excessive player contact. Despite it, the Aztecs got down to business Saturday in a smash mouth scrimmage where newcomers had their mettle tested and seasoned players did not relent.
Coach Rocky Long: “It was to get them back in the swing of things of what football is all about. It’s about hitting and collisions and aggressiveness, without losing their cool, which they did in one drill.”
Highlights:
Backup running back Chase Jasmin made a 30-yard gain down the left side, and third-string running back Kaegun Williams ran for a 20-yard gain.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Mark Salazar and true freshman quarterback Carson Baker ran with the third- and fourth-string units late in the scrimmage. Salazar was intercepted twice on long passes, the first by Luq Barcoo en route to receiver BJ Busbee. The second when junior cornerback Nolen Harris nabbed an under-thrown spiral.
“They have to make quicker decisions,” said Long. “They’ve got strong enough arms. They’ve just got to throw it on time.”
Backup fullback Chad Woolsey is has been outfitted with a club to protect a broken right hand that occurred during summer.
Four freshmen with a chance to play immediately include: wide receivers Kobe Smith and Elijah Kothe, defensive lineman Keshawn Banks and safety Rashad Scott.
Freshman kicker/punter Matt Araiza has a big leg on punts.
Aztecs visit Miramar MCAS
Limited Senior Class in 2019
SDSU’s 2019 recruiting class is going to be small.
“If we don’t lose anybody along the way, it’s going to be very few,” SDSU head coach Rocky Long said. “I’m predicting 14 or 15.” That’s far below the average 25 players SDSU signs each year.
The reason for this situation is simple: SDSU has a very small senior class, so there’s not going to be many scholarships available.
13 seniors are listed on the fall roster (which currently numbers 110 players). Only nine are on scholarship. The Aztecs are two scholarships under their 85 limit. Add a few slots for attrition and you reach 14-15 for the Class of 2019.
“It’s not concerning at all,” Long said. “As long as you have 85 able bodies on scholarship, you’re in pretty good shape. It’s not going to affect the depth whatsoever.”
The Aztecs find themselves in this position because the ’14 class included a significant number of players who took the field as true freshmen. Over the past three years, SDSU played an average of four true freshmen each season.
In 2014, eight true freshmen took the field. Included: running back Rashaad Penny (mostly special teams), fullback Nick Bawden (as quarterback), wide receiver Mikah Holder and defensive back Kameron Kelly.
The only remaining players from the 2014 class are place-kicker John Baron II, quarterback Christian Chapman, defensive tackle Noble Hall and wide receiver Fred Trevillion, who originally signed as a defensive back and went to junior college for a season before returning last year as a wide receiver.
Stay tuned for weekly Aztecs fall camp updates.
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