By admin 
San Diego State is a week into preseason camp.
Tuesday morning’s workout brought a welcome diversion from drills, when SDSU players and coaches moved from the turf to the grass practice field and actually played some football.
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The Aztecs scrimmaged for perhaps four dozen plays, with an officiating crew present to create some semblance of game-like conditions.
“There’s only so many opportunities that you have to live block, live tackle,” SDSU coach Sean Lewis said. “So the refs were here, working basic mechanics, treating it like a game, see who can get the ball to the ground, see who can make guys miss, see who can, when it’s real ball, be able to remember their name, remember the call, remember the communication and not lose sight of their job in the midst of all that.
“We’re trying to create as game-like an environment as possible in as safe a way as possible … Football players are here to football, so any day that you get to play live football is a lot of fun.”
Lewis said a defense that is searching for eight new starters was “flying around.”
He noted the efforts of three transfers on the defensive line: junior Gavriel Lightfoot and seniors Djibril Rahman and Kai Wallin. The inclusion of Wallin was particularly significant since the Oregon State transfer missed most of spring ball with a hand injury.
The D-line is a position of interest since the Aztecs lost players who accounted for 28 of the team’s 32 sacks last season.
Lewis also mentioned the efforts of senior safety Josiah Cox, a Lincoln High School graduate who transferred from New Mexico State.
“It, obviously, suits him and his game in those settings to be physical, put the ball on the ground,” Lewis said.
SDSU lost nine of its top 10 tacklers from last season. Cox (23 tackles) is the team’s second-leading returning tackler behind linebacker Tano Letuli (30).
Lewis said two freshmen who have had an impressive early start to camp are safety Tainoa Lave and wide receiver Derek Stevenson, who made some plays “down range.”
Starting quarterback Jayden Denegal “had good command on the day as well,” Lewis said. “His process was really good.”
Senior wide receiver Jacob Bostick was a practice observer, as he has been the past couple of days. Asked if Bostick had a setback in his return from ACL surgery, Lewis said the receiver was getting “some veteran days here and there.”
“Obviously, he’s got a little bit of a history, so we’re trying to be smart and manage the talent appropriately,” Lewis said.
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Bostick was SDSU’s third-leading receiver in catches (11) and yardage (157) with a team-high three receiving touchdowns when he suffered a non-contact practice injury six games into the season.
Coach Fish visits
Former SDSU basketball coach Steve Fisher spoke to the team on Monday, offering players a glimpse of what winning and success look like.
“Different sports, some would say different eras,” Lewis said, “but there is wisdom that is cross-generational that we want to get to the guys and present and package it in a different way.”
Fisher won the 1989 national championship at Michigan. A decade later, he came to SDSU and turned around one of the nation’s worst programs. He guided the Aztecs to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, setting the foundation for assistant Brian Dutcher to take the program to even greater heights.
“You have a legend like Coach Fisher who is so great with his time,” Lewis said. “A guy that stands up there who has won a national championship, been an NBA coach, built a dynasty here that continues to sustain itself, and he is a man of great character. … When you have those people around, I’d be foolish not to put them in front of them.”
Movie night
Monday also included movie night in an auditorium at Peterson Gym, where the team screened “300,” the fictionalized historical action film based on the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.
Lewis said it was an opportunity to develop camaraderie and fellowship off the field, with “some hot dogs, some popcorn, some nachos, some candy, a couple smoothies, to watch a great movie from start to finish.”
The film follows a group of 300 Spartan warriors facing overwhelming odds.
“You talk about a group of individuals in history who competed and fought and strained for something bigger than themselves, that ultimately led to the preservation of society as we know it,” Lewis said, “that’s a pretty good message for the boys to understand.”
Added Lewis: “When there’s a lot that’s made about the greed that’s out there, we want guys that are high character that are willing to play for one another and not just with one another.”
Coming up
Thursday: SDSU general manager Caleb Davis and associate GM Sam Popper will talk SDSU football during a free fan event at Home & Away restaurant, 2222 San Diego Ave. The talk starts at 6 p.m.
Saturday: SDSU will hold a 5:30 p.m. public scrimmage at Snapdragon Stadium. Parking and admission are free, but fans need to secure a ticket at am.ticketmaster.com/sdsu/buy/FirstSaturday.
Aug. 27: SDSU’s annual football kickoff event will be held aboard the USS Midway. The program starts at 6 p.m., with SDSU AD John David Wicker, Lewis and other staff members among the scheduled speakers. Tickets are $120 and include a meal and two drink tickets. Email [email protected] for more information.
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This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 5:47 PM.