San Diego State Signing Day Hub
San Diego State will be receiving several NLIs all morning for the 2017 football recruiting class. It should be a well rounded group filled with skill at positions all over the filled if everything goes as expected. Follow along this page for updates and analysis on the prospects that will reload the Aztecs personnel in the coming years.
ASR ability analysis: Luke will have a chance to step in right away and compete for playing time in the Aztecs front in need of playmakers off the edge. SDSU graduated Kyle Kelley and Alex Barrett and the staff is waiting to see if Randy Ricks (OLB) will get an extra year. Whether that happens or not is vital, but Luke provides some insurance in a pass rush because of his build, pursuit and awareness. He's very good at holding his ground against the run and getting wide to fill holes and make stops, but his hands, technique and awareness especially stand out. He's a fine-tuned end that Aztec fans will hear a lot about because he will be in on every play that heads toward his side of the field.
ASR ability analysis: Trevillion's a much needed playmaker that will help the wide receiver unit in need of pass catchers.
He has excellent acceleration and speed for his size and his burst translates very well in an offensive scheme that lulls a defense to sleep with runs before popping a big play action pass with a receiver running over the middle. A former QB in high school, Trevillion is also very adept at knowing how to attack a secondary with the ball in his hands to make the most out of every catch.
The former SDSU defensive back/athlete spent the past two years in junior college working his way back to San Diego and the process completed itself when he rejoined the program this spring.
ASR ability analysis: Mitchell's college career has been delayed a bit after originally signing with Air Force out of high school. He spent the fall looking for a program to transfer to, attended an SDSU game, then committed the next week after getting offered. Mitchell's a very strong end that can power through blocks and uses his length really well to effect the passing game. He's not as quick off the line as some, but he comes out of his stance very clean and with good technique.
Because SDSU signed a pass catching tight end this season to go along with Parker Houston from last year's class, there's a possibility that he could become a big bodied tight end in the future if Kyle Spalding eventually makes a move to the offensive line.
Mitchell has been on campus since the start of the semester and he will participate in spring ball. He will have four to play four.
ASR ability analysis: A very high upside project, Bagayoko is a Canadian transfer still fresh to American football but has all the makings of an athletic pulling guard or a right tackle in college. The 6-foot-5 prospect plays like a rugby player when he drives into defenders with violence and leg drive.
His technique is and will continue to be a work in progress as there are many instances on film where he relies on his body instead of extending his arms or takes an extra slow step to get out of his stance on rushing plays. Despite that, his feet are very quick once he slides around in pass protection or drives into a defender and those traits aren't discovered often in linemen at his size.
Bagayoko is already enrolled in school.
ASR ability analysis: Williams was one of the final commitments made in the class after visiting SDSU on its final recruiting weekend. He's the total package in terms of speed, elusiveness, strength, the ability to avoid contact and make plays as a pass catcher. He will likely be listed as a running back but he is expected to help the offense in a lot of different ways.
ASR ability analysis: Scouting QBs is and always will be a crapshoot. Physical traits can only take you so far and being able to run a college offense is not easy. That said, the lefty has legitimate arm stretch and can run the option.
He will need to improve on his ball placement accuracy and learn how to lead his receivers better in college but that is all coachable and can be learned with reps and improved timing with receivers. Roane will also need to get used to lining up under center and dropping back instead of lining up at shotgun.
ASR ability analysis: Gudino's a rock solid center with a great attitude and playing style that any offensive line coach would like to build their starting five around. He comes with prototypical size and knowledge/experience for the position and tremendous leadership skills for his age.
SDSU has not recruited a true center in recent years that has snapped the ball all throughout high school and has instead filled its roster with versatile guard/center type prospects. Gudino will stick at center throughout his career and play with a mean streak that will translate very well in the run game over time. His pass protection and footwork development will determine how early he receives playing time.
ASR ability analysis: Although it doesn't happen often, offensive linemen as explosive as Martinez are easy to identify on film as potential division one athletes. But having burst and playing with violence doesn't necessarily mean they will be four-year starters in college.
Martinez has a chance to get plenty of playing time because what sets him apart from the highlight reel linemen out there is that he plays with controlled madness, using balance, power and leg drive once he locks into a defender to take them out of plays. He's not a learner - he doesn't just lower his shoulder into blocks and instead fully extends his arms - and he gets to his assignment very, very fast. He reminds ASR of Antonio Rosales back in high school in terms of his burst off the line and his ability to finish off blocks. He will need to add weight and get experience in pass pro but he will continue the trend of SDSU having one of the best run games in the country during his stay.
It's also worth noting that SDSU flipped Martinez late down the stretch from MW rival Nevada.
ASR ability analysis: Brown has the full package and will enter college with an already strong frame. He's an extremely strong lineman and is capable of playing inside and stepping in for the Phillips/Hall duo when they graduate.
ASR ability analysis: While he does have the ability to a home run threat with the ball, Bell's best attribute may very well be his patience and vision. He's not concerned about sprinting to the line and into an offensive lineman's back and instead is fine with improvising until something opens up. He also follows his blocks well on stretch runs and lead plays, faking cuts in order to draw the defense into blocks so he can run around them for big gains.
ASR ability analysis: Irwin racked up huge stats as a senior and is one of the more underrated prospects of this class. He's very good at bull rushing and driving back blocks and reading the play in front of him and should only get better with size.
What will determine his playing time on the team will depend on how he adapts to the Aztecs scheme. Instead of beating blockers one-on-one like he did in high school, he will be tasked with completing stunts and twists very fast and reacting to the ball. Irwin excelled in a one dimensional role in high school but how he grows under Ernie Lawson - who's very big on developing a variety of pass rushing moves - will take time.
ASR's ability analysis: Richardson suffered a foot injury as a senior and his recruitment would have been much more competitive if that was not the case. SDSU was lucky enough to evaluate him prior to his season injury last spring where he proved that he was not just a speed guy.
To use a phrase often placed on quarterbacks, he can make all the catches. His film is outstanding when you key in on how he handles every pass, always using his hands and positioning himself in great spots to snatch it out of the air.
Whether he's stretching out to snag one on the sideline or reaching high and back across the middle, Richardson makes every catch look crisp. He very much should be considered a possession receiver despite his obvious traits like his height and speed which tend to bring labels like "speedy slot receiver" (which is a role he is capable of as well).
ASR ability analysis: One of the most important commits of the class was Hall because SDSU was in need of playmakers in the backend after graduating seniors Malik Smith and Damontae Kazee.
You might be wondering why two players at two completely different positions were brought up, but that's only because Hall could very well move around the secondary during his first and even second year in the program. His combination of quickness and physicalness translate very well as a press corner, but his ability to play off coverage and still close on the ball very fast can also do wonders at any of the three safety positions as well.
Hall's film resembles that of Kazee's highlights made in college, most notably the way he attacks screens and underneath throws before the receiver has a chance to look up after the catch. He hits very hard for his size and unlike many prospects you see at the G5 level, his pure athleticism is off the charts. Speed and technique will never be in question during his time at SDSU.
ASR ability analysis: Much like DJ Pumphrey during his high school years in Nevada, Dedeaux was relied on as a senior for his high school and was the go-to target every time they were in need of a first down or big play. The only difference was Dedeaux is a natural receiver who was utilized a lot as a tailback, which made him an even more dangerous opponent as a receiver.
He's very difficult to bring down in the open field because he keeps his feet moving like running backs are taught. He also certainly fits the mold of receivers in this class with great hands - every single pass play matters in an offense which calls them at a premium - but his yards-after-catch ability may be the best of the group. All it takes is one instant move after the catch to create some space and that's where Dedeaux turns into a running back. He has the ability to dance around in tight spaces to make hard cuts but he's most concerned about getting yardage.
ASR ability analysis: A signing day surprise in an otherwise boring (which is a great thing!) event, Salazar may very well me the most important offensive signee in 2017. SDSU had only three scholarship QBs in the fold heading into the fall and the lack of depth was obvious last preseason. It cannot be understated how noteworthy it is for a quarterback to flip commitments from a pass-happy program to a local school with a pro-style, run first scheme, let alone sign with another QB in the same class. But Salazar is now an Aztec, and should not go overlooked. He throws a beautiful deep ball, has great footwork in the pocket, can throw on the run and has all the makings of a potential starter in the offense. SDSU's needs of the class are now met barring any last minute flips to other programs.
ASR's ability analysis: Aleki is the type of edge rusher we've seen targeted by the staff in year's past but his addition to the defensive front certainly stands out because of his athleticism as a pass rusher. He has fantastic length and moves around very well for a 225-pounder, whether he lines up with his hand in the dirt or is in a standing position. His speed is what made him such a coveted prospect, though. Aleki identifies the run very quickly and can prep him self for the tackle in an instant and he can track down quarterbacks in minimal steps. His career may very well end up playing out similar to Alex Barrett.
ASR ability analysis: Like Bagayoko, Jemmott is a prospect that many staffs may overlook because of the small school and league he plays in. Despite little information about him online, SDSU sees potential in his skill set with the guidance of Mike Schmidt. Jemmott played on both sides of the ball but is a prototypical right tackle or guard because of his athleticism shown when run blocking. He's a difficult evaluation because of the competition he lines up against and shoves around the field, but there's a legitimate reason to believe he could be the steal of this class and all west coast programs will regret searching him out.
ASR ability analysis: A silent commit, Bessent visited SDSU in December and was kept under the radar since then. He's a converted basketball player that has great size and body control, making him a perfect fit as a left tackle depending on how he develops and learns SDSU's scheme. SDSU has developed its depth on the interior offensive line position over the past few years and a need for more tackles has been a pressing issue. Having Bessent join tackles like Tyler Roemer and Ryan Pope will sure things up on the left side moving forward.