One of the biggest question marks for the San Diego State football team last season was along the defensive line, where the Aztecs were young and inexperienced.
The D-line proved to be one of the team’s strengths, ing for most of the defense’s 32 sacks. The unit figures to be even more dominant this season, with six of the top eight linemen returning.
Two returning starters, junior edge Trey White (tied for fifth in the nation with 12 1/2 sacks) and junior defensive tackle Krishna Clay, lead the way.
SDSU coach Sean Lewis said some reserves have stepped up to challenge for starting spots.
“I really think (edges) Brady Nassar and Ryan Henderson have done a nice job coming on,” Lewis said Tuesday morning after the fifth of the team’s 15 spring practices. “Krishna Clay did a tremendous job changing his body through the first phase of winter conditioning. Sam Benjamin’s refinement of his technique has been good.”
Added to the mix are a pair of transfers, junior defensive tackle Malachi Finau (Hawaii) and graduate senior edge Niles King (Grand Valley State), who are expected to provide depth. Lewis said both Finau and King have shown “flashes” during drills and 1-on-1 work.
“You see their ability,” Lewis said. “You see the reason why we went and got them and the value that they can add.”
There remains work to do.
“When you start putting the ball down and playing real football,” Lewis said, “run, calls, communication as the formations are changing, you can tell there’s some processing there and the smoke coming out of the helmet a little bit, as opposed to the guys who have been around.”
Finau had three sacks among 19 tackles last season for Hawaii.
“I’m a Cali boy, and it definitely feels like home here,” said the 6-foot-2, 285-pound Finau, who grew up in Los Angeles and attended St. John Bosco High School. “I want to bring that dog mentality and energy everyday.”
Edge is the glamour position on the line these days, but Finau is fine with toiling at tackle.
“What people don’t see is the guys in the middle, they’re really in the trenches,” he said. “That’s where it goes down.”
King displayed some dominance at Grand Valley State, totaling 20 sacks and four forced fumbles over the past three seasons. Spring workouts are important for getting up to speed in his new environment.
“Every day is about learning the system and picking up tips and tricks from (White and others),” said King, a 6-5, 260-pound Michigan native. “Overall, I’m just trying to pick up stuff from them to become a better player.”
Opposing tackles are bigger and the speed of the game is faster at this level. It’s a significant step up in competition, but King welcomes the challenge.
“At the end of the day, football is football and it’s all about just adjusting to it,” he said. “I’m still adjusting. When I got here, it was a whole new defense, not similar to what I ran at my old school. That was definitely a big adjustment. But the first week is behind us now. I feel like I have the speed down and the concepts, so I’m starting to build on it now.”
Said Lewis: “There’s a higher caliber of play, so he’s being challenged each day a little bit more than where he was, which is only going to help him improve his craft and refine his skills. … There’s a little bit of a jump, but his mindset is right.”
Some standouts
The Aztecs completed the first week of spring practice Saturday with some live work. It was the first day in pads.
Lewis said one of Saturday’s highlights was senior cornerback Chris Johnson returning an interception for a touchdown.
“He’s been really good in coverage,” Lewis said. “He did a front flip going into the end zone, which would have been called back for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Now’s the time to do that.”
Lewis said sophomore wide receiver Jerry McClure, a Mater Dei High School graduate who transferred last year form UCLA, and senior offensive lineman Christian Jones impressed him during the first week of workouts. McClure appeared in three games last season, but did not have a reception. The 6-8, 330-pound Jones is a three-year starter at left tackle.
Lewis on McClure: “He has had a really productive first five days. He was a guy who a year ago was just getting in here. Again, familiarity of the system, understanding all that is encomed in this style of play. He’s had some really impactful moments for the offense and special teams. I’ve been really pleased with his effort.”
On Jones: “He has had a really good five days, too. His pad level. His aggressive nature. His confidence in the strength he’s added and just, again, processing the pictures that he’s seeing and applying the techniques and the skills that Coach (Mike) Schmidt has given him.”
Quarterback competition
As expected, junior transfers Jayden Denegal (Michigan) and Bert Emanuel Jr. (Central Michigan) have been most impressive in the competition for starting quarterback.
“Each day the installation has been relatively heavy,” Lewis said. “They’re both processing it really well. As we start playing with the presnap complexity, there’s some layers they have to process through. There’s been flashes for both Bert and Jayden. …
“Both of them have a real good feel for pocket presence. It’s a real natural poise. That’s probably because of the number of college reps they’ve played and had. Neither one of them panic if things start to break down around them.”
