The San Diego State football program is taking its show on the road this weekend, visiting Corona’s Centennial High School for a spring scrimmage.
The two-hour workout is Saturday at 1 p.m., and is open to the public.
“It’s an opportunity to take our brand on the road,” SDSU coach Sean Lewis said. “Kind of go through and train the guys on what it’s like to go away from home, which is what we’re going to do numerous times this year. We want to train the guys the right way in that regard.
“It gives the opportunity for us to bring our whole operation to an area that has been really, really good to us over the longevity of the program here and some of our key players being from the Inland Empire.”
SDSU’s 2025 roster includes nearly a dozen players from the Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Four players will feel right at home at Centennial. Senior safety Eric Butler, sophomore linebacker Owen Chambliss, redshirt freshman cornerback Tayten Beyer and true freshman offensive lineman Ikbahi Kassim all are Centennial graduates. In fact, Kassim just graduated from Centennial over the winter in order to enroll at SDSU this semester and participate in spring football.
Junior transfer quarterback Jayden Denegal also is from the area. He graduated from Apple Valley High School, two hours north of SDSU.
SDSU has taken its practices off campus on several occasions over the past two decades, visiting various local high schools like Helix, Mission Hills, Torrey Pines and Vista. The Aztecs also have practiced at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and MCAS Miramar.
This is their first time going outside the county to practice.
Lewis said it’s a chance “to get up there for some ers who are in the area and some prospects who are in the area.”
“We’re bringing the show to them, so they can see, feel and experience what our culture is all about and how we go about a work day,” Lewis said. “I thought it was right to do it right now and I’m excited about all that is going to happen on Saturday.”
Notable
• SDSU’s offensive line was depleted by injuries and transfers last season. The numbers have been beefed up this spring, with 15 players in the position group. The O-line won’t be at full strength until the summer, however.
Sophomore Joe Borjon, redshirt freshman Kai Holec and junior Cam May continue to recover form injuries. Borjon continues to progress from surgery to repair torn ligaments suffered in the 2024 season opener, but won’t be ready for until summer camp. Holec also has been sidelined by a knee injury. May has been on crutches with his right foot in a boot following recent surgery.
Lewis said May, a recent transfer from Howard University, “will be limited and out for the majority of spring ball. We’ll get him rocking and rolling this summer.”
Borjon was starting at left tackle when he was injured last season. Running with the first team earlier this week in practice from tackle to tackle were senior Christian Jones, senior transfer Dallas Fincher (Michigan State), senior Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli, senior Tyler McMahon and senior transfer Bayo Kannike (Utah Tech).
• Junior transfer running back Christian Washington (Coastal Carolina) also has been sidelined with an unspecified injury, leaving the Aztecs with only senior Cam Davis, junior Lucky Sutton and redshirt freshman Cincere Rhaney in the backfield.
“(Washington) was kind of nagged with a little bit of an injury in the winter conditioning period that’s kind of held him back just a touch,” Lewis said. “When he’s good to go, we’ll get him up and rolling.”
• SDSU hosts its annual Pro Day on Friday morning.
Eleven former Aztecs are scheduled to participate in on-field drills after being tested in the weight room. The list: defensive lineman Tupu Alualu, wide receiver Nate Bennett, running back Marquez Cooper, tight ends Michael Harrison and Jude Wolfe, kicker Nicolas Lopez, linebackers Kyle Moretti and Cody Moon, punter Tyler Pastula, offensive lineman Nate Williams and long snapper Ryan Wintermeyer.
Seven players from the University of San Diego will be included in the workout: defensive backs Matt Ballenstine, Eric Haney and Nick Murray, linebacker Chase Lyons, wide receivers Re-al Mitchell and Ja’Seem Reed and quarterback Grant Sergent. Claremont McKenna running back Justin Edwards also will participate.
About half of the NFL’s 32 teams are expected to be represented, with the turnout lower than in recent years because no SDSU players are projected to be chosen during the three-day draft’s seven rounds. No Aztecs have been taken in the past two NFL drafts, although the program has had dozens of players sign as undrafted free agents in recent years.
