San Diego State senior Cam Davis began spring practice in early March as SDSU’s top returning running back.
Things changed dramatically over the next six weeks, so much so that on Wednesday Davis announced that he had entered the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer.
“San Diego State has meant the world to mean these past four years,” Davis tweeted. “I’m grateful for the and opportunities I’ve had so far, and I’ll carry those lessons and memories with me as I take this next step in my journey.”
SDSU sophomore linebacker Jake Sinz, who did not appear in any games the past two seasons, also announced Wednesday that he had entered the portal. In addition, 247Sports.com listed senior walk-on wide receiver Brian Pierce as entering the portal. That raises to 11 the number of Aztecs who are transferring. Six of them are redshirt freshmen who did not figure on the two-deep this season.
Davis was the backup running back last season to starter Marquez Cooper. It didn’t mean a lot of carries. Davis rushed only 14 times for 76 yards.
But with Cooper out of eligibility, it did bode well for Davis to have a more prominent role in 2025.
And, in fact, Davis took the field with the first team when SDSU scrimmaged two weeks into camp at Corona’s Centennial High School, rushing for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play.
By the time camp concluded, however, Davis had slipped to third string behind junior Lucky Sutton and junior transfer Christian Washington.
Apparently, the 5-foot-8 Dallas native didn’t welcome the prospect of another season — his last one — without many touches.
The departure of Davis leaves the Aztecs with three running backs on the current roster: Sutton, Washington and redshirt freshman Cincere Rhaney. They will be ed in the summer by freshman Jordin Thomas from Tracy Lincoln High School.
SDSU coach Sean Lewis said recently that he had not planned to target a running back in the portal, given the Aztecs’ offense is no longer as run-focused as it was over the previous decade-plus.
“Whereas in the past,” Lewis said during camp, “I think our fan base was accustomed to a different style of play where you needed more backs on scholarship. Our style of play doesn’t warrant that.”
Committing fewer scholarships at running back enables the Aztecs, Lewis said, to “have a good scholarship allocation or distribution to all the positions that we need to have the competitive depth on both sides of the ball.”
It remains to be seen whether Davis’ departure changes that calculus.
The portal is open through Friday, at which point the discussion pivots from who’s going to who’s coming.
The Aztecs are specifically looking for offensive and defensive linemen as well as a playmaking wide receiver. They also will look for players in general who can help the program.
