June 17, 2016
SAN DIEGO -
2016 SDSU FOOTBALL PRESEASON ACCOLADES
San Diego State seniors Donnel Pumphrey (Las Vegas) and Calvin Munson (St. Charles, Mo.) have been named Mountain West preseason players of the year by ESPN College Football 2016, the magazine recently announced. Pumphrey was selected as the league's offensive player of the year, while Munson was chosen on the defensive side.
Pumphrey and Munson were joined on the preseason all-MW team by fellow seniors Alex Barrett (Mesa, Ariz.), Damontae Kazee (San Bernardino, Calif.) and Nico Siragusa (Chula Vista, Calif.), and junior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.). There was only one preseason all-league team in this year's magazine. The five seniors (Barrett, Kazee, Munson, Pumphrey and Siragusa) are now on the preseason all-MW first team in four publications (ESPN College Football, Sporting News, Athlon Sports and Lindy's Sports).
The magazine also projected the Aztecs as the West Division winners, but falling to Boise State in the MW Championship game.
SDSU is coming off an 11-3 season where it tied a school record for the most wins in a single year, finished with a 10-game winning streak (second-longest active FBS streak heading into 2016), won the MW title (20th conference title in program history) and beat Cincinnati, 42-7, in the Hawai'i Bowl.
Last year, Pumphrey rushed for 1,653 yards and 17 touchdowns on 309 attempts (5.3 avg.), while leading the team with 28 catches for 416 yards and three touchdowns en route to being named a Sports Illustrated Honorable-Mention All-American, the MW Offensive Player of the Year and an all-MW first-team selection for a second straight season. Last month, he was named the MW Offensive Player of the Year by Lindy's Sports as well.
Munson led San Diego State in multiple categories in 2015, including tackles (98), tackles for loss (15), sacks (9.5) and fumble recoveries (2, tied), while adding two interceptions (both returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and seven quarterback hurries. Munson backed a defense that finished among the top 10 in FBS in each of the four main categories, including fifth in total (287.3), seventh in scoring (16.4) and rushing (108.7), and 10th in passing (178.6).
Barrett came up with 62 tackles a year ago with 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and seven quarterback hurries. Barrett was also a first-team all-MW pick last year.
Kazee had eight interceptions in 2015, which tied for the second most in the nation, the most in SDSU's Division I era (since 1969) and in MW history. He also added 75 tackles (team-high 58 solo stops), seven pass breakups, 5.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, eventually being named a second-team USA Today All-American, a honorable-mention Sports Illustrated All-American, the MW Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-MW pick.
Siragusa, meanwhile, anchored an offensive line that helped the Aztecs rush for a school-record 3,226 yards and have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers for the first time in program history (Pumphrey and Chase Price). He was also a first-team all-MW selection by the league's media and coaches last year.
Penny returned 24 kicks last year for 804 yards (33.5 avg.) and three touchdowns. He was one of five players in FBS play to have at least three kick return touchdowns, ranking second in the nation in kick return average (33.5) and being named the MW Special Teams Player of the Year. He also added 368 rushing yards and four scores on 61 attempts (6.0 avg.) and eight catches for 120 yards (15.0 avg.) and another score. Earlier this month, Penny was named a preseason second-team All-American by Athlon Sports as a kick returner.
San Diego State kicks off the 2016 campaign at Qualcomm Stadium against New Hampshire on Sept. 3.
SDSU season tickets are now available and can be purchased through GoAztecs.com, over the phone by calling (619) 283-7378, or by visiting Qualcomm Stadium's Window E between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT.
ESPN College Football 2016 Magazine
National Ranking
60th (FPI)
Predicted League Finish
Second
Predicted West Division Finish
First
2016 Preseason Mountain West Team
(SDSU athletes listed only)
First Team (One Team Only)
RB - Donnel Pumphrey, Sr.
OL - Nico Siragusa, Sr.
DL - Alex Barrett, Sr.
LB - Calvin Munson, Sr.
DB - Damontae Kazee, Sr.
KR - Rashaad Penny, Jr.