COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four San Diego State football players were named to the 2020 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced Wednesday. All four selections - sophomore Cameron Thomas (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad High), junior Keshawn Banks (Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho High), senior Tariq Thompson (San Diego/St. Augustine High) and junior Darren Hall (Pasadena, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga High) - were on the defensive side of the ball, SDSU's most on defense in the history of the league (since 1999).
The four preseason all-MW picks are four of the eight starters returning for an Aztec defensive unit that led the conference and ranked second in FBS in scoring (12.7) and rushing (75.4), fifth in total (287.8) and sixth in pass efficiency (110.25). San Diego State finished 10-3 in 2019, the program's fourth double-digit win campaign over the last five years.
The all-conference team and preseason poll are voted on by media representatives who cover the conference. Yesterday, SDSU was picked to win the West Division of the MW, garnering 19 of the 21 first-place votes. The last three times the Aztecs were picked to win the West Division (2015-17) they won at least 10 games and captured a pair of league titles (2015-16).
Thomas, who is on the preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year), totaled 49 tackles a year ago as a redshirt freshman, including 9.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups and 13 quarterback hurries. Thomas racked up numerous postseason awards in 2019, including freshman second-team All-America accolades from The Athletic and first-team all-MW honors. Thomas, who was the only freshman on the all-MW first team (offense or defense), also was chosen as San Diego State's defensive lineman of the year and shared outstanding freshman accolades with wide receiver Jesse Matthews.
Thomas also has been named a preseason all-MW first-team selection by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and College Football News. He's also been rated as the second-best player in the MW and SDSU's best defensive player by CFN, and one of San Diego State's five-best returning players by ESPN.
Playing alongside Thomas in the front three, Banks, meanwhile, had 43 tackles last year as a true sophomore, including a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss for 50 yards, 4.5 sacks for 26 yards, a pass breakup and nine quarterback hurries. For his efforts, he was named a second-team all-MW selection.
This preseason Banks has also been named a preseason all-MW first-team pick by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and College Football News. He's also the 16th-rated player in the MW and SDSU's fourth-best defensive player by CFN, and one of San Diego State's five-best returning players by ESPN.
Thompson continued to rack up the preseason accolades, a year after registering 55 tackles (44 solo) to go along with three tackles for loss, a sack, four interceptions, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (tied for sixth in Aztec single-season history). Thompson earned second-team all-Mountain West accolades for a third consecutive season.
So far this preseason, Thompson has landed on the watch lists for the Bednarik Award and Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back), and preseason first-team all-MW picks by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and College Football News. Additionally, Thompson has been deemed the sixth-rated player in the MW and SDSU's second-best defensive player by CFN, and one of San Diego State's five-best returning players by ESPN.
Finally, Hall joined Thomas, Banks and Thompson on the preseason all-MW team after 49 tackles (34 solo) last year, as well as 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, an interception and a team-high-tying 16 pass breakups. His 16 pass breakups tied for the most in the country, and he also ranked in a tie for sixth in pass deflections (INT + PBU) per game (1.42) and tied for 10th in total passes defended (17). Additionally, his 16 PBUs tied Barcoo (2019) and Ron Smith (2017) for the second most in San Diego State single-season history.
Hall, who landed on the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List with Thompson, also has been selected as a preseason first-team all-MW picks by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and College Football News. He's also been deemed SDSU's fifth-best defensive player by CFN and one of San Diego State's five-best returning players by ESPN.
Notes: San Diego State's four preseason all-MW selections tied for the second most in the league … The Aztecs' four all-league selections matched their most since the 2016 season … SDSU has at least three all-MW picks in six straight years after doing so just four times over the previous 10 years (2005-14) … San Diego State's defensive selections are their most in league history (since 1999) … The Aztecs have at least one defensive player on the preseason all-MW team in nine of the last 10 seasons … SDSU did not have a preseason offensive player for the first time since 2008 after having multiple players the previous five seasons … WAR Tariq Thompson (three-time second-team all-MW pick) is on the preseason all-MW team for a third straight season, the first Aztec in league history to make a preseason team three different seasons … DT Cameron Thomas is just the second Aztec sophomore on defense to make a preseason all-MW team (also Thompson in 2018) … Thomas and Banks are the first SDSU defensive linemen on the preseason all-MW team since Alex Barrett in 2016, just the third and fourth since 2006 (Antwan Applewhite), and the fourth and fifth in league history (Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in 1999) … SDSU has two defensive lineman on the preseason team for the first time in MW history … CB Darren Hall is the first Aztec cornerback on the preseason all-MW team since two-time MW Defensive Player of the Year Damontae Kazee made the teams in 2015 and 2016.
2020 Mountain West Football Preseason All-Conference Team
Offense
QB Hank Bachmeier, Boise State
WR Khalil Shakir, Boise State
WR Warren Jackson, Colorado State
WR Tre Walker, San José State
RB Charles Williams, UNLV
RB Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming
OL Parker Ferguson, Air Force
OL Nolan Laufenberg, Air Force
OL John Ojukwu, Boise State
OL Ilm Manning, Hawai'i
OL Keegan Cryder, Wyoming
TE Trey McBride, Colorado State
Defense
DL Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
DL Keshawn Banks, San Diego State
DL Scale Igiehon, Boise State
DL Dom Peterson, Nevada
LB Demonte Meeks, Air Force
LB Riley Whimpey, Boise State
LB Dequan Jackson, Colorado State
LB Justin Rice, Fresno State
DB Darren Hall, San Diego State
DB Tariq Thompson, San Diego State
DB Kekaula Kaniho, Boise State
DB Avery Williams, Boise State
Specialists
P Ryan Stonehouse, Colorado State
PK Brandon Talton, Nevada
KR Savon Scarver, Utah State
PR Avery Williams, Boise State
Four Aztecs Named to MW Preseason All-Conference Team
