SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State football head coach Brady Hoke has announced the addition of five transfers to the program.
The five transfers include offensive lineman Cade Bennett (Oklahoma State), defensive lineman Deven Lamp (Tulsa), linebacker Cooper McDonald (Washington), tight end Mark Redman (Washington) and defensive lineman Justus Tavai (Hawai'i).
Bennett, who has three years of collegiate eligibility remaining, comes to The Mesa following two seasons at Oklahoma State. Bennett played in a pair of games last year against Kansas (Oct. 30) and Notre Dame (Jan. 1) in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl, after redshirting his first season with the Cowboys in 2020. Bennett played his high school ball at Notre Dame Prep, helping the Saints to a 37-4 record in his three seasons. As a senior in 2019, he anchored an offensive line that helped Notre Dame Prep rush for 3,249 yards and 57 touchdowns, while passing for 1,763 yards and 17 touchdowns. A consensus three-star recruit out of high school by 247sports, Rivals and ESPN, Bennett was ranked the No. 25 offensive guard in the nation by 247sports and the No. 13 player out of Arizona. He picked Oklahoma State out of high school over San Diego State, Iowa State, Arizona State, Arizona, Purdue, Brigham Young, Boise State, Army West Point, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, UNLV and Colorado State.
Lamp, meanwhile, joins the Aztecs after spending the last five seasons at Tulsa and has one year of eligibility left. For his career, Lamp has played in 38 games with one start, logging 28 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Last year, the Scottsdale, Arizona, native played in 12 of the team's 13 games before electing to transfer, missing the Myrtle Beach Bowl. He had 16 tackles with three tackles for loss and two sacks, while adding one pass breakup. Lamp, who missed most of the 2020 season, totaled seven stops in 12 games in 2019 and also played in 12 games in 2018 after redshirting the 2017 campaign. Lamp played his high school ball at Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, Texas, where he tallied 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a senior in 2016. Lamp chose Tulsa over Iowa State, Air Force, Nevada, Army West Point and Cornell.
McDonald comes to The Mesa after spending the last two years at Washington. McDonald, who is the younger brother of two-time first-team all-Mountain West linebacker and SDSU captain Caden McDonald, played in all 16 games in his two seasons with the Huskies, starting 10 times and amassing 27 tackles and a sack. McDonald started 10 of the 12 games in 2021, recording 25 tackles and a sack. McDonald, who is listed as a junior but could later have another year of eligibility later because of the 2020 COVID season, played in all four of Washington's 2020 campaign and registered two stops. McDonald had 89 tackles at Northwest High School in Texas as a senior in 2019, adding eight tackles for loss and a defensive score. A consensus three-star recruit by 247sports, Rivals and ESPN, McDonald chose Washington out of high school over offers from San Diego State, Utah, Baylor, Colorado, Virginia, Air Force, Louisiana, SMU, Arkansas State, Army West Point, Tulsa, UTSA, North Texas, Texas State, and Louisiana Tech, among others.
Redman spent the previous two years at Washington with fellow incoming transfer Cooper McDonald. Playing in all 16 games with one start, Redman had a 5-yard catch. Redman started once in the 2021 season (at Colorado) and appeared in all 12 games, logging a catch in a 31-24 overtime win over California. He appeared in all four games as a true freshman in 2020. Redman played 50 games at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California, making 149 catches for 1,832 yards and 25 touchdowns. Redman captained the 2019 squad to a 16-0 season and state title. Redman logged 72 catches for 979 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior and 54 receptions for 598 yards and nine scores as a junior. A four-star recruit out of high school by both 247sports and Rivals, and a three-star recruit by ESPN, Redman was ranked by Rivals as the No. 7 tight end in the 2020 class and No. 15 by 247sports. He selected Washington out of high school over offers from San Diego State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Boise State, California, Colorado, Utah State and Colorado State.
Tavai comes to San Diego State with one season of eligibility remaining after spending the last four seasons at Hawai'i. Tavai appeared in 25 games over that span (2019-21), logging 19 starts after redshirting the 2018 campaign. For his career, Tavai has totaled 72 tackles (40 solo), including 10 tackles for loss and four sacks, along with three pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Last year he had 34 tackles (19 solo), playing all 13 games with 12 starts, while adding five tackles for loss, a sack, three quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup. In 2020, Tavai had 35 tackles (18 solo) in 2020, starting seven times and playing in all nine games, while adding four tackles for loss, two sacks, two PBUs, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Tavai also played one season at El Camino College in Torrance, California. He prepped at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California, amassing 83 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks as a senior in 2016. Justus Tavai will join his younger brother, Jonah, a two-time all-MW defensive tackle at San Diego State. His other brothers - Jahlani (Hawai'i, now with New England Patriots), Jordan (Kansas) and J.R. (USC, once played for Tennessee Titans) - all played Division I football.
The five transfers come to a program that finished 25th in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. Playing in its 99th season of football, SDSU finished with a school-record 12 victories, becoming one of just 10 programs nationally with at least 12 wins in 2021. Only four teams had more wins than San Diego State, including national champion Georgia, and CFP teams Alabama and Cincinnati.
The Aztecs played five teams who reached double-digit victories on the season, securing wins over Pac-12 Champion/Rose Bowl participant Utah (10-4), UTSA (12-2) and Air Force (10-3). SDSU, which was ranked in every CFP poll in 2021, played all 14 of its games away from its own market, including eight "home games" two hours from campus at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
San Diego State kicks off its 100th season of football on Saturday, Sept. 3 against Arizona, hosting its first game at Bashor Field at Snapdragon Stadium.
Aztec Football Adds Five Transfers to the Program
