SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State football team held its second fall practice of the 2024 season on Friday at the on-campus facility.
The Aztecs practiced in helmets only for a second consecutive day, going for just over two hours amid blue skies and humid temperatures in the low 80s.
Following warm-ups and stretching, SDSU continued with position drills, 1-on-1s, offensive and defensive sets, skelly and more situational and special teams drills, echoing the first practice on Thursday, working on both the practice grass and turf field. The day ended with 11-on-11 drills and led to spirited play.
Quarterbacks coach Matt Johnson liked what he saw, despite entering camp with five underclassmen quarterbacks.
“(The quarterbacks being young) doesn’t really change a lot,” Johnson said. “We understand we have a young room. Some of the older guys in there are just redshirt sophomores. The good thing is that because it’s a new system, it wouldn’t matter if you were a redshirt senior or a redshirt junior, it’s going to be everybody’s first time in this offense. You teach everybody the same.”
Johnson spent six seasons working alongside head coach Sean Lewis at Syracuse and Kent State, after quarterbacking for then offensive coordinator Lewis at Bowling Green and setting numerous school records in the process. Johnson threw for 73 career touchdowns en route to being named the 2015 MAC Player of the Year, helping the Falcons to a pair of MAC titles. Johnson coached current Aztec running back Marquez Cooper at Kent State in 2021. Cooper enters 2024 as the active leading rusher in FBS with 3,846 yards and 33 rushing touchdowns.
“As far as a learning curve there are still day one things that they are going through,” Johnson added. “The guys that were here in the spring had 15 practices, so they are further along than anyone else, but in the summer it’s player driven. They are still getting reps, but it’s on their own. So we are coming out here as coaches and correcting some things that they did on their own.”
Sophomore AJ Duffy said that quarterback competition is good for the team.
“I’m just focused on getting better every day, no matter if I’m the guy or if I’m not the guy,” Duffy said. “It’s just about being the best version of myself and helping the team out anyway I can.”
Duffy transferred for The Mesa after spending two seasons at ACC power Florida State. Duffy played in four games total, completing two passes for 26 yards and a touchdown. Prior to taking his talents to FSU, Duffy threw for 5,552 yards and 66 touchdowns in two seasons at Rancho Verde High School in the Inland Empire before his final two years were wiped out due to COVID. He entered Florida State as a consensus four-star prospect.
“I’m used to the pace and used to the offense,” Duffy added. “I know it like the back of my hand. Things move smoother. It’s just getting readjusted to that pace and tempo that we play at. It’s something we are used to after going through it all spring. We are getting back into it.”
True freshman Danny O’Neil also figures to challenge for the starting role after joining the Aztecs this past spring. O’Neil threw for 7,786 yards and 98 touchdowns at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, while adding 1,326 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground. Rivals ranked him as the 12th-best quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class.
Like Duffy, O’Neil mentioned how comfortable he is with the offense.
“We had our first install of the offense in the winter, then in the spring and now going over it in the summer,” O’Neil said. “Just being able to watch more film and be a film junkie, trying to understand everything conceptually has helped me out a lot figuring out what everyone is doing. It’s part of the job when you sign up to play quarterback.”
Tickets are on sale for all six Aztec home games, including season tickets, two or three-game mini-plans and single-game tickets.
The Aug. 31 opener against Texas A&M - Commerce is set for 5 p.m. PT.