Past 2025 Fall Camp Recaps
Sean Lewis Press Conference - July 28
Practice No. 1 - July 30
Practice No. 2 - July 31
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State football team continued fall camp with a spirited third practice Friday at the on-campus facility.
The day once again began with morning meetings. Following a walk-thru, warm-ups and stretching, the Aztecs practiced for a little over two hours under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. SDSU once again utilized both the turf field and grass field, practicing in shells for the first time of camp after going in just helmets and spiders on Wednesday and Thursday. The music of choice today was a variety of styles from the early-to-mid 2000s.
San Diego State did position drills, individual drills, group work, ball security, 1-on-1s, team execution, team compete, tempo skelly and team tempo.
The highlight of the day came after practice when cornerback Xavier Hamlett was awarded a scholarship. The San Diego native, Lincoln High and Grossmont High grad played in 11 games last year, primarily on special teams with defensive snaps at Wyoming and Boise State.
“We just finished practice, and Coach (Lewis) called me up,” said Hamlett. “And he said, ‘you're on scholarship.’ I didn’t know how to react. It just feels like a movie right now. I'm just so thankful to be here, and just so glad to be a part of this family, because they really do care.”
“X is a great young man that has had an incredible journey,” head coach Sean Lewis said. “The way he has worked and sacrificed to earn this scholarship is a true test of his character and the transformational power of football.”
Hamlett credits a promise he made to his sister after she passed away to overcoming hurdles in his life.
“I made a promise to my sister after she passed away that I was never going to quit,” said Hamlett. “Regardless of where I'm at on a depth chart, or just where I'm at in life, I'm not going to quit. I just couldn't backtrack on that because (I said that) to my sister.”
“X has done everything we've asked of him and more,” said defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. “He's great in the community helping the homeless, but what he's done on the football field earned him that scholarship. I am really proud of him, really happy for the kid. It's good when good things happen to great people.”
Aurich is in his first season as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after working with the EDGEs in 2024. The Aztecs return all 11 starters on defense (note that returning Teivis Tuioti and departing Tupu Alualu each had six starts at defensive tackle, and are counted as co-starters), including the Mountain West preseason defensive player of the year Trey White, and honorable-mention performers safety Eric Butler, cornerback Chris Johnson and linebacker Tano Letuli. Letuli joined White and kicker Gabe Plascencia on the preseason all-MW team.
“Having so many guys back, it really gives us an advantage of how quickly we install the defense,” said Aurich. “One thing I've noticed is our guys picked up right where they left off in spring. They did a great job in the summer, but you also don't want to leave behind the guys that are new additions that can have value. So, I think we're a little bit further along than we've been in the past seasons, but fundamentally we’ve got to do what we can within the calls, and we're still going to go about it an appropriate pace.”
SDSU returns both starting linebackers in Letuli and Owen Chambliss.
Letuli, a team captain in 2024 - along with White the first underclassmen captains at San Diego State since Kevin O’Connell in 2005 - led the Aztecs last season with 70 tackles, despite missing two games with a broken hand. Letuli had at least eight tackles in five games and seven in another two.
Letuli wants to continue to be one of the leaders on the team.
“(I want to improve) my vocal leadership on the field, being the Mike linebacker,” said Letuli. “I’ve kind of got to drive the show, and I want the whole defense to feel me and feel confident about the call that we're in. Just making sure everyone knows their job.”
Letuli has a great relationship with Chambliss, who he shares the linebacker spot with in Aurich’s 4-2-5 defense.
“Owen, I absolutely love him, and having that Will and Mike, the chemistry on our defense is really huge in the linebacker room,” added Letuli. We literally do everything together. All of our classes are together. We walk into and from class like, ‘that's my guy.’ For him, just staying healthy. We're going to do some good things this year together.”
Aurich thinks Letuli and Chambliss are two of the best linebackers in the Mountain West.
“I tell them this in the meeting room - I think they're both all conference level players,” said Aurich. “I expect them to carry themselves that way, and I've been really pleased with the way the other guys after them have developed. I feel really confident one through six in that group right now, that we can get quality play, but I think those two have shown kind of a responsibility to be great players.”
Chambliss started all seven games he played in last year, recording 31 tackles (16 solo) and a pass breakup. He missed the other five games, including the final two with injuries.
“(The injuries) sidetracked me a lot, it's hard to have a season I was having and kind of fall off,” said Chambliss. “But my teammates had my back the whole year and they still have my back. They support me every day.”
He has praised Aurich’s defensive coordinator style.
“Coach Aurich has been great helping us, getting the defense better,” added Aurich. “It's been a much more simple defense, easier to learn and more player friendly. It's been a nice transition. Seeing all the guys grow, we feel like a more connected team. It’s been a fun year.”
The fourth of 24 fall practices before the opener against Stony Brook on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Snapdragon Stadium is set for Saturday morning.
San Diego State also has home games vs. California (Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Colorado State (Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Wyoming (Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. PT), Boise State (Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. PT) and San Jose State (Nov. 22, time TBA).
Fan Fest Information
The San Diego State football team will host its annual Fan Fest on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Snapdragon Stadium.
Admission to the Aug. 14 Fan Fest is free, but all fans will need to claim their ticket in advance at https://am.ticketmaster.com/sdsu/buy/AztecFanFest. Fans may claim up to four tickets. If you need additional tickets, please call the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-SDSU (7378). Parking is $10 and can also be purchased at the same link.
The parking lot opens at 5 p.m. PT with the gates opening at 6 p.m. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m. PT.
The team store and select concessions will also be open.
Ticket Information
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2025 campaign start at just $200 ($175 plus $25 Aztec Club Membership), only $33.33 per game. Fans are encouraged to purchase season tickets with benefits featuring interest-free payment plans, pre-sale access for most third-party events, and discounts on merchandise at the team store, additional single-game tickets and food/beverage. Additionally, season-ticket members will have the ability to purchase discounted season parking, access to a personal account representative and the ability to transfer and resell tickets digitally.
To purchase, or renew, your season tickets, visit goaztecs.com/sports/football-tickets.
Mini Plans
For the first time, fans can now build their own three-game mini-plan completely online. Fans can choose from any of SDSU’s six home games and save on single-game fees. Fans can also leverage their three-game mini-plans into becoming a season-ticket member. For example, purchasing an Orange Mini-Plan puts you just $39 away from becoming a season-ticket member. Contact the SDSU Athletics Ticket Sales Office at (619) 594-9834 to discuss other ways to save money while enjoying San Diego State football.
Single-Game Tickets
Single-game tickets can be also purchased Monday for as low as $23, which includes all fees.