Aztecs Name Jayden Denegal Starting Quarterback

Past 2025 Fall Camp Recaps/Press Conferences/Radio Interviews
Coach Lewis Radio Interview - July 26
Coach Lewis Press Conference - July 28
Practice No. 1 - July 30
Practice No. 2 - July 31
Practice No. 3 - Aug. 1
Coach Lewis Post-Practice - Aug. 4
Practice No. 5 - Aug. 4
Practice No. 6 - Aug. 5
Practice No. 7 - Aug. 6
Coach Johnson Radio Interview - Aug. 6
Coach Aurich Radio Interview - Aug. 6
L. Sutton Radio Interview - Aug. 7
Practice No. 8 - Aug. 7
Coach Johnson Radio Interview - Aug. 76
Coach Lewis Post-Practice - Aug. 11
Practice No. 11 - Aug. 11
Coach Lewis/J. Denegal Post-Practice - Aug. 12
Practice No. 12 - Aug. 12

SAN DIEGO -- After 15 spring practices and 13 practices this fall camp, San Diego State football head coach Sean Lewis named Jayden Denegal the team’s starting quarterback following Wednesday’s morning practice. A junior transfer from Michigan, Denegal will start for the Aztecs in their opener on Thursday, Aug. 28 against Stony Brook at 7 p.m. PT at Snapdragon Stadium.

Denegal spent three seasons at Michigan from 2022-24 and was the backup quarterback to J.J. McCarthy for the Wolverines’ national championship season in 2023. He appeared in seven games at Michigan, completing 4 of 5 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing four times for 10 yards. The Aug. 28 opener will be his first career start.

“Jayden’s done an unbelievable job coming in since day one, working, earning the respect of the team,” said Lewis. “Bert (Emmanuel Jr.) did a heck of a job competing as well. They're both great men with great character, and have done an unbelievable job being great teammates to each other and to everyone. I’m excited about JD getting the nod and he's earned that opportunity. He’s excited about the opportunity and the plays that I know that Bert is going to make as well. There's a real critical importance to have a high ceiling of talent within the building, but also a depth of talent as well. So, I feel very spoiled to have those two guys that are both very, very talented, and are going to make impactful plays for our team.”

Lewis expanded on what won Denegal the job.

“Every day, he was the same person, the way that he showed up, the way that he approached his work,” said Lewis. “I was very impressed from day one when he came in, just about how he put his head down and went to work. He didn't do it in a boastful way, but by doing it in that way and in the same manner, he earned the respect of his teammates and became a part of the locker room.

“And then ultimately, there was probably a pivot that occurred the tail end of spring and throughout the course of the summer where just getting feedback from the guys on the team that the leadership that Jayden had exhibited and the way that he showed up from day one and all the way through this third quarter of camp. The consistency and the efficiency and the production, when he's got the ball in his hands and he's leading and driving the offense, ultimately led us to this place where we’re at. Now we’ve got to go do the next thing the right way.”

Denegal was a three-year starter at Apple Valley High School, totaling more than 4,600 passing yards and 69 touchdowns in his career. As a senior in 2021, he completed 121 of 145 passes for 1,545 yards and 24 touchdowns, while running for 281 yards and eight scores en route to being named the Mojave River League Offensive Player of the Year.

“I was pretty excited, (but) hearing it doesn't really change too much,” said Denegal. “My process isn’t going to change day-to-day. I'm going to keep on doing what I've been doing since I've been here. Keep working on getting better every day. I'm able to run, I'm able to throw, I feel like I'm a good decision maker. And the biggest thing this year is just to be able to control the offense, lead the offense and win some football games. That's my big deal.”

Denegal wasn’t guaranteed a starting spot after transferring from Michigan back to Southern California, but he embraced the challenge.

“It’s just like everything, I feel like you're taking a chance coming to this program back at home in California,” added Denegal. “I love Coach Lewis and his offense and his mindset, everything that we talked about when I was in the portal. So, it was different, it was a new experience for me. Getting in the portal, coming from Michigan back home to California, but I love my decision and I'm very happy that I came home.”

Denegal credits Emmanuel Jr. for the competition throughout the spring and fall.

“Burt's a great guy, since I've been here, we've been hand in hand, and he's a great quarterback,” said Denegal. “He's continued to push me every day, and I continue to push him every day. He’s an elite athlete. He's going to continue to push me, and I'm going to continue to push him, so it's not going to change day-to-day. We're competing against ourselves just to be the best football player we (can be). We can be ourselves.”

Lewis is looking forward for Fan Fest on Thursday night.

“We’re excited for everyone to get a chance to see it live and in color tomorrow at Snapdragon Stadium for Fan Fest,” added Lewis. “We are hoping the community shows up and shows out, and we get to have a whole dress rehearsal for the great city of San Diego (and) for an amazing fall that is going to come here for the Aztecs on The Mesa.

“We're going to put the ball down, we're going have four quarters of play. We're going to simulate all kinds of different positions (and) situations, and we want it to feel like a second NFL preseason game. It's going to be football. Everyone who wanted to see that in the spring, come one, come all (and) tell your friends. Let's get this thing rolling at Snapdragon Stadium on Thursday.”

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.