SAN DIEGO – Following their first day off from camp on Monday, the San Diego State football team returned to the practice field on Tuesday morning.
The day began with various meetings inside the Fowler Athletic Center including special teams and position groups. The players transitioned to the practice fields to the sounds of 80’s rock and roll, clear skies and temperatures in the high-70s. The first half of practice was held on the turf with various special teams drills as well as a pops and circuits session. For the second half of the morning, the team spent time on the grass field with 1-on-1s before heading into various situational scrimmages with referees officiating the action. The Aztecs were in full pads for the first time this fall as well.
Not only was today the team’s first day in full pads, but it was the first scrimmage session of fall camp. Head Coach Sean Lewis spoke about some of the takeaways he had from seeing the offensive and defensive units face off against one another across various situational matchups.
“There's only so many opportunities that you have to live block, live tackle, and so the refs were here working basic mechanics, treating it like a game. We got to see who can get the ball to the ground. See who can make guys miss. You know, be able to remember their names. Remember the calls. Remember the communication, and not lose sight of their job in the midst of all that. So, trying to create as much of a game-like environment as possible in as safe a way as possible, but knowing this is what we train for. Football players are here for football, and so any day that you get to play live football is a lot of fun, and we'll get to do it on Saturday as well in front of our community with the first Saturday at Snapdragon. “
Coach Lewis made sure to highlight some strong performances from the day as well. Including some freshmen who have begun to find their stride as the season approaches.
“I thought the defense did a really good job flying around. Gavriel Lightfoot has done a really good job. It was good to see Djibril [Rahman] and Kai Wallin for the first time, and they flashed in some of the third down situations as we went there. JoJo [Josiah Cox] is really flying around. It obviously suits him and his game in those settings to be able to be physical, put the ball on the ground. Tainoa Lave has had a really impressive early start to camp. Derek Stevenson's another freshman who flashed, made some plays downrange. It's great to have Kalan Ellis back up. Joe [Borjon] is able to get some reps, so you got some pieces of the line coming together and pleased with that. I thought Denny [Jayden Denegal] had good command on the day as well. His process was really good, and we'll continue to iron out the details of it all.”
After Lewis, tight end coach Ryan Lindley took the time to speak with the media about the progress his position group has made since the spring. Lindley is entering his fifth full season as a coach with the Aztecs and third as the tight ends coach. Lindley, SDSU’s all-time passing leader, has spent time coaching all over the nation in both the college and profession ranks. He spent time as a defensive analyst at Mississippi State (2021-22), an offensive analyst at Utah in 2020, the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns toward the end of 2018 and their quarterbacks coach in 2019.
Lindley heaped praise upon his returning players, Jackson Ford and Ryan Wolfer. He spoke highly of not just their abilities on the field but the leadership they bring to the tight end room which features three newcomers, including a pair of freshmen.
“Both Wolfie [Ryan Wolfer] and Jackson, are like coaches to the other guys when other stuff's going on, it's huge. Jackson and Seth [2025 starting tight end Seth Adams] were really the top guy’s last year. It was the first year in the program for them having to learn it on the fly, even learning still at this point in the season with Ryan. Now, even a guy like Jack Lua right now is playing really well for us. All those guys are in year two of the program or year two of the system, and you can just see how it flows for them. You know, they are in their flow states out there when they're playing, it's a lot better. And then that allows them to be better coaches to the younger guys that are developing similarly to how they were last year.”
Whereas last year’s tight ends thrived in run blocking situations, Lindley is excited at the versatility his players will offer the team. He hopes to maintain the physicality while adding more dynamic pass catching opportunities as well.
“I do think we're a little more versatile all-around top to bottom. We got a group of guys that probably all catch the football pretty well, can line up anywhere, and do some different things. Which obviously should hopefully give coach Lewis a couple Swiss Army knives to do some stuff with.”
One of those Swiss Army knives is returning junior Jackson Ford. Ford appeared in all 13 games for the Aztecs last season while collecting 86 receiving yards on 10 receptions. He posted his first career receiving touchdown against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl while also serving as a mainstay in blocking for the Aztecs’ rushing offense that ranked inside the top 20 across all of FBS.
Ford echoed his coach’s sentiment about the adaptability of the tight end position and looks forward to expanding his pass catching responsibilities.
“I think last year I built a lot of confidence. With me and Seth [Adams, being the guys in the game last year, there was a big emphasis on run blocking. I think this year our tight end room is a lot more dynamic, which is exciting for me. I can prove a lot more in the receiving game. So whatever Coach Lewis needs me to do, whether that's getting 500 yards, multiple touchdowns, I can do that. If it means getting dirty in the run game, I can do that as well.”
Ford also hopes to see plenty of action on the field alongside Wolfer with multiple 12 personnel sets.
“It's unstoppable, truly. I mean, if you can get two tight ends that are willing to put their head down and go block for the for the running backs, the sky's the limit because the defense might think we're going to run the ball the whole entire time with 12 personnel, and then next thing you know, we're running an 80-yard touchdowns out the gate. So, it's dangerous, and I think it shows a lot of versatility through our offense.”
Ryan Wolfer spent the 2025 season, his second season with the Aztecs, emerging as a consistent presence for the offense. He saw action in all 13 games often lining up alongside Ford. Wolfer hauled in two passes during the season that totaled 37 yards highlighting his upside as a big target in the passing game.
While Wolfer continues to rise up the depth chart, his friendship and competition with Ford have been a huge part of his growth. Heading into his third season on the Mesa, the sophomore out of Peoria, Arizona said, “I just feel more comfortable out there. You know, being able to help other guys with their stuff. Alignments or being able to communicate the calls and stuff like that, are big. I mean Jackson Ford was one of our starters last year. So being able to compete with him every day, he's one of my best friends. It's good to have a guy that I like that I also compete with, who's a really good player and pushes me every day.”
The Aztecs will return to the field on Wednesday morning for the sixth practice of the 2026 fall camp. The first game of the season will be a home matchup against the Vikings of Portland State on Saturday, September 5. SDSU’s home slate also includes a non-conference game on Sept. 19 against James Madison (7 p.m. PT), and Pac-12 home matchups with Texas State (Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Fresno State (Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Washington State (Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. PT) and Utah State (Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. PT).
Fall Camp Recaps
8/5/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/6/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/7/2026 Fall Practice Recap
First Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium Info
The San Diego State football team will play host to the “First Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium” on Aug. 15. Admission and parking are free at the event, but fans must claim tickets. The Aztecs will begin scrimmaging at 5:30 p.m. PT with the gates opening at 4:30 p.m. Limited concessions will be available. There will be giveaways throughout the scrimmage, including unique Aztec apparel and more. Following the scrimmage will be an autograph session. Fans will also have the chance to participate in their own Behind the Fandom video, similar to the Behind the Helmet series currently featured on GoAztecs.com. See Episode 1, Ep. 2, Ep. 3 and Ep. 4.
Ticket Information
Season Tickets
Season tickets remain the best value for Aztec football at Snapdragon Stadium. Season ticket pricing has been lowered across the board to make tickets more affordable and accessible for the loyal fans and community. Fans are encouraged to purchase season tickets through San Diego State, which start as low as $175 ($150 plus $25 Aztec Club Membership), only $29.17 per game. This shift supports SDSU’s focus on strengthening local connections and building a gameday atmosphere worthy of the program’s next chapter. PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS
Family 4-Packs
The four tickets can be purchased for $76 (plus fees), which includes parking (a combined $125 value). Additional seats can also be purchased for $20 apiece (plus fees). The four available games at Snapdragon Stadium include the Sept. 5 opener against Portland State at 6:30 p.m. PT, the Sept. 19 game vs. James Madison at 7 p.m. PT, SDSU’s inaugural Pac-12 game on Oct. 3 against Texas State at 7:30 p.m. PT and the final home game of the season on Nov. 14 vs. Utah State at 6:30 p.m. PT.
Single-Game Tickets
Single-game tickets start as low as $23, which includes all fees. PURCHASE SINGLE-GAME TICKETS