SAN DIEGO – It was another beautiful day in “America’s Finest City” with temperatures reaching the high-70s as SDSU Football took to the practice field for the 13th practice of fall camp. After a morning full of meetings, the players headed out to the turf field. The day began with a teamwide stretching routine before breaking off into special teams’ drills with an emphasis on punt returning. After transitioning to the grass field, the wide receivers and defensive backs faced off in pass protection exercises while the defensive and offensive lines battled in pass rushing drills. The day ended with a surprise water balloon fight where players scrambled across the field for some lighthearted fun after a long day in helmets and shoulder pads.
The 2025 season saw multiple Aztecs emerge as viable threats in the passing game. Jordan Napier and Donovan Brown each eclipsed 500 receiving yards while hauling in two touchdowns apiece. Jacob Bostick averaged over 14 yards per reception while also bringing in a team high three receiving touchdowns. Nathan Acevedo, Will Cianfrini and Jaylon Hawkins all had flashes as well in the passing game. Now, under the guidance of new position coach Matthew Middleton, SDSU returns their four top players in terms of receiving yards while also adding reinforcements to the position room with seven new receivers coming to The Mesa.
Coach Middleton comes to San Diego after three seasons with Kansas State where he coached a pair of all-Big 12 wideouts in Jace Brown and Jaron Tibbs. Prior to Kansas State, Middleton spent five seasons working under Lewis at Kent State from 2018-22. Middleton coached six all-MAC selections with the Golden Flashes, including four first-team players.
Middleton acknowledged the depth at the wide receiver position as returning players and new faces have begun to compete for starting jobs and spots in the rotation.
“The coaching staff and recruiting department have done a great job with acquiring talent and then developing them to this point. Out strength staff have done a good job of taking the guys that needed the work, the speed work, and the strength. It's been fun just having mature, strong bodies, willing and able bodies to go out there and compete every day. Guys are making plays everywhere right now. Like I said, it's really tough because, truthfully, you see talent everywhere. No matter who is in, you'll see one guy make a play, they'll come off. The next guy will run right in and go and make a play. The depth is real, and the consistency of play is real as well. They've made it very tough because each one of them are hungry and battling and competing day in and day out.”
While there are plenty of new players who will look to contend for snaps at one of the receiver spots, a familiar name has begun to emerge as a legitimate target in the passing game. Bert Emanuel Jr. began the transition from quarterback to wide receiver in the spring and Middleton spoke about the physical talent and upside he brings to the receiving unit.
“He [Bert Emanuel Jr.] has plenty of abilities. Everyone saw it in the bowl game last year. He has top end speed; he has strength. So, for him, he's got the God-given abilities. Now, it is time for him to continue to sharpen his skills as a receiver, to sharpen it every day and master his craft. He will learn to understand the different pictures that present themselves and then go out there every day and prove himself.”
Emanuel Jr. joined the Aztecs for the 2025 season as quarterback. He started his career at Central Michigan where he totaled 844 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 439 passing yards across 13 games with the Chippewas. Emanuel Jr. served as the primary backup to starting quarterback Jayden Denegal but earned the starting nod against #23 North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. He was dynamic finishing the game with 170 rushing yards, the most by an Aztec quarterback in a single game, and a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Emanuel Jr. spoke about his growth at the position while also acknowledging areas of improvement he has continued to refine.
“I feel great. I feel like I've definitely grown a lot with help from pretty much everybody. I'm not too proud when it comes to asking questions. I'm always trying to figure out what's the best thing that I could do. How can I win the rep? How can I just get in the right situation and be a playmaker for the team. I feel like I've grown in all aspects of playing receiver. I am also working on just fine-tuning the little details. There's always something that I can work on. Whether it's me just getting in the film room and asking questions or learning how to watch film as receiver compared to watching as a quarterback. So, it's just working on refining everything."
Another player who emerged during the Aztecs bowl game last season was Nathan Acevedo. After the team suffered multiple injuries among the wide receiver room, Acevedo seized his opportunity against North Texas, securing four catches for 61 yards while also returning a pair of punts for 63 yards, including a touchdown.
Acevedo spoke to the depth of his position group that has worked to integrate last year’s top receivers, a strong transfer class and promising group of freshmen who have begun to show flashes.
“I think of it more like a brotherhood, not a competition. We're going to compete, of course everyone wants to be the guy, but we have a lot of guys, who can play across a lot of places on the field. So, if I am struggling, why can't somebody come back me up and we trust everyone can have the same amount of production.”
The Aztecs now turn their attention to the 14th practice of fall camp tomorrow. 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
8/11/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/12/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/13/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/14/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/17/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/18/2026 Fall Practice Recap
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.
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