SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State football team completed their third day of the 2026 fall camp on Friday across various on-campus facilities.
As has been the norm across this week’s practices, the day began inside the Fowler Athletic Center with multiple meetings including special teams and position group sessions.
It was a warm day on both the turf and grass fields with temperatures reaching the mid-80s during roughly two hours of on-field action. The team started the morning with various warm-up and stretching routines before kicking off practice with special team’s drills. Other activities on the turf included individual drills and crossover reps. The second portion of the day on the grass field was highlighted by team execution exercise, various 1-on-1 matchups and a team tempo session to close practice. Today was the first time the Aztecs began practicing in shells after going in just helmets and spiders on Wednesday and Thursday.
While much has been made of the many new additions to both the roster and staff, one of the most noteworthy developments of the offseason has been Demetrius Sumler’s work as the Aztec’s newest defensive coordinator. Sumler, who finished his eighth season on The Mesa in 2025, has been a staple of San Diego State’s defense since his time as a graduate assistant. Under his guidance the program has produced numerous all-conference players in the secondary, most recently 2026 NFL first round draft pick Chris Johnson.
The Aztecs will be looking to replace a lot of production from last year’s elite defense, and it will start with players stepping up into leadership roles across every position group. When speaking about who he sees emerging as leaders Sumler said, “In the corner room [cornerbacks], probably Jelani Whitmore. He doesn't say a lot, but he is a guy that's been here a long time. He knows the expectation; he has played games for us. In the safety room guys like Josh Hunter and Josiah Cox have done a good job. Jelani McLaughlin, guys that have been in the program and again understanding the expectation. Then obviously in the linebacker room you have Tano [Letuli]. Brady Nassar is emerging in the EDGE room, and really all of our defensive tackles last year. So those guys all do a good job leading the entire defense.”
While commending his players’ emergence Sumler also took the time to reflect on his new role as the head of SDSU’s defense.
“I mean it's a leadership role, obviously, it's a little more time demanding, right? You have got to worry about a lot more things, a lot more meetings. But it's something that I've kind of been working towards for a while. All the coordinators I worked with before have kind of given me some responsibility. I expressed that this was a goal of mine. Coach Lewis has always given me extra responsibility, kind of prepared me for the moment. We have a great staff on the defensive side, and I know a great leader knows how to delegate because sometimes those guys have got a better idea than I got. It’s a combination of my preparation before I got the role and having a great staff around me.”
One of the new faces Sumler has been overseeing in the cornerback room is Mike Lindsay. A transfer from Idaho State, Lindsay appeared in 10 games for the Bengals during the 2025 season. He collected 28 total tackles, five pass breakups and an interception. On multiple occasions he tallied four or more tackles in single game. Lindsay, who is the nephew of basketball legends Reggie and Cheryl Miller, was a multi-sport athlete in high school who had now begun to find his place amongst the Aztec’s defense.
“You know we have a good staff, so they teach me different ways to look at football, and I'm also going on my own, watching a lot of film. You know, there's YouTube, there are 1,000 resources you can use to study anything you want to learn. You could look it up anywhere and just get different perspectives, different views, and just get knowledge on the game. Just any way I could pick up, get a little bit smarter, a little bit better in that aspect. I'm going to use it to my advantage. You know, there's always more stuff you can learn. I feel like my footwork has gotten better. My back pedaling and my brakes, but I think my biggest growth over the off season was really my mind, and I think the mental aspect is what will take you to the next level.”
As one of the many new faces on The Mesa and a member of a cornerback room that features five new players, Lindsay highlighted the importance of building a connection with the players he will be lined up alongside this season.
“Just connecting with your brothers. Like we'll go bowling, you know, we'll hang out. We just kick it like me and another corner. We went to a concert recently at Snapdragon, and it's just getting to know the people around you; it just makes it easier on the field. When I know him, I know the work he's put in I know how much he wants it. So, when I'm on the same field as him, I know he's the corner on the other side. I can trust him. Like I want him to succeed. If you don't know the guy on the other side of you, you're just playing for yourself. But it's like, hey, I trust that he's going to do his thing. Therefore, I need to do better in order to maintain the standard. I know he's doing the necessary work. I've hung out with him. I've had a lot of conversations with him. I know what I'm getting out of this guy. I need to maintain the standard and that is Aztec FAST.”
While Lindsay is quickly embracing his newfound football home his fellow cornerback, Jelani Whitmore, is preparing for one last season in San Diego.
Whitmore is entering his sixth year at SDSU. His 2025 season was derailed due to injury, but he appeared in 24 games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In 2024 he saw action on both special teams and in the secondary while totaling 10 tackles, three pass breakups, four passes defended as well as one interception and one fumble recovery.
Whitmore took time to reflect on his recovery during last season and what he learned by stepping back and watching the Aztec’s dominate defense.
“It was an opportunity to really just see the game from that different perspective. You know, Chris [Johnson] is a great corner. He offered a lot of insight, and he was able to see things. Even if it was not his job, he was able to see the whole defense. So, he was able to make plays just knowing where everybody else is on the defensive side of the ball. So just being able to learn the whole defense, learn what the safeties do, what the linebackers do, so that I know where my role is and know where the weaknesses are of the defense.”
Heading into his final year of college football Whitmore is looking forward to returning to field as he prepares for his sixth year with SDSU.
“First off, I have to take care of my body. You know, making sure I'm able to just come out here and compete every single day, and when I'm out there, just able to be able to make plays, be able to be in the right spots and align right. Those little things, those little details really matter. You know, it means a lot to me just being able to be here since the COVID year, so it means a lot to still be able to be here. A lot of the people in my class obviously have graduated, moved on. So just being able to be in this one program the whole time, having Coach Sum [Demetrius Sumler] as my coach the whole entire time, you know it just means a lot. “
The Aztecs will return to the field on Saturday morning for the fourth 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
8/7/2026 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