SAN RAMON, Calif. -- San Diego State’s Jaylon Hawkins has been named the Pac-12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. It’s the first Pac-12 award for the Aztecs in their inaugural season in the league and first career conference accolade for Hawkins.
Hawkins helped the Aztecs (1-0) to a 53-20 win over Portland State on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. Playing in just his fifth career game, Hawkins returned three kickoffs for 141 yards (47.0 avg.), including a 100-yard touchdown, the first touchdown of his career. It was SDSU’s first kick return touchdown since Jordan Byrd vs. San Jose State on Nov. 12, 2022, and the first 100-yard return since Byrd had one against Utah on Sept. 18, 2021.
San Diego State’s 15 kick return touchdowns since 2015 are the most in FBS play over that span, while the six 100-yard returns match Western Michigan for the most. Hawkins was a part of an Aztec special teams unit that became the first FBS team since at least the 2012 season to block two punts and return a kickoff for a touchdown.
The 141 kick return yards were the most in Snapdragon Stadium history, while the 100-yard return was the longest in stadium history.
SDSU travels to UCLA on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. PT.
Jaylon Hawkins Named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week
Hawkins returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in SDSU’s 53-20 win on Saturday night.
