Darren Hall Season 2018

Final Bio

* 2020 First Team All-Mountain West
* 2019 Honorable-Mention All-Mountain West
* 2018 SDSU Co-Outstanding Freshman Award
* Two-Time MW Defensive Player of the Week
    - Sept. 24, 2018 for game vs. EMU
    - Oct. 8, 2018 for game at rv/No. 24 BSU
* Three-time MW Fall All-Academic Team (2018-20)

Ball hawk with good instincts ... Played in two games in 2017 as a true freshman, before ultimately being shut down with an injury, redshirting the season ... Moved from safety to cornerback in the spring of 2018 ... Started the final three games of 2018 and entered the 2019 season as one of the two starting cornerbacks, but worked through an injury early ... Entered the 2020 season with 1,282 career snaps (the rest of the Aztec cornerbacks had nine defensive snaps).

JUNIOR SEASON (2020)
Was named a first-team all-Mountain West selection … Also racked up numerous preseason accolades, most notably being named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List for the best defensive back ... Also was a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by the MW media, Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and College Football News ... CFN called him “SDSU’s five-best defensive player,” while ESPN listed him as “One of SDSU’s five-best returning players” ... Started the team’s eight games, recording 38 tackles (31 solo), including two tackles for loss, three interceptions (one for a touchdown) and six pass breakups ... Led the Mountain West in pass deflections (INT + PBU) per game (1.12, T-26th in FBS) and passes defended (9, T-37th in FBS), and is tied for first in interceptions returned for a touchdown (1, T-6th in FBS) … Also ranked second in the league in passes broken up (6, T-2nd), total interceptions (3, T-31st in FBS) and interceptions yards (72, T-39th in FBS), third in interceptions per game (0.38, T-32nd in FBS) and tied for ninth in solo tackles (31) ... Led the team with 28 tackles on passing plays ... Started the opener against UNLV on Oct. 24, making two tackles (one solo), including 0.5 tackles for loss ... Had five tackles (two solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss in a start at Utah State on Oct. 31 ...The five tackles tied Andrew Aleki and Tayler Hawkins for the most on the team ... Registered four tackles (three solo) in a start vs. San José State on Nov. 6 ... Had four tackles (three solo) and a pair of pass breakups in another start vs. Hawai’i on Nov. 14 ... Had a career-high 11 tackles (10 solo), including a tackle for loss, an interception and two pass breakups in a start at Nevada on Nov. 21... Led the team in tackles ... Was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week for his play at Colorado on Nov. 28, when he recorded a solo tackle, a 57-yard interception returned for a touchdown and a pass breakup ... The interception returned for a touchdown was the first of his career ... Now has two defensive touchdowns for his career (also a fumble return TD vs. Central Michigan in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl) ... Had six tackles (all solo) and an interception returned for 15 yards vs. Colorado State ... It was his third straight game with an interception ... Now has three this season and six for his career … Made four solo tackles and added a pass breakup at Brigham Young on Dec. 12.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2019)
Was named an honorable-mention all-Mountain West selection by the league’s coaches and media ... Also made the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Year as a third-team pick and a Phil Steele Magazine third-team selection ... Was named a preseason third-team all-Mountain West selection by Athlon Sports ... Played in 12 of the team’s 13 games, starting the final 11 ... Had 49 tackles (34 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, an interception and a team-high-tying 16 pass breakups ... Tied for the most pass breakups in FBS play (16), tied for sixth in pass deflections (INT + PBU) per game (1.42) and tied for 10th in total passes defended (17) ... Finished in a tie for second in SDSU single-season history with Luq Barcoo (2019) and Ron Smith (2017) in pass breakups (16), six behind Marlon Andrews (22 in 1990) ... Missed the opener with Weber State because of an injury ... Returned to play eight snaps off the bench at UCLA without recording a stat ... Earned his first start of the season at New Mexico State, playing all 70 snaps at cornerback ... Came up with three tackles (two solo), two forced fumbles and a pass breakup ... The two forced fumbles were tied with 12 others for the most in a game in school history and tied with 45 others for the second most in a FBS game in 2019 ... Tied a career high with nine tackles (seven solo), including a tackle for loss, and three pass breakups vs. Utah State in a start, playing all 77 snaps ... The three pass breakups were also a career high ... Started and played all 57 snaps at Colorado State, making four tackles (two solo), 0.5 sacks, a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups ... Registered two solo tackles and two pass breakups in a start vs. Wyoming, playing all 54 snaps and being named to the Pro Football Focus National Second Team of the Week and the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Recorded four tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup, while playing all 54 snaps at San José State while being named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Had four tackles (three solo), two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry in all 73 snaps at UNLV ... Had a solo tackle, an interception and a pass breakup, playing all 56 snaps vs. Nevada ... The interception was his first of the season and third of his career ... Had two tackles and a pass breakup against Fresno State, where he played all 56 snaps ... Recorded a team-high eight tackles (five solo) with a pass breakup in a start at Hawai’i ... Led the team in tackles for the second time this season and third time of his career ... Came up with six tackles (five solo) and two pass breakups in a start vs. Brigham Young ... Had a good game vs. Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl, making six tackles (five solo), including a 7-yard sack (and TFL), and a 20-yard fumble return for a touchdown in all 56 snaps ... The fumble return for a touchdown was the first by an Aztec since Everett Beed against Air Force on Nov. 10, 2012 and SDSU’s first defensive touchdown since Tariq Thompson’s interception return vs. Northern Illinois on Sept. 30, 2017 ... The defensive touchdown was San Diego State’s third in its last five bowl games (also 2015 Hawai’i Bowl and 2016 Las Vegas Bowl) ... It was also his first career fumble recovery.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2018)
Shared the team’s outstanding freshman award (along with RB Jordan Byrd) ... Played in 12 games on the season, starting the final three ... Had 45 tackles (34 solo), two interceptions, two tackles for loss, a sack, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry ... Did not see time at No. 13/13 Stanford in the opener ... Logged his first snaps on special teams against Sacramento State, but did not find the stat sheet ... Played one snap on defense and on special teams vs. No. 23/25 Arizona State ... Had a breakout game against Eastern Michigan in the first significant defensive snaps of his career, recording a career-high four tackles with the first interception of his career en route to being named the MW Defensive Player of the Week ... Also made the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... The interception came in overtime and allowed SDSU to kick the game-winning field goal on its ensuing drive ... Logged 43 snaps off the bench after coming into the game with 22 career snaps (one in 2018), allowing just 21 total receiving yards on four targets (according to Pro Football Focus) ... Was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks (SDSU was off in between) for his play at rv/No. 24 Boise State, recording game- and career-high nine tackles, leading the Aztecs for the first time of his career ... Also had an interception, while recording his first career sack, tackle for loss and forced fumble ... The interception came in the first quarter on his first defensive snap of the game (Boise State’s second drive), making it two straight defensive snaps for him with an interception (five SDSU defensive snaps total dating back to the EMU game) ... The interception led to a field goal, which put SDSU on the scoreboard ... His forced fumble, sack and TFL also put Boise State out of field goal range late in the second quarter ...  Played a career-high 71 snaps after entering the game with just 44 for the season and 65 for his career ... Hall became the first Aztec to win multiple MW Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors in the same season since Jake Fely in 2012 ... Made four stops (three solo) in 44 snaps against Air Force ... For his efforts, he made the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Had five tackles with a quarterback hurry in 55 snaps vs. San José State ... Came up with four tackles (three solo) in 50 snaps at Nevada ... Had a solo tackle in 38 snaps off the bench at New Mexico ... Had four stops (two solo) in 61 snaps off the bench against UNLV ... Earned his first career start at Fresno State, coming down with eight tackles (five solo), a tackle for loss and a pass breakup ... Started again vs. Hawai’i, making four tackles (three solo) with a pass breakup ... Had a solo tackle and a pass breakup in a third straight start against Ohio in the DXL Frisco Bowl.

REDSHIRT SEASON (2017)
Was one of four true freshmen who played in a game (also linebacker Andrew Aleki, right guard/center Dominic Gudino and Warrior Tariq Thompson) ... Had two tackles (both solo) in two games ... Played late against UC Davis in the opener, recording two solo tackles ... Did not play the next four games ... Played the last drive against UNLV without finding the statsheet ... Did not play the final seven games of the season due to injury.  

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned two letters at Rancho Cucamonga High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. ... Led the Cougars to a 12-1 record in 2016, including a 5-0 mark in league play ... According to MaxPreps, had 95 tackles, 11 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery over his two years ... Was a first-team all-league selection and a two-time all-Inland Valley pick ... Won the outstanding defensive back-of-the-year award ... Was a consensus three-star recruit by Rivals, ESPN, 247sports and Scout ... Received a grade of 85 by 247sports and a 73 by ESPN ... Labeled as the 17th-best cornerback in California by Scout ... Also on the principal honor roll and a honor roll ... Competed on the track and field team at RCHS.

PERSONAL
Darren Reginald Hall was born May 2, 2000, in Baldwin Park, Calif. ... Chose the Aztecs over Colorado, Utah, Washington State, Oregon State, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, Hawai'i, Nevada, UNLV, San Jose State and Fresno State ... Is majoring in communication with a focus in liberal arts.

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Tackles: 11 at Nevada (11/21/20)
Tackles For Loss: 1.5 at Colorado State (10/5/19)
Sacks: 1.0 vs. Central Michigan (12/21/19), at rv/No. 24 Boise State (10/6/18)
Interceptions: 1, six times
Pass Breakups: 3 vs. Utah State (9/21/19)
Forced Fumbles: 2 at New Mexico State (9/14/19)
Fumble Recoveries: 1 vs. Central Michigan (12/21/19)
Defensive Touchdowns: 1 at Colorado (11/28/20), vs. Central Michigan (12/21/19)