Final Bio
Former walk-on, who earned a scholarship on Aug. 25, 2021 (his senior year) ... Saw playing time in his first year in 2018 and more each of his final three seasons ... Speedy and shifty receiver, who also saw some action in the return game.
SENIOR SEASON (2021)
Had 23 catches for 287 yards (12.5 avg.) with a long of 36 yards in 14 games, including seven starts ... Also had four rushes for 11 yards (2.8 avg.) with a long run of four yards ... Has one tackle as well following an Aztec turnover ... Came off the bench in the opener against New Mexico State on Sept. 4, making a team-high two catches for 19 yards (9.5 avg.) with a team-long 25-yard grab ... Played in 18 snaps ... Earned his first start of the season and fourth of his career at Arizona on Sept. 11, making a 4-yard catch in 15 snaps ... tarted for a second straight game against Utah on Sept. 18 without recording a stat in 14 snaps ... Made two catches for 15 yards (7.5 avg.) with a long of 12 yards in 13 snaps off the bench against Towson on Sept. 25 ... Came up with a career-long 36-yard catch in 17 snaps off the bench against New Mexico on Oct. 9 ... The catch led to a Chance Bell rushing touchdown ... Had a career-high three receptions for 41 (13.7 avg.) yards in 29 snaps off the bench at San José State on Oct. 15 ... Also carried twice for seven yards (3.5 avg.) ... Had a 3-yard catch in 16 snaps off the bench at Air Force on Oct. 23 ... Made an 11-yard grab in a start against Fresno State on Oct. 30, playing 43 snaps on offense ... Also had a tackle on an Aztec interception ... Played 29 statless snaps off the bench at Hawai’i on Nov. 6 ... Had a 15-yard catch in a start against?Nevada on Nov. 13 in 50 offensive snaps ... Made two catches for 21 yards (10.5 avg.) with a long of 12 yards at UNLV on Nov. 19 ... Also had a 1-yard carry ... Logged 28 snaps overall ... Had three catches for 37 yards (12.3 avg.) with a long of 14 yards in a start and 49 snaps against Boise State on Nov. 26 ... The three catches tied a career high ... Had three receptions for 34 yards (11.3 avg.) with a long of 13 yards in the Mountain West Championship against Utah State on Dec. 4 ... Played 46 snaps overall, tying a career high with three catches ... Ended his Aztec career in style against UTSA in the Tropical Smoothie Frisco Bowl on Dec. 21, tying a career high with three catches for a career-best 51 yards with a long of 31 yards.
JUNIOR SEASON (2020)
Played in all eight games on the season with three starts ... Had seven catches for 49 yards (7.0 avg.) with a long of 17 yards ... Also had a 6-yard rush ... In the return game, returned three punts for 87 yards (29.0 avg.) with a 90-yard touchdown and two kick returns for 37 yards (18.5 avg.) with a long of 19 yards ... Played snaps in a reserve role vs. UNLV on Oct. 24, making a pair of receptions for five yards (2.5 avg.) ... The two catches tied a career high (seventh occasion) ... Made a 9-yard catch at Utah State on Oct. 31 ... Had an 11-yard grab against San José State on Nov. 6, while returning a kick return for the first time of his career for 19 yards ... Started for the first time of his career against Hawai’i on Nov. 14 but did not make a catch ... Started for the second straight game at Nevada on Nov. 21, making two catches for 24 yards (12.0 avg.) with a long of 17 yards ...Came off the bench at Colorado on Nov. 28, recording a catch and running for six yards ... Returned his first three punts of his career for 87 yards (29.0 avg.) with a touchdown against Colorado State on Dec. 5, while returning one kickoff for 18 yards ... Returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown, the first by an Aztec on a non-blocked return since Rashaad Penny on Nov. 18, 2017 ... The 90-yard punt return was the longest by an Aztec since Damon Gourdine’s school-record 98-yard return on Oct. 24, 1998 vs. Utah, the second longest in Mountain West history, the second-longest punt return in FBS play on the season and tied for the third longest in program history ... The 29.0 punt return average was the second-highest average by an Aztec since at least 1996 (min. 3 PR) and the eighth highest in a FBS game in 2020 (min 3 PR) ... Along with a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Jordan Byrd in the second quarter, San Diego State became the first FBS team with a kickoff return TD and a punt return TD in the same quarter since Tennessee on Oct. 31, 2015 (third quarter at Kentucky) ... It was the third time in the last 24 seasons (since 1996) that SDSU had a kickoff and punt return in the same game ... Also returned a kickoff for 18 yards ... Also started on offense at wide receiver for the third time of the season without recording a stat ... Did not record a stat off the bench at No. 14/16 Brigham Young on Dec. 12.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2019)
Saw action in 12 games on the season ... Had 13 catches for 109 yards (8.4 avg.) with a long of 23 yards ... Also had two rushes for zero yards ... Logged 16 snaps in the opener with Weber State, recording two catches for 10 yards (5.0 avg.) with a long of seven yards ... Did not play at UCLA ... Logged 14 statless snaps at New Mexico State ... Played 17 snaps vs. Utah State, but was unable to find the stat sheet ... Had a 2-yard run in 13 snaps at Colorado State ... Had a pair of catches for six yards (3.0 avg.) and a negative rushing attempt in 32 snaps vs. Wyoming ... Came down with two receptions for 11 yards (5.5 avg.) with a long of nine at San Jose State in 18 snaps of the bench ... Had a 12-yard catch in 12 snaps off the bench at UNLV ... Made a 14-yard catch in 16 snaps vs. Nevada ... Had two grabs for 12 yards (6.0 avg.) in 27 snaps against Fresno State ... Made a 5-yard catch in seven snaps at Hawai’i ... Did not record a stat in 12 snaps vs. Brigham Young ... Had a solid game against Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl, making two catches for 39 yards (19.5 avg.) in 17 snaps ... The two receptions tied a career high, while the 39 yards were his most in a game since a career-high 44-yard effort at Nevada on Nov. 3, 2018 ... Also had a season-long 23-yard reception in the game.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2018)
Played in the team’s final 11 games ... Had eight catches for 136 yards (17.0 avg.) with a 24-yard touchdown ... Also had five rushes for 14 yards (2.8 avg.) with a long of eight yards ... Did not play in the opener at No. 13/13 Stanford or in the home opener against Sacramento State ... Played his first career 11 snaps against No. 23/25 Arizona State, making a 12-yard catch and recording an 8-yard rush ... Played 10 snaps vs. Eastern Michigan, making the most of them with two receptions for 39 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown ... The touchdown put SDSU up, 17-3, in the second quarter and came on his second career catch ... Made a 24-yard grab at rv/No. 24 Boise State, but fumbled the ball and the Broncos recovered ... Had a 5-yard rush in seven snaps vs. Air Force ... Did not record a stat in three snaps against San José State ... Had a good game in 20 snaps at Nevada, catching two balls for a career-high 44 yards (22.0 avg.) with a career long of 29 yards ... Also had a carry, but it went for a 3-yard loss ... His 41 all-purpose yards were a career best .. Made a 4-yard grab off the bench at New Mexico ... Made a 13-yard catch and had a 1-yard rush against UNLV ... Had a 3-yard rush in 12 snaps at Fresno State ... Did not find the stat sheet in five snaps vs. Hawai’i or in 10 snaps vs. Ohio in the DXL Frisco Bowl.
REDSHIRT SEASON (2017)
Redshirted the 2017 season after joining the team when school started.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was a three-year letter winner at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, Calif. ... Earned first-team all-Sante Fe League honors all three years and was a three-time first-team all-CIF selection ... Captained his senior team in 2016 to a 13-3 record, catching 53 passes for 1,055 yards (19.9 avg.) with eight touchdowns, while adding 460 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 39 carries (11.8 avg.), and scoring an additional six return touchdowns (four punt return, two kick return) (according to MaxPreps) ... Was the St. Anthony Male Athlete of the Year.
PERSONAL
Byron Lamont Busbee Jr. was born May 31, 1999, in San Diego ... Son of Byron and Lenora Busbee ... Is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.
SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Receptions: 3, four times
Receiving Yards: 51 vs. UTSA (12/21/21)
Receiving Touchdowns: 1 vs. Eastern Michigan (9/22/18)
Long Reception: 36 vs. New Mexico (10/9/21)
Carries: 2 at San José State (10/15/21)
Rushing Yards: 8 vs. No. 23/25 Arizona State (9/15/18)
Long Rush: 8 vs. No. 23/25 Arizona State (9/15/18)
Kick Returns: 1 vs. Colorado State (12/5/20), vs. San José State (11/6/20)
Kick Return Yards: 19 vs. San José State (11/6/20)
Long Kick Return: 19 vs. San José State (11/6/20)
Punt Returns: 3 vs. Colorado State (12/5/20)
Punt Return Yards: 87 vs. Colorado State (12/5/20)
Punt Return Touchdowns: 1 vs. Colorado State (12/5/20)
Long Punt Return: 90 vs. Colorado State (12/5/20)
All-Purpose Yards: 105 vs. Colorado State (12/5/20)
Total Touchdowns: 1 vs. Colorado State (12/5/20), vs. Eastern Michigan (9/22/18)
BJ Busbee Season 2019
#41PositionWR
Weight155 lbs
Height5-8
ClassSophomore
HometownLong Beach, Calif.
Exp.1L