Garret Fountain Season 2020

HONORS
* 2023 SDSU Most Inspirational Player of the Year
* 2023 SDSU Best Defensive Lineman
* 2023 SDSU Captain's Award
* 2019 SDSU Special Teams Scout Player of the Year

Former linebacker who made the move to defensive end in the spring  2022 season ... Continues to get bigger in the weight room ... Saw action in four games in 2019 on special teams as a true freshman, before shutting down the season for a redshirt year ... Saw more playing time the next three seasons and figures to play more in 2023 with all three starters gone from the line ... Enters 2023 as the projected starting right defensive end.

SENIOR SEASON (2023)
Named the team’s Most Inspirational Player of the Year, Best Defensive Lineman, and earned the Captain’s Award at the end of the year ... Was named a captain by his teammates ... Was named a preseason second-team all-Mountain West selection by Phil Steele Magazine and a third-team pick by Athlon Sports ... Made 42 tackles (22 solo) 12 starts ... Recorded five tackles for loss, including one sack ... Registered a pair of pass breakups and four quarterback hurries ... Saw the most defensive snaps among the Aztec front line ... Earned his first career start against Ohio in the opener on Aug. 26, making three tackles (one solo) in 53 snaps ... Started his second consecutive game to open the season against Idaho State on Sept. 2 ... Played 58 snaps, registering two tackles, including 0.5 sacks for two yards (and 0.5 TFL for two yards), with a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries ... Logged 47 snaps against UCLA on Sept. 9 ... Doubled his season total with five tackles (four solo) including a three yard TFL ... Made his fourth consecutive start at No. 16/17 Oregon State on Sept. 16 ... Tied for the team lead with four solo tackles, matching his season-best ... One tackle went for a loss of a yard, his second consecutive game with a TFL ... Got the start in the conference opener against Boise State on Sept. 22 ... Totaled four tackles (three solo) in 52 defensive snaps ... Made his sixth straight of the season at Air Force on Sept. 30 ... Recorded four tackles (one solo) in his 35 defensive snaps ... Logged 41 defensive snaps in a start at Hawai’i on Oct. 14 ... Recorded his second pass breakup of the season as well as a quarterback hurry ... Logged 46 defensive snaps against Nevada on Oct. 21, most on the defensive line ... Recorded a season-high six tackles (three solo) ... Matched his season-high in tackles against Utah State on Nov. 4 ... Of his six tackles, a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss for a total of two yards ... His solo tackle for loss came on a 4th & 1 in the first quarter forcing a turnover on downs ... Recorded three assisted tackles at Colorado State on Nov. 11 ... Made two solo tackles at San Jose State on Nov. 18, surpassing the century mark for career tackles ... Made three tackles (two solo) in the season finale against Fresno State on Nov. 25 ... Added a quarterback hurry.

JUNIOR SEASON (2022)
Was productive in a reserve role in 13 games, making 41 tackles (23 solo), including three sacks, six tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, pass breakup and three quarterback hurries ... Played in only 369 of the team’s 874 defensive snaps (42.2 pct.) ... Made his debut at defensive end in the opener against Arizona on Sept. 3, making three tackles (one assisted) with a quarterback hurry in 25 snaps ... Had a career-high six tackles (two solo), including 0.5 tackles for loss, in 24 defensive snaps ... Had another productive game in just 23 snaps at No. 14/15 Utah on Sept. 17, making five tackles (four solo), including an 8-yard sack (and TFL), a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry ... Had another good game against Toledo on Sept. 24 in 48 snaps, making six tackles (four solo) with a sack and two tackles for loss for a total of seven yards ... The two tackles for loss tied a career high, while the six tackles were then a career high ... Also added a quarterback hurry ... Had a big game at Boise State on Sept. 30, playing significant time (49 snaps) after Justus Tavai went down with an injury ... Had a career-high eight tackles (three solo), including a 4-yard tackle for loss ... Did not come up with a stat for the first time of the season in 25 snaps vs. Hawai’i on Oct. 8 ... Registered a pair of tackles (one solo) in 33 snaps at Nevada on Oct. 22 ... Came up with a 10-yard sack in 23 snaps at Fresno State on Oct. 29 ... Had a pair of solo tackles and recovered a fumble in 26 snaps vs. UNLV on Nov. 5 ... It was his first fumble recovery of the season and second of his career ... Registered one solo stop in 23 defensive snaps vs. San José State on Nov. 12 ... Did not come up with a stat in 19 snaps at New Mexico on Nov. 18 ... Had five tackles (three solo) against Air Force on Nov. 26 in 21 snaps ... Came up with two tackles (one solo), including 0.5 tackles for loss, in 20 reserve snaps vs. Middle Tennessee in the EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl on Dec. 24.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2021)
Played in the team’s 14 games off the bench, logging 19 tackles (14 solo), including six tackles for loss and three sacks, a fumble recovery, pass breakup and a quarterback hurry ... Came off the bench to play 22 snaps in the opener against New Mexico State on Sept. 4, recording two solo tackles, including a 2-yard sack ... It was his first game with multiple tackles while the sack was the first of his career ... Registered two solo tackles, including a 1-yard tackle for loss, and added a quarterback hurry in 13 snaps off the bench at Arizona on Sept. 11 ... Made the most of his 10 defensive snaps against Utah on Sept. 18, recording three tackles, including two sacks (and TFL) for 14 yards, and a pass breakup ... The two sacks doubled his career total (1.0) coming into the game and are tied for the most in a game by an Aztec this season ... Registered a pair of tackles (both solo) in 19 snaps against Towson on Sept. 25 ... Came up with an assisted tackle in 18 snaps vs. New Mexico on Oct. 9 ... Had two tackles (one solo) in just four snaps at San José State on Oct. 15 ... Came up with one tackle, which went down as a 2-yard tackle for loss, in 26 defensive snaps at Air Force on Oct. 23 ... Was unable to record a stat in 14 snaps vs. Fresno State on Oct. 30 or in 14 snaps at Hawai’i on Nov. 6 ... Logged a solo stop in 12 defensive snaps against Nevada on Nov. 13 ... Played just nine snaps at UNLV on Nov. 19 without recording a stat ... Did recover a fumble when a teammate muffed a kick on the kick return unit early in the game ... Was named one of the team’s special teams players of the game ... Had three stops (one solo) in 21 snaps vs. Boise State on Nov. 26 ... Recorded a pair of tackles, including a 1-yard tackle for loss, in 14 defensive snaps off the bench against Utah State in the Mountain West Championship on Dec. 4 ... Played 21 snaps without finding the stat sheet against No. 24/25 UTSA in the Tropical Smoothie Frisco Bowl on Dec. 21.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2020)
Played in five of the team’s eight games off the bench, mainly on special teams ... Had two solo tackles and a forced fumble ... Played late against UNLV on Oct. 24, making a solo tackle and forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Michael Shawcroft ... Came off the bench late to play at Utah State on Oct. 31 without recording a stat ... Did not play against San José State on Nov. 6 ... Played statless time on special teams vs. Hawai’i on Nov. 14 ... Had a solo tackle in special teams play at Nevada on Nov. 21 ... Played statless time on special teams at Colorado on Nov. 28 ... Did not play against Colorado State on Dec. 5 or the following week at No. 14/16 Brigham Young (Dec. 12).

REDSHIRT SEASON (2019)
Played in each of the first four games - vs. Weber State, at UCLA, at New Mexico State and vs. Utah State - on special teams - without recording a stat ... Did not play the rest of the season, using his redshirt campaign ... Was chosen as the team’s special teams scout player of the year.

HIGH SCHOOL
Lettered at Turlock High School in Turlock, Calif. … Led the Bulldogs to a 5-0 Central California Conference record as a senior and a league championship … Had 46 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2018 according to MaxPreps … Also scored a pair of touchdowns on offense … Was a two-star recruit by 247sports … Received a grade of 78 from 247sports … Was also a member of the baseball team at Turlock High.

PERSONAL
Garret James Fountain was born Dec. 15, 2000, in Modesto, Calif. ... Also was considering Sacramento State and UC Davis in the recruiting process ... Son of Jerry and Karen Fountain ... Is an interdisciplinary studies major.

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Tackles: 8 at Boise State (9/30/22)
Tackles For Loss: 2.0 vs. Toledo (9/24/22), vs. Utah (9/18/21)
Sacks: 2.0 vs. Utah (9/18/21)
Pass Breakups: 1 at No. 14/15 Utah (9/17/22), vs. Utah (9/18/21)
Forced Fumbles: 1 vs. UNLV (10/24/20);
Fumble Recoveries: 1 vs. UNLV (11/5/22), vs. Towson (9/25/21)