Zyrus Fiaseu Season 2022

HONORS
* 2023 All-Mountain West Honorable Mention
* 2023 San Diego State Most Valuable Player
* 2023 San Diego State Defensive Player of the Year

Pronounced fee-uh-say-oo ... Signed with the early 2020 signing class in December and enrolled at San Diego State for 2021 spring classes ... Athletic linebacker with a ton of potential ... Entered his second full season in 2022 third on the depth chart at middle linebacker behind sixth-year seniors Caden McDonald and Seyddrick Lakalaka, but eventually became the starter the better half of the season ... Enters 2023 as the projected starter at middle linebacker.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2023)
Earned an all-Mountain West honorable mention ... Named the team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year ... Played all 12 games, starting 11 of them ... Led the team with 66 tackles (31 solo) on the year, with 11.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks ... His 11.5 TFLs totaled 57 yards and his 5.5 sacks totaled 48... Registered five quarterback hurries and five pass breakups ... Also had three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries ... Led the Mountain West in forced fumbles (3, T-18th in FBS) and forced fumbles per game (0.25, T-13th in FBS), and tied for second in fumble recoveries (3, T-6th in FBS), tied for fourth in tackles for loss yards (57, T-54th in FBS), fifth in total sack yards (48, T-45th in FBS), total tackles for loss (11.5, T-53rd in FBS) and tackles for loss per game (1.05, T-59th in FBS), and tied for fifth in total sacks (5.5, T-74th in FBS) and sacks per game (0.50) ... Started the opener against Ohio on Aug. 26 and came up with three tackles (two solo), including two tackles for loss (for 11 yards) and a 10-yard sack ... Had just 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks for his career entering the game ... Played 50 snaps overall ... Also added a QBH ... Started in the victory over Idaho State on Sept. 2, playing 50 total snaps ... Recorded three tackles (two solo) ... Had a monster game against UCLA on Sept. 9 ... Entered the game with six tackles on the season and finished with seven in the first half and a career-high 12 for the game (previous high was four) ... He also forced his first two fumbles and recovered his first career fumble ... The two forced fumbles tied an SDSU single-game record (14th occasion) ... Tied a then-career high with two tackles for loss ... Logged his second sack of the season and had his first career pass breakup ... His Pro Football Focus grade of 90.5 was the highest in the country among linebackers for Week 2 (min. 45 snaps) and the third highest regardless of defensive position ... Led the team in tackles for the second straight game at No. 16/17 Oregon State on Sept. 16 ... Totaled seven (three solo) tackles against the Beavers ... One of his tackles went for a loss of two yards, his fifth TFL of the year ... Also added a quarterback hurry ... Made his fifth start of the season in the conference opener against Boise State on Sept. 22 ... Totaled five tackles (three solo) ... Recorded his sixth tackle for loss, a two-yard loss toward the end of the first half ... Added his second pass breakup of the season ... Got his sixth start of the year at Air Force on Sept. 30 ... Led the team in tackles for the third time in four games, with nine tackles (two solo) ... Finished the game with the second most snaps played, logging 50 of the possible 59 ... Recorded four solo tackles in a start at Hawai’i on Oct. 14 ... Also recorded a tackle for loss ... Had one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on separate plays ... His fumble recovery came on a muffed punt in the second quarter setting up the Aztec offense with a field goal attempt ... Recorded his TFL and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter which led to an Aztec touchdown, extending their lead ... Named the team’s co-defensive player of the game with Deshawn McCuin ... Finished second on the team in tackles against Nevada on Oct. 21 ... Totaled seven tackles (four solo) ... Also recorded a sack (and TFL), his third of the season, for an eight-yard loss ... Had two quarterback hurries along with his third PBU of the year as well ... Recorded six tackles (three solo) against Utah State on Nov. 4 ... The three TFL, and sacks, are both career-highs ... They totaled a loss of 22 yards ... His first sack went for a loss of nine in the third quarter and forced Utah State to punt ... The second sack went for a loss of 11 that put the Aggies in a 3rd & 21 before having to punt ... His third sack came in overtime as a loss of two ... Recorded seven tackles at Colorado State on Nov. 11 ... Was his third straight game with seven tackles and his sixth of seven or more this season ... Also had his third fumble recovery of the season in the fourth quarter ... The FR led to a touchdown drive in the final minutes of the game ... Logged just 10 defensive snaps at San Jose State on Nov. 18, being removed from the game early due to injury ... Had two tackles, including one TFL for a yard ... Also recorded his fourth pass breakup of the season ... Recorded just one tackle in the season finale against Fresno State on Nov. 25 ... Also added his fifth pass breakup of the season.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2022)
Played in all 13 games, starting six times ... Had 24 tackles (nine solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries ... Played 244 defensive snaps overall ... Played statless time on special teams against Arizona on Sept. 3 ... Logged five snaps on defense vs. Idaho State on Sept. 10 without recording a stat ... Shined late at No. 14/15 Utah on Sept. 17, making four tackles (three solo) in just six defensive snaps ... Played on special teams vs. Toledo on Sept. 24 but did not record a stat ... Logged five snaps late at Boise State on Sept. 30 without making a stat ... Earned his first career start against Hawai’i on Oct. 8, where he made four tackles (one solo) and added a quarterback hurry in 38 snaps ... Started for a second straight game at Nevada on Oct. 22, making two tackles (one solo) with a quarterback hurry in 24 snaps ... Started at Fresno State (Oct. 29) and had two assisted tackles, including 0.5 sacks (and TFL), in 42 defensive snaps ... Made an assisted stop against UNLV on Nov. 5 in 37 snaps ... Had three tackles (one solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss in 29 snaps in a start vs. San José State on Nov. 12 ... Had two assisted tackles and a quarterback hurry in 21 snaps in a start at New Mexico on Nov. 18 ... Registered four tackles (three solo) off the bench against Air Force on Nov. 26, playing 19 snaps ... Came off the bench once again vs. Middle Tennessee in the EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl on Dec. 24, making two assisted tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss in 19 snaps.

REDSHIRT SEASON (2021)
Played in two games on special teams but ended up using his redshirt season ... Did not play in the team’s first four games ... Made his collegiate debut on special teams against New Mexico on Oct. 9 ... Also played the next game at San Jose State (Oct. 15) ... Did not play over the final eight games.

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned four letters at Liberty High School in Las Vegas, Nev., the same high school as current Aztecs Ethan Dedeaux and Allan Mwata … Helped the Patriots to a state title in 2019, finishing with a 10-5 record and 5-0 league record … Was an all-state selection and a three-time all-league pick … Was the team’s MVP … LHS did not play during the 2020 season (COVID-19) … Excelled on both sides of the ball … According to MaxPreps, on offense ran for 2,390 yards over his career and 29 touchdowns on 330 attempts (7.2 avg.) … Also caught 19 passes for 178 yards (9.4 avg.) and two touchdowns … Best season was as a junior in 2019 when he rushed for 1,030 yards and 17 touchdowns on 148 carries (7.0 avg.) … The numbers are incomplete on the defensive side of the ball …  A consensus three-star recruit by Rivals, 247sports and ESPN … Earned a scout grade of 82 by 247sports and 76 by ESPN … Ranked as the fourth-best recruit in the state of Nevada by ESPN and the 13th best by 247sports ... Played junior varsity volleyball and freshman basketball.

PERSONAL
Zyrus Taatofa Fiaseu was born Nov. 26, 2002, in Las Vegas ... Son of Tofiga and Agimoe Fiaseu ... Picked San Diego State over numerous offers, including Oregon, Washington State, Nebraska, Boise State, Nevada, Hawai’i, Colorado State, Utah State and UNLV ... Is majoring in kinesiology.

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Tackles: 12 vs. UCLA (9/9/23)
Tackles For Loss: 3.0 vs. Utah State (11/4/23)
Sacks: 3.0 vs. Utah State (11/4/23)
Pass Breakups: 1, four times
Forced Fumbles: 2 vs. UCLA (9/9/23)
Fumble Recoveries: 1 at Colorado State (11/11/23), at Hawai'i (10/14/23), vs. UCLA (9/9/23)