The transfer portal has become the lifeblood of college sports, especially in football, where teams often welcome upward of 20 or more new players who are looking for a fresh start for a number of reasons.
One of the top recruiting sites, 247sports.com, has ranked the San Diego State Aztecs’ transfer class No. 1 in the new-look Pac-12, just ahead of Washington State.
The Aztecs have 27 transfers heading into the new season, when they’ll try to build on last year’s big turnaround, when they went 9-4 and played in a bowl game for the first time in three seasons.
Here are the most important transfers for the Aztecs.
RB/RET Javion Kinnard, Colorado State, sophomore
Kinnard brings versatility as he moves from rival Colorado State, which is joining SDSU in the Pac-12. Although he saw limited action as a freshman, he made the most of it. He carried 12 times for 58 yards and had 18 catches for 228 yards and one touchdown. He also earned second-team All-MW honors as a punt returner, with six returns for 138 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown. With that kind of versatility, he’ll no doubt find his niche with the Aztecs.
LB Sione Hala, Weber State, senior
Hala returns to his native Southern California and is at his third school. He played in 10 games last year at Weber State of the FCS Big Sky Conference, where he had 64 total tackles, including eight for loss, as well as 1.5 sacks and an interception. He played at Boston College from 2022 to 2024. He played in eight games during the 2024 season. He played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2023, including one start.
DT Gavriel Lightfoot, Colorado, senior
The senior will be eager to compete for playing time after sitting out last year during his redshirt season at Colorado. Prior to that, he played three seasons at Fresno State, where he started 27 of the 35 games he played in. He had a total of 66 tackles, five tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, one sack and one pass breakup.
There’s playing time to be had, as the Aztecs must replace three starters and several backups.
C Issac Lucas, Ball State, RS junior
Lucas made nine starts at right guard for Ball State last season and will be looking to become a major contributor with the Aztecs, who lost Bayo Kannike, who started every game at right guard, and backup Chase Duarte. Lucas allowed just one sack and 10 pressures in 270 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
CB Michael Lindsay, Idaho State, sophomore
Another player moving from the Big Sky Conference back to his native SoCal is Mike Lindsay, who spent two seasons at Idaho State. He played in 10 games last year for the Bengals, piling up 28 total tackles, including 17 solo, plus an interception and five pass breakups.
WR Justius Lowe, Oregon, senior
It never hurts to have a transfer from a power conference, and Lowe fits the bill after catching 27 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown in two seasons at Oregon. He played in nine games last season and played in 11 of 14 games the previous season, while starting five.
EDGE Kai Wallin, Oregon State, senior
There are starting jobs up for grabs on the defensive line, and Kai Wallin from future Pac-12 opponent Oregon State will be in the mix. He made seven starts and played in nine games overall last year, when he had 17 tackles, two for loss, with one sack, four hurries and a pass breakup. Prior to that, he played in 15 games over two seasons at Nebraska and one season at American River College.
Star EDGE Trey White transferred to Texas Tech for a reported $1.5 million, and Ryan Henderson and Niles King are also gone.
S Isaiah Green, Portland State, sophomore
Another former Big Sky player is looking to pick up some playing time in the secondary, where the only returning starter is Dalesean Staley, who started the entire season at strong safety. Green had a solid redshirt freshman season at Portland State, where he started seven games at free safety and played in 11 total. He had 50 total tackles, fourth on the team, as well as an interception and three pass breakups.
QB Stone Saunders, Kentucky, RS freshman
Although he didn’t play in a game last year at Kentucky, as he used his redshirt season, Saunders could be an important player at a position where injuries can wreck a season. Returning starter Jayden Denegal is coming off surgery on his non-throwing shoulder, and he was also bothered by pain in his right shoulder. Backup QB Bert Emanuel Jr. has been switched to wide receiver.
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