5 San Diego State players named to Pac-12 Preseason Impact List
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A new league brings new honors, and five San Diego State Aztecs have been named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List.
Not surprisingly, the Aztecs’ contingent is led by senior running back Lucky Sutton, who topped the Mountain West in rushing last season with a career-best 1,297 yards and has been named first team All-Pac-12 by three publications.
The other four are senior left tackle Joe Borjoin, senior linebacker Tano Letuli, junior wideout Jordan Napier and defensive lineman Gavriel Lightfoot, a senior transfer from Colorado.
The list features five players from each of the eight schools who are projected to have a significant impact on the new season. It is picked by the league’s head coaches.
The Aztecs officially joined the rebuilt Pac-12 on July 1. They moved over from the MW along with Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah. Texas State is another newcomer, joining holdovers Washington State and Oregon State.
Who is Lucky Sutton?
Sutton is looking to build on his breakout junior season, when he reached 13th on the all-time school single-season rushing list and became the 20th different Aztecs back to pass the 1,000-yard plateau. The feat has been 28 times overall, and Sutton would love to make it 29 for his hometown Aztecs.
Besides the preseason All-Pac-12 selections, Sutton has been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List for the college player of the year. He played at San Diego’s Cathedral Catholic High School and has said how important it is to finish his career at home.
Who is Joe Borjon?
The Aztecs are looking for the senior to provide leadership on an offensive line that must break in three new starters. He started all 13 games last year at right tackle and has been moved over to left tackle, where besides opening holes for Sutton, he’ll work to protect the blind side of returning quarterback Jayden Denegal.
Borjon was picked to Athlon Sports’ preseason All-Pac-12 first team and named a fourth-teamer by Phil Steele Magazine.
Borjon gets the added bonus of playing this season with his younger brother Brian, an incoming freshman who also is an offensive lineman.
Who is Tano Letuli?
Letuli also played at Cathedral Catholic High before playing his true freshman season at Army. He transferred back home to SDSU and has been an important player in the Aztecs’ defense.
He is a two-time team captain and two-time All-MW honorable mention selection who is coming off knee surgery. He is so highly regarded that despite missing time last season, he was honored as a preseason All-Pac-12 first-team pick by Athlon Sports, Lindy’s Sports and Phil Steele Magazine.
He had 30 tackles, an interception, four quarterback hurries and two pass breakups in six games before injuring his knee. He was captain of a defense that set the tone during the turnaround season of 2025, when the Aztecs improved from 3-9 to 9-4. The defense led the nation with three shutouts.
Who is Jordan Napier?
Napier is one of the most versatile Aztecs on the squad. He was honored as the All-MW first-team punt returner and a second-team wideout despite missing the final 3 ½ games with a knee injury.
He was the leading receiver with 48 catches for 629 yards and two touchdowns. He returned 22 punts for 193 yards and 75-yard touchdown return just 59 seconds into a 44-10 win at Nevada. He also scored a rushing TD in a 24-7 home win against Wyoming.
Napier has been recognized as a first-team all-Pac-12 pick at wide receiver by Athlon, Lindy’s and Phil Steele, and as a punt returner by Phil Steele.
Who is Gavriel Lightfoot?
Lightfoot was honored despite redshirting at Colorado last season. He had a successful three-year run at conference rival Fresno State, where he started 27 of the 35 games he played in. He piled up 66 tackles, including five for loss, one sack, one breakup and four hurries.
He is listed as the starter at nose tackle on the depth chart that was released after spring drills. Phil Steele made him a fourth-team All-Pac-12 pick.
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Bernie Wilson recently retired from The Associated Press after nearly 41 years, including stops in Spokane, Los Angeles and, for the final 33 years, San Diego. He grew up in Coeur d'Alene and graduated from the University of Idaho.