San Diego State adds commitment from transfer offensive lineman

Ellis spent the past four seasons at Syracuse

San Diego State Aztecs football helmet. | Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

San Diego State dipped into the transfer portal to add a commitment from Syracuse offensive lineman transfer Kalan Ellis.

A senior-to-be, the 6-foot-6, 375-pound Ellis spent four seasons with the Orange, including playing in nine games as a true freshman in 2021, making five starts. Ellis played in 11 games, making nine starts at left guard as a sophomore before an injury forced him into a redshirt year in 2023.

The seventh-ranked high school player in Hawaii’s class of 2021, Ellis prepped at St. Louis School in Oahu, the same school that produced Timmy Chang, Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa and many other standouts on the football field. He committed to play for Syracuse coach Dino Babers, a Hawaii native himself. Ellis was no longer with the team following Babers’ dismissal, remaining at the school this past season to complete his degree.

Ellis is a graduate transfer according to the transfer portal and could potentially have an extra season of eligibility remaining if he were to choose and pursue the option.

San Diego State offensive line coach and run game coordinator Mike Schmidt spent two seasons at Syracuse, helping to coach Ellis during the 2021 campaign. That relationship helped the Aztecs when navigating the portal and helped to lock in on Ellis as a name for San Diego State to target.

As has become routine across the country, San Diego State was hit with several entrants in last week’s college football transfer portal. The Aztecs lost 11 total players during the spring window. Six players who redshirted this past season entered the portal in addition to linebacker Jake Sinz and receiver Brian Pierce, who did not see action last season.

The notable names from the group were seniors-to-be from the defensive line group in Darrion Dalton and Malik Gucake. Running back Cam Davis, who rushed for 76 yards last season, also entered the portal, leaving San Diego State with three scholarship running backs prior to the arrival of the incoming freshmen this summer.

During the winter transfer window following the 2024 regular season, San Diego State had 22 players enter the transfer portal before eventually adding 19 players. The Aztecs will open the 2025 season at home against Stony Brook on August 28. They’ll host Colorado State in their Mountain West opener on October 4, marking the start of San Diego State’s last season in the conference before they join the reworked Pac-12 for the 2026 season.