San Diego State football counting on its veteran cornerbacks
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San Diego State’s football team is in good shape at the cornerback position, both on the field and on the sideline.
Senior starters Chris Johnson and Bryce Phillips both return, and San Diego native Demetrius Sumler is in his eighth season as position coach.
Having that experience is a nice complement to the front seven, where edge rusher Trey White and linebacker Tano Letuli have received preseason accolades.
The Aztecs are in their final week of fall camp before shifting into regular season mode ahead of their opener against Stony Brook at Snapdragon Stadium on Aug. 28.
Why the cornerbacks matter
Johnson was an honorable mention All-Mountain West pick last year after piling up 67 tackles, an interception and three forced fumbles. Phillips had 40 tackles, including four for loss, and an interception in his first season with the Aztecs. He spent two years at Tennessee State and another at Santa Ana College.
The Aztecs will be running a 4-5-2 defense for the second season.
“The game has slowed down for them,” Sumler said. “Both those guys have played a lot of snaps. Those guys getting a whole year in the system, we simplified it a little bit. They're just playing faster. They're seeing things faster, and it's a lot more comfortable, because it's not as new to your veterans back there.”
Sumler was a star running back at San Diego’s Cathedral Catholic High before playing three seasons at Colorado and one at Central Washington, so he translates that knowledge into tutoring his DBs.
“(Defensive backs), a lot of times when they’ve got a route cover, they want to peek at the quarterback, and then they lose position on the wide receiver. So that's been a big deal for us. And then just kind of taking their game to the next level, looking at the quarterback mechanics, seeing what they're doing. ‘The quarterback is looking at me, I'm looking at him. He keeps staring over there. He might throw the ball that way.’
“So just kind of try to get them a master's degree, right? They know the scheme. They know what they're doing. They know the base techniques. But now trying to give them those extra tools and tips to kind of take their game to the next level.”
From the players’ perspective
Johnson is looking forward to his final season with the SDSU defense, which returns all 11 starters.
“I feel like we're in a great spot,” he said. “I don't want to say we're picking up where we left off last season, because obviously last season didn't go how we wanted, but it's feeling really similar. As far as our bond with each other, we grew a lot closer. As far as the communication, it feels like everything's on point and it's like second nature for everyone.”
Johnson called Sumler “the best DB coach in the country. I've been here four years and I never thought about leaving to go learn from a different coach. He knows everything about the quarterback position. He pushes us every day, and he'll sit there and tell us, like he couldn't do it himself, but he knows we can, so he expects the best at all of us.”
Phillips was able to come back an extra season because of the NCAA’s new rule regarding JUCO eligibility.
He said focusing on his “competitive maturity and just finishing games” will help improve his NFL Draft stock as well as contribute to the team effort.
“That’s something I want to work on personally. And as a defense, we all want to work on that. Just playing better throughout the whistle on snap 50 just like snap one, playing the same way (all the way through,” he said. “We‘ve got to finish games better, and that comes with the overall team. But as a defense, we’ve got to finish the second half.”
Accolades
Johnson has been named first team All-MW by Phil Steele Magazine, Athlon Sports, College Football Network and Sports Info Solutions, and second team All-MW by Lindy’s Sports. He’s the MW’s No. 16-ranked player by College Football Network and No. 1 NFL Draft-eligible cornerback in the MW (No. 38 in FBS) by Phil Steele Magazine.
Phillips has been named second team All-MW by Phil Steele and Athlon.
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-bd678ba4dbad4f453246f539ee56a3b4.jpg "Bernie Wilson")
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.