San Diego State football has a big edge on defense this season
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Trey White likes where San Diego State’s defense is halfway through fall camp.
If his instincts are correct, that’s good news for a team looking for a big bounce back in its final season in the Mountain West.
“Everything's looking great, better than I expected,” the edge rusher said. “I knew we were going to come out with this energy and kind of chip on our shoulder. So, I’m glad to see that kind of come to fruition. And all the competitive spirit out here. Everybody's just like a big family out here, very competitive. I love it.”
White is the leader of SDSU’s defense
SDSU’s defense will run through White, who was named the preseason MW Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-MW team earlier this summer based on his breakout 2024 season. He’s also been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List for most outstanding defensive player and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for national defensive player of the year.
White was All-MW last season after putting up some impressive numbers. His 12 ½ sacks tied him for fifth in FBS and he had 60 tackles, including 40 solo and 18 ½ for loss. He also forced a fumble and broke up two passes.
New position coach brings experience
White and the other edges are under the tutelage of Roy Manning, who joined the Aztecs’ staff after spending nearly 15 years at seven different Power 5 schools. Manning brings the experience of having coached in 11 bowl games and three conference championship games to an SDSU program that is looking to get back to a bowl for the first time since 2022.
“I walked into a great situation if you coach, obviously having one of the best players in the country in my room, and it's just been a delight to have the opportunity to work with him,” said Manning, whose most recent two stops were at Southern California and Oklahoma.
“He's steady Eddie every single day. Just like all the great players that I've coached at other stops, they want to be coached hard. I think we all have room for growth. They constantly are pushing themselves and others to be their best and never feel satisfied. So, we're going to continue to push and hopefully have one of our best seasons.”
Manning played at Michigan and then spent three seasons in the NFL.
“I love Coach Manning,” White said. “He pushes us super hard. He comes from the league, and he kind of knows what things are going to be like there. And I like that. He brings that to us, and kind of lets us know what to expect. And he just wants the best out of us every day. You can make all the mistakes in the world, but as long as we give effort, that's all he cares about, and we'll fix the other little things later.”
The other edges
SDSU will also look for production from returning players Brady Nassar, who played in 22 games for the Aztecs the last two seasons, and Ryan Henderson; and transfer Niles King from Division II Grand Valley State.
“We have a really deep edge room,” said King, who had 20 sacks in 34 career games at Grand Valley State. “I'm a little biased, but I think it's the best room in the building. We’ve got dudes like Brady (Nassar), who started last year, Ryan Henderson has a lot of snaps under his belt, obviously, Trey. So, it's just a room full of football experience. It’s a really good, competitive room.”
King said having White as a teammate “really pushes you to up your game. You don't want to fall behind him and you want to keep that same standard. You don’t want any drop off.”
What’s next
The Aztecs were set to hold a public scrimmage on Thursday night and will open the season at home against Stony Brook on Aug. 28.
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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.