San Diego State’s offensive line is promising

Three starters return to help power ‘AztecFAST’ scheme

San Diego State Aztecs offensive lineman Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli (63). | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

San Diego State appears to be in good shape on the offensive line as second-year coach Sean Lewis’ “AztecFAST” is still struggling for an identity. 

While the Aztecs are having to rebuild at the skill positions, they have three returning starters along the line as well as some solid transfers and players returning from injury.

The three senior starters returning from last year’s lackluster 3-9 finish (2-5 Mountain West) are Christian Jones, Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli and Tyler McMahan.

Jones started the opener at left guard before moving to left tackle, where he started the rest of the season. He is listed on the post-spring drills depth chart as the starter at left guard and as backup at left tackle. 

Ulugalu-Maseuil, who played at San Diego’s Mater Dei High, started the first three games at right guard and finished the season at left guard. He is listed as the starter at center, having played all three positions in his career.

Jones and Ulugalu-Maseuili are each in their fifth season with the Aztecs.

McMahan started eight of the last nine games at right guard after transferring from a junior college. He is listed as the starter at right guard. 

Senior tackle Joe Borjon started the 2024 season opener but suffered a season-ending knee injury. He is listed as the starter at right tackle. Junior tackle Cam May, a transfer from Howard, had foot surgery during the spring but is expected to be ready by fall camp. He is listed as backup to senior transfer Bayo Kannike from Utah Tech at right tackle. 

While injuries are always a wild card, the Aztecs are looking for the offensive line to quickly jell in front of the two dual-threat transfer quarterbacks who are competing for the starting job, Bert Emanuel Jr. from Central Michigan and Jayden Denegal from Michigan. The Aztecs are reducing focus on the running game and return just one starting wide receiver, Jordan Napier, so the play of the O-line will be clutch. 

An intriguing transfer who joined the program from the spring portal period is 6-foot-6, 385-pound Kalan Ellis. The Aztecs are projecting him as a potential starter.

Ellis hasn’t played in two seasons, first because of a season-ending foot injury in the first game in 2023 that led to him taking a redshirt year and then because he was removed from the team when new coach Fran Brown replaced Dino Babers _ and thus wasn’t on the Orange team that beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium. 

He made a big impact in his two seasons at Syracuse, playing at both guard positions while starting five of nine games played as a true freshman. He started nine of 11 games in 2022 at left guard.

The Aztecs also added senior guard Dallas Fincher from Michigan State.