By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Spear Reporter // Titus Wilkinson
SJSU football wide receiver Justin Lockhart is out for the remainder of 2023. The news was made official by SJSU head coach Brent Brennan.
“I think Justin Lockhart is getting surgery so he’s out for the year,” Brennan said Monday following practice.
Lockhart, a 2023 Preseason All-Mountain West First Team, hasn’t played nor been on the sidelines for SJSU’s first four games. The Spartans are 1-3 during that stretch.
Prior to Monday, Brennan said, “he does’t talk about injuries” when asked about Lockhart’s status following the loss to Oregon State on Sep. 3 and in a press conference two days later. An NCAA rule permits coaches to not speak on injuries.
But on Monday afternoon, Brennan conceded, ending the speculation surrounding Lockhart.
A 2022 All-Mountain West Honorable Mention Selection, Lockhart was projected to be the top wide receiver for SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, the 2023 Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Lockhart transferred to SJSU in 2022 from Nevada and finished with the second-most receiving yards (578) and receptions (36) behind fellow Nevada transfer Elijah Cooks. Both Lockhart and Cooks left Nevada a year after Wolfpack wide receivers Eric Scott came to SJSU to fulfill the same position.
Injury Break Down
Lockhart entered 2023 with four seasons of experience, replete with a slew of highlights.
In 2022 against Western Michigan, he went for 82 yards after zooming past a corner in man coverage. Then in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, he notched a wild, acrobatic touchdown grab that ranked No. 1 on Sportscenter’s Top-10 plays.
And after four games in 2023, SJSU’s shown it could use Lockhart’s play-making ability. In one year, the passing game has gone from best to seventh-best in the Mountain West.
Now, a drop-off was to be expected. Even with Cordeiro, who’s the best quarterback in the Mountain West, at the helm. The Spartans lost Cooks, a 2022 All-Mountain West First Team and returned an inexperienced, unproven wide receiver core. Other than Lockhart, recent quarterback-turned-wide receiver Nick Nash was projected to be SJSU’s best wide receiver.
So far, Nash has been Cordeiro’s most productive target. He went for three touchdowns in SJSU’s season-opening loss to No. 6 USC and grabbed six catches for 80 yards in SJSU’s recent 21-17 loss to Toledo. During that game, SJSU’s offense started strong but deflated as time passed. The Spartans failed to rally back on two different fourth-quarter possessions down one possession.
Moving forward, Nash can’t be the only game-changer at wide out. The Spartans need wide receivers like redshirt juniors Charles Ross and Malikhi Miller and redshirt freshman Matthew Coleman to step up to balance out the offense.
And they better do it quick. SJSU enters conference play at 1-3 and its next two matchups come against Mountain West top-dogs in Air Force and Boise State. If SJSU drops both, its chances of making a bowl game drop significantly.