By Andrew Hartley(@andrewhart1ey) – Spear Reporter
Quali Conley rushing into the end zone for a touchdown against Cal Poly on September 9, 2023. l Photo by Christian Vieyra
The impact of former SJSU head coach Brent Brennan was on full display Monday. Just 24 hours after the Spartans announced Ken Niumatalolo as their 30th head coach in the program’s history, players began to depart.
Who’s announced their name into the transfer portal:
Quali Conley – Running Back
Conley was the first player to announce their name into the portal, doing so via X. Conley was an integral part of SJSU’s comeback from an initial 1-5 record. As the backup to Kairee Robinson, Conley recorded 842 rushing yards, nine touchdowns and an impressive 27 receptions. Coming in as a transfer student from Utah State, Conley refers to his one year at SJSU, “the best year I’ve had in all my college years.”
247 Sports Crystal Ball is predicting him to land in Tucson with Brennan and has led some to speculate this meaning running back coach Alonzo Carter would join them there.
After signing on early national signing day, transfer running back Floyd Chalk IV is someone Spartan fans should become familiar with.
https://x.com/QualiConley/status/1749537967650328903?s=20
Bryun Parham – Linebacker
One of three crushing losses to the Spartan defense Monday. But arguably the most important. Parham led SJSU with a career-high 106 tackles, five tackles for loss and two interceptions. An All Mountain-West honorable mention, Parham would make the perfect addition to anchor a defense. As of this writing, Parham already announced an offer from the University of Washington.
Saone Toia – Defensive Line
Another big loss for the defense. Coming into the season, Toia was the only player with real college experience on the defensive line. This came after the departure of Mountain West greats Junior Fehoko and Cade Hall. Toia now leaves SJSU with an All Mountain West second team honor via his seven tackles for loss and five sacks. Toia came out of high school as a three star prospect that was initially recruited by Arizona before his SJSU commitment.
Tre Smith – Defensive Edge
After playing just one game in 2022 and using a redshirt year, Smith blossomed under defensive coordinator Derrick Odum. Smith led the team with 6.5 sacks and recorded a career-high 66 tackles. These efforts landed him All-Mountain West first team honors. While Smith was not recruited by U of A, he grew up in Arizona. After starting as just a two star prospect, Smith made himself into one of the best pass rushers in the Mountain West.
After one day, SJSU lost their top two sack recorders and 209 tackles. A defense that allowed the second fewest(354.7 ypg) yards per game in the Mountain West, they’ll rely on their in house youth and Niumatalolo usage of the transfer portal.