By Lucas Quick (@quick_lucas12) – Executive Editor | Walker Eget, on Nov. 29, 2024, is set as SJSU’s starting quarterback without a doubt. (Photo by Nick Orozco – Spear photographer)
It’s almost that time of year again. Kickoff is right around the corner for San Jose State’s football team, as they take on Central Michigan this Friday for their home opener at 7:30 p.m.
Approaching a new season, a new standard has been set for the Spartans in recent years. They have four bowl game appearances since 2020, yet still look for their first bowl win since 2015.
A lot of familiar faces have made a departure, but a positive takeaway is that there’s significantly more players returning this year than last. They have 66 players returning in comparison to 52 in the previous season, which was the third fewest in college football.
One of the biggest questions surrounding this season is how the wide receiver room will fill in the shoes of triple crown winner Nick Nash and Justin Lockhart, one of the best duos in SJSU history.
Unlike last season, look for more spread-out opportunities. There’s no expectation from the Spartans to have an alpha number one receiver.
“Last year Nick Nash and Justin Lockhart played a lot of snaps, we asked them to do a lot of things,” offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann said. “And so by committee this year, we’re going to make up those yards and touchdowns.”
There will be plenty of opportunities for the receivers this season. About 157 catches, over 2300 yards and 21 touchdowns are now up for grabs. That was the combined stat line for Nash and Lockhart last season.
Six or more receivers will be hauling in targets from redshirt senior quarterback Walker Eget. Wide receivers coach Billy Ray Stutzmann has a lot of chess pieces to utilize this season.
“Coach Billy Ray Stutzmann has done an awesome job recruiting,” head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “We’re probably deeper as an overall unit on the receivers.”
Despite the large workload the receiving room has on them this season, there isn’t any tension behind filling in for Nash and Lockhart.
“There’s no real pressure behind just coming out here and playing this game,” junior wide receiver Leland Smith said. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be playing in this offense that coach Stutzmann has drawn up. I’m really excited to put it all on display.”
Smith is one of nine transfers from a “power four” school, coming from Purdue. Going from the Big Ten to the Mountain West, a new opportunity and experience beholds the next chapter in his collegiate career.
“There’s bells and whistles that you have at Big Ten schools,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of substance here and a lot of things that you don’t have everywhere else.”
Something that’s locked down prior to week one that was a huge question all of camp last season is the quarterback room. Eget is the clear starter and leader for his offense heading into this season.
“He’s grown as a leader and the way that he does it. Not the way that Emmett [Brown] did it in the past, not the way Chevan [Cordeiro] did it in the past,” Stutzmann said. “Not the way that some of these other guys have done it in the past. It’s the way that Walker Eget does it.”
It’s also a better position for Eget knowing there isn’t any legitimate competition or concern currently for the quarterback spot compared to last season.
“It’s a good confidence booster, I have an offense behind my back.” Eget said.
Central Michigan and San Jose State don’t have much history between each other, but the designated head coaches do.
This will be Matt Drinkel’s first game as head coach for the Chippewas, but he and Niumatalolo were a part of the Army-Navy rivalry for a couple of years. Drinkel was only a co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach while Niumatalolo coached Navy for 15 seasons.
The biggest key to the game that I’m keeping an eye on is the line of scrimmage battle.
“We can hold a point of attack, then I let our linebackers generally in the past, have made a lot of tackles,” defensive coordinator Derek Odum said. “That’s the key. Keeping those guys clean and they have a huge task in front of them. That’s a big physical group that they got up front.”
With Central Michigan being more run-savvy on offense and considering how Drinkel’s offensive line last year won the Joe Moore award, given to the nation’s best offensive line, it will be a good challenge for SJSU’s defensive line.
“We’re going to have to play well upfront,” Niumatalolo said. “We’re going to have to stop the run, it’s easier said than done.”
Following a 7-6 season, SJSU looks to grow as a group and become a threat to the Mountain West. They open their season against Central Michigan tomorrow night at CEFCU stadium.
