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San Diego State owned Mountain West football last season. This was due, in no small part, to its superstar running back Donnel Pumphrey. Pumphrey is now poised to move past legendary Aztec and NFL Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk in the fall as the program's all-time lead rusher. Yes, he is that good.
Pumphrey stands among San Diego State's most elite athletes. That special list includes Tony Gwynn, Marshall Faulk, Stephen Strasburg, and Kawhi Leonard. Carl Weathers, a.k.a. Apollo Creed, receives an honorable mention.
Even more impressive, Donnel Pumphrey is one of just three SDSU athletes ever commemorated with his own (wait for it) BOBBLEHEAD.
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After completing his senior year this fall, Pumphrey will leave behind giant shoes to fill as he continues his journey in the NFL.
It's fair to say that nobody can do that, but San Diego State is not resting on its laurels. In an effort to maintain the mojo, the Aztecs have found an intriguingly familiar specimen. Enter Ethan Dedeaux.
Ethan Dedeaux and his family recently visited San Diego State. During his stay the senior wide receiver and defensive back from Liberty High School in Las Vegas made up his mind: he would become an Aztec.
"I have never felt so at home, and so comfortable with the coaching staff," Dedeaux recently tweeted.
Ethan Dedeaux was recruited by SDSU coaches Hunkie Cooper and Jeff Horton, both from Southern Nevada, who are certain Dedeaux is a special talent.
Similar to Pumphrey, Dedeaux is 5 foot-9; he is highly versatile playing multiple positions, hails from Las Vegas and he dominates the local gridiron.
Ethan Dedeaux is undoubtedly one of Southern Nevada's finest, and he brings his own mojo.
He caught 37 passes for 809 yards and 11 touchdowns to help Liberty advance to the state championship game, where he had three touchdowns against eventual national champion Bishop Gorman. Playing defense as well, he made five interceptions.
Dedeaux, a three-star recruit, also had offers from UNLV, Hawaii and Idaho. Realizing that San Diego State is on the rise, Dedeaux has made his choice, and SDSU should look forward to seeing him making his mark on the gridiron, wearing red and black.
Will his head bobble one day as well? Only time will tell.