2016 NFL Draft: San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey will return for senior year

It should not come as a surprise that San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey is returning for his senior year with the Aztecs. Pumphrey has stated that he wants to surpass the records that Marshall Faulk set with his team  in San Diego.

"It was an easy decision on coming back (for his senior season)," Pumphrey said in a released statement. "I love my teammates and I love my coaches, and without them I wouldn't even be in the situation that I am in today. I signed up to be here four years, not to leave after three. I've had incredible success here, but I want to have another good year, hopefully win another conference championship and graduate as well.

"I would like to break all of (Marshall) Faulk's records," Pumphrey said. "He's an NFL Hall-of-Famer and had a terrific college career, and it would be a great accomplishment for our team if I was able to achieve that."

Pumphrey is a two-time All-Mountain West player and is the reigning offensive player of the year within the league, and earned various national awards for this past year where he rushed for 1,653 yards and scored 17 touchdowns.

Winning another conference title is indeed in the cards for San Diego State as they return plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but Pumphrey is the key that trumps them all as he is the most important player to the success to the Aztecs.

San Diego State will return not only the offensive player of the year in Pumphrey but they also return the conference defensive player of the year in defensive back Damontae Kazee and the special teams player of the year with Rashaad Penny. In addition to that there are 13 starters back with six of those on the all-Mountain West first-team selection.

With Pumphrey back the Aztecs will be the favorite to win the West and very likely be voted as the preseason Mountain West champion.