San Jose State Preview 2025: Can the Spartans Keep On Winning?

San Jose State Spartans Preview 2025: Offense

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- Not only didn’t San Jose State run any sort of option attack, it barely ran at all with the 130th ground game in America. Floyd Chalk IV was good enough when he got his carries, averaging 4.7 yards per carry with 721 yards and ten scores. And now …

- The offensive line should be better. It’s missing a few parts from last year, but it’s big, full of upperclassmen, and there’s far more depth than last season. No, it wasn’t great for the ground game, but the Spartans were among the best in the nation in sacks allowed and tackles for loss given up.

- This should be Walker Eget’s quarterbacking gig.. The Spartans have options, and redshirt freshman CJ Lee will be a factor in the near future, but it’s Eget is the man with Emmett Brown transferring to Coastal Carolina.

Star target Nick Nash is done, but the transfer portal has remade the receiving corps with Leland Smith (Purdue), Malachi Riley (Arizona), and Danny Scudero (Sacramento State) taking over.

San Jose State Spartans Preview 2025: Defense

- The defense did what it could, but it wasn’t at the offense’s level. The pass rush was okay, but a tad inconsistent. The run D wasn’t horrible, but overall third down stops were the biggest problem. Assume more of the same, but …

- The Spartans didn’t go too heavy in the portal for the defensive side. The line has a tough line around anchor Gafa Faga in the middle, and there’s enough depth and size to keep everyone fresh in the 3-4.

It’s this group’s job to hold up enough so the active linebackers can attack. Jordan Pollard is one of the best in the Mountain West - he should lead the team in tackles and plays behind the line again.

- The Spartans came up with a whopping 21 interceptions, tying BYU for the most per game. This group attacks, makes plenty of high-risk, high-reward plays, and now it has to replace DJ Harvey (USC), Michael Dansby (Arizona), and leading playmaking safety Robert Rahimi. It’s a senior-dominated group returning, and there’s decent depth, so …

San Jose State Spartans Key to the Season

Keep taking the ball away.
There might have been several things that didn’t go quite right for the Spartans last season, and this is hardly a perfect team coming into this season, but the turnovers will potentially change everything.

San Jose State was fifth in the nation in takeaways, and it made them count going 5-0 when forcing three or more. The team was 2-6 when forced fewer.

San Jose State Spartans Key Player

Leland Smith, WR Jr.
You don’t just replace the 104 catches, 1,382 yards, and 16 touchdowns of Nick Nash. The 6-4, 219-pound Smith is a big target with speed, catching six passes for 72 yards and two scores last year for Purdue. If he can be a big play guy on the outside, the offense might just be okay.

San Jose State Spartans Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Danny Scudero, WR Soph.
He’s not as big a transfer as some of the other receivers, but he’s proven. The 5-9, 178-pounder will fit right into the slot after catching 53 passes for 667 yards and five scores for Sacramento State. He can return kicks, too, which will help after the loss of …

Top Transfer Out: DJ Harvey, CB Sr.
A big all-around playmaker for the Spartans last year, he was good on kickoff returns, picked off four passes - taking one for a score - and made 58 tackles with two sacks and seven tackles for loss. A big get in the portal, now he’s at USC.

San Jose State Spartans Key Game

at Wyoming, Oct. 11
It’s one of those prove-it games that could make or break the Spartan season - at least when it comes to being a player in the Mountain West race. All eight conference games are against teams that didn’t go bowling last year, but the trip to Laramie has the potential to be the hardest.
- 2025 San Jose State Spartans Schedule Breakdown

San Jose State Spartans Top 10 Players

1. Jordan Pollard, LB Sr.
2. Isiah Revis, S Sr.
3. Taniela Latu, LB Sr.
4. Gafa Faga, DT Sr.
5. Floyd Chalk IV, RB Sr.
6. Walker Eget, QB Sr
7. Noah McNeal-Franklin, LB Sr.
8. Mathias Brown, PK Soph.
9. Sione Nomani, OG Sr.
10. Trent Carrizosa, P Jr.

San Jose State Spartans 2024 Fun Stats

- Fumbles: SJSU 24 (lost 13), Opponents 15 (lost 7)

 - Sacks: SJSU 25 for 170 yards, Opponents 12 for 114 yards

 - Time of Possession: Opponents 33:31, SJSU 26:21

San Jose State Spartans 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

Three of the six losses - including the wild 41-39 Hawaii Bowl against USF - were close to going San Jose State’s way, but it also won a few close games.

This year’s team needs to clean a few things up on third downs on both sides of the ball, but this is a great situation with - to be repetitive - good parts and depth even though so many starters have to be replaced.

Expect a similar season to 2024 with every game entertaining and a whole lot of close battles with the Spartans coming out on the right side of enough to go bowling again.

Set The San Jose State Spartans Win Total At … 5.5

Likely Wins: Central Michigan, Idaho, New Mexico

50/50 Games: Air Force, Fresno State, Hawaii, at Nevada, at San Diego State, at Stanford, at Utah State, at Wyoming

Likely Losses: at Texas