San Jose State Will Have a New-Look Wide Receiver Room in 2025

This offseason, San Jose State football has taken on a completely new look.

Last season, receivers Nick Nash and Justin Lockhart were the focal points of the offense, mostly carrying the Spartans to a bowl eligible season.

Nash, in particular, had a legendary season in 2024. Right away in Week One, Nash put up 170 yards and two touchdowns, and continued that type of dominance all season. He finished with 104 catches for 1382 yards, and 16 touchdowns. He led the FBS in all three categories at the end of the regular season and fell just short in the voting for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best receiver in college football.

Although Lockhart didn’t display quite the same dominance, he was a great second option. He had four 100+ yard performances, including 172 against Boise State. He finished the season just 17 yards short of 1000 yards, at 983, along with five receiving touchdowns.

Nash and Lockhart were both singed into the NFL as undrafted free agents following the , going to the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.

Going into 2025, the Spartans have high expectations, as they look to win the conference championship. But is it truly possible without their two biggest contributors to the passing game?

The Spartans essentially lost their entire room, but brought in some interesting pieces that include Leland Smith, Malachi Riley, Danny Scudero.

Smith is coming in from Purdue, where he had 72 yards and two touchdowns for the Boilermakers. Although his season stats weren’t super impressive, a Week One performance against Indiana State proved his potential. In the game, Smith had two catches for 47 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown. He even blocked a punt while on special teams.

Riley transferred from Arizona this offseason, where an injury kept him out of all but three games for the Wildcats. He caught five passes for 97 yards in two years at Arizona. The former high school All-American could find his way into the mix.

Finally, Scudero is coming to San Jose from Sacramento, where he played for Sac State. He broke out as a sophomore, where he had multiple 100+ yard games, most notably 140 against rival and FCS No. 5 UC Davis. In week one, he had a touchdown against the Spartans, but SJSU won that game 42-24.

Those pieces could also be nicely complemented by returning redshirt junior Matthew Coleman, who caught 34 passes for 401 yards and two touchdowns.

The receiving room may not exactly replicate the success that they found in Ken Niumatalolo's first season as head coach, but they can still make a difference with impact transfers. Although Nash and Lockhart are irreplaceable, even nearing their production could be huge for an otherwise much-improved roster.

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