Demetrius Sumler is new to the role of San Diego State defensive coordinator, although he is the longest-tenured member of the coaching staff.
Sumler was hired by former SDSU coach Rocky Long as a graduate assistant in 2016 and became cornerbacks coach two years later. The San Diego native was retained three years ago when Sean Lewis was hired as a head coach and promoted to DC in December after Rob Aurich was hired at Nebraska.
Sumler said at times he still hears Long’s voice in the back of his head.
“I’ll never not hear Coach Long,” he said.
And what does he hear?
“Don’t be soft. Get to the ball,” Sumler said with a laugh.
Those words resonate even more this season with so many new players bidding to start on the defense in general and across the secondary in particular.
SDSU has only three returning starters on defense. None of them is in the secondary.
San Diego State sophomore cornerback Mike Lindsay has impressed in practice ever since transferring from Idaho State. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
That’s what happens when you enjoy one nation’s most experienced secondaries in the nation the previous season. Players graduate, transfer or, in the case of cornerback Chris Johnson, move on to the NFL as a first-round draft choice.
The Aztecs do have one returning starter on the roster, senior safety Dalesean Staley, but Staley tore his ACL during the spring and is out for the season.
The SDSU depth chart coming into preseason practice listed a pair of sophomore transfers, Jamison Starks (Foothill CC) and Mike Lindsay (Idaho State), as the first-string cornerbacks. Both players were impressive during spring camp. The first-string safeties listed were senior Josiah Cox, a Lincoln High School alum who transferred last year from New Mexico State, junior Jelani McLaughlin and sophomore Isaiah Green, a transfer from Portland State.
Sumler says don’t pay too much attention to that, however.
“That’s a very premature depth chart,” he said. “Guys are going to compete all the way until we get to the (start) of the season … I wouldn’t say anybody’s got a starting job locked down yet.”
Returners like senior cornerback Jelani Whitmore, senior safeties Josh Hunter and Max Garrison and sophomore safety Prince Williams could have a leg up because of their experience in the program.
“Absolutely,” Sumler said, “because they know the practice expectation, they know the scheme, they know when the picture starts moving the adjustments we need to make, so that gives them a little bit of an advantage.”
Whitmore is back on the field after missing last season with torn knee ligaments.
“He’s working his way back,” Sumler said.
San Diego State safety Jelani Whitmore is back on the field after tearing knee ligmants a year ago. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Whitmore was third on the depth chart at left cornerback, but that was before senior transfer Jason Oliver (Sacramento State) suffered an injury to his left foot. Oliver is currently on crutches, probably a week or two away from being an active participant.
Starks also was a practice observer last week with an undisclosed injury.
And so it goes.
“We’ve got time,” Sumler said. “Not too much, but we’ve got time for guys to compete for who’s walking out there first. A lot of depth. A lot of talent.
“We brought some pretty talented guys in here that we’re excited about, and we brought those guys here for a reason. We’re all about competition here.”