San Diego State edge Trey White wrestled with a decision the past two years of staying with his hometown team or transferring to a Power Four program that promised both a platform and a payday that SDSU couldn’t provide.

White stayed home last year, taking the San Diego discount to return for some “unfinished business,” and he helped the Aztecs go 9-4 in 2025 following a 3-9 season in 2024.

He couldn’t make the same commitment this year, not with the potential of a seven-figure sum and larger stage that will make a difference in his life now, if not the future.

White said Thursday night that he is entering the NCAA transfer portal. He is the most accomplished player among nearly two dozen SDSU teammates entering the portal, which opens Friday.

“Coming to SDSU was the best decision I’ve ever made,” White told the Union-Tribune. “I’ve created life-long relationships and bonds with not only my teammates and coaches but with the community as well. I will always be an Aztec for Life. I’m hoping to improve and compete at the highest level.”

White is expected to command in excess of $1.5 million from a Power Four school, according to sources. SDSU’s budget for players for the 2026 season is $6 million, so the Aztecs couldn’t commit 25% of their budget to one player.

White, a two-time, first-team all-Mountain West selection, had 19 1/2 sacks, 29 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hurries over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Eastlake High School graduate had a breakout season in 2024, finishing tied for fifth in the country with 12 1/2 sacks and tied for seventh in tackles for loss with 18 1/2.

There were growing concerns when the 2024 season ended that key SDSU starters would be lured away, entering the transfer portal by the prospect of greener pastures.

White’s name was most prominent among them. He declined the overtures.

“I had a couple schools reach out to my parents and things like that and we talked about it,” White said a year ago, when he and four other starters announced they were staying. “In my mind, money isn’t everything. It’s all about the situation and where you can grow the most. I definitely thought I could grow the most here.”

As gut-wrenching as the decision was for him, White reached the conclusion that this is what he had to do.