San Diego State linebackers coach Scott White has a mantra with the players in his position room.
Heart. Mind. Fist.
“Heart is how much you love to play the game, love the program and how connected we are,” White said. “The mind is being smart, dependable, making great decisions on and off the field. The leadership and communication. And then fist is, obviously, go be violent, go be physical.
“When people see that on tape, they’re going to be like, ‘Damn, these guys play hard, they play smart and they play physically.’”
White has embraced such an approach since his playing days at Mission Bay High School, where he helped the Buccaneers to back-to-back CIF championships during the 2000-01 seasons.
White now channels that passion into his coaching, where he has a pair of high-energy starters in seniors Tano Letuli and Sione Hala. Letuli is a returner, while Hala is a transfer from Weber State who established himself during spring practice. Hala’s impact was further cemented last week, when SDSU coach Sean Lewis awarded him one of the coveted single-digit numbers. Hala swapped No. 56 for No. 0.
“It comes with a lot of responsibility,” said Hala, a 6-1, 225-pound Los Angeles native who embraces being a leader on a defense with nine new starters. “Tano and I are the only seniors (in the linebackers room), so I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. I love football. I love being high energy. I love making plays. I’ve got to spread it. That’s what I’m trying to deal with right now, spreading the energy.”
San Diego State linebacker Sione Hala runs through drills during scrimmage at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Letuli is fully recovered now from a torn ACL suffered midway through the 2025 season. His practice time has been managed during camp while ramping up for the season.
“We did a really good job working with the training staff and the strength staff,” said Letuli, a 6-2, 240-pound Cathedral Catholic High School graduate. “All the coaches really supported me through the process of getting back to football. I’m excited.”
Earlier this week, Letuli was selected as a team captain for the third straight season. That’s the first time that has happened since quarterback Kevin O’Connell was a four-time captain (2004-07).
“He looks good, and having him out here really helps us because he’s a real commander,” White said. “He helps with communication. He knows what we’re doing at a very high level.”
Letuli calls the defense, a responsibility left to Hala when Letuli is on the sideline.
“When (Letuli) is out there, I notice that (Hala) starts playing better,” White said. “There’s a lot of stress off him to make calls and do stuff because Tano controls everything. So having Tano out there is a calming presence. He really helps make everyone better.”
Apparently, there will be no easing Letuli back into the lineup when the season starts.
“Let him hunt,” White said. “That’s why you’ve got to develop depth, right? So if something does happen, you’ve got capable and able bodies that can go in there. There’s no crazy dropoff. … The key thing coming into this thing was developing the depth. You need four to five solid guys that you trust that you can put in the ballgame, and right now it is coming together nicely.”
White said sophomore Dean Harrington and junior transfer Cameron Cooper (Western Colorado) are reliable backups who could start if needed.
“We’re going to ask a lot of Cam Cooper,” White said. “He’s going to play a lot of different roles for us. He’s going to play up on the edge some. He’s going to play behind the ball some. He’s going to play out at the big nickel. He’s going to be a key cog.”
Sophomore transfer Jeramiah Lewis (College of San Mateo) also could contribute, and true freshmen Javari Nash and Alijah Lash have made an impression.