![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SUT-L-azfoot-1228-nmbowl-01.jpg\")
San Diego State quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., center, runs down the field during the New Mexico Bowl game against North Texas at the University Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Jessica Baca \/ Albuquerque Journal)<\/p>\nWhen San Diego State backup quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. walked in for his exit interview last December, SDSU offensive coordinator Matt Johnson said: \u201cHow can I help you be a better quarterback?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emanuel smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to be completely honest with you,\u201d Emanuel said. \u201dI want to switch positions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then it was Johnson\u2019s turn to smile.<\/p>\n
He was like, \u2018For real?\u2019 and I said, \u2018Yes, sir,\u2019 \u201d said Emanuel, who moved to wide receiver coming into spring camp. \u201cThis was all on me. He allowed me to come up with the decision on my own, and they\u2019ve been very supportive all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emanuel reached the end zone twice when he started at quarterback in the New Mexico Bowl.<\/p>\n
He had a 72-yard touchdown run and a 69-yard carry, SDSU\u2019s two longest rushing plays of the season. He rushed 11 times for 170 yards against North Texas, all in 1 1\/2 quarters, before exiting with a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n
San Diego State quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., center, runs down the field during the New Mexico Bowl game against North Texas at the University Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Jessica Baca \/ Albuquerque Journal)<\/p>\n
The performance made it even more apparent that the Aztecs had a playmaker in their midst who has to get on the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gives you a lot of position flex,\u201d SDSU coach Sean Lewis said. \u201cWe\u2019ve kind of entered this era of football of positionless players defensively, because you\u2019ve got to be able to match and defend everything week in and week out.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to have offensive weapons that are very much the same way. \u2026 Bert gives you some of that flexibility with his size and strength.\u201d<\/p>\n
What could fans see this fall?<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they got a glimpse of it during the bowl game,\u201d said Emanuel, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior from Houston. \u201cMy speed, for sure. I feel like that\u2019s a great attribute that God blessed me with, just the ability to get out there and run. Coach (Lewis) has always said, \u2018Fast guys run fast.\u2019 So I feel like that\u2019s something I\u2019ve got in my bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though he has been a quarterback virtually since he started playing football when he was 6 years old, Emanuel said it wasn\u2019t that difficult to put it aside and change positions.<\/p>\n
Emanuel actually broached the idea of changing positions last year with his father during the season. And who better to ask? A position switch certainly benefited Bert Emanuel Sr., who was a standout quarterback at Rice before playing eight years in the NFL at receiver.<\/p>\n
Emanuel said his father told him not to rush things.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo when I finally came to the decision, he was supportive of me, and he\u2019s been helping me along the way,\u201d Emanuel said.<\/p>\n
Through four of SDSU\u2019s 15 spring practices, Lewis said he has been impressed with Emanuel\u2019s hand-eye coordination and \u201cnatural ball skills.\u201d The coach noted Emanuel\u2019s body control, ability to track the deep ball, fit and frame the ball in space and his physical presence.<\/p>\n
The biggest challenge?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe craftsmanship,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cHe\u2019s in a race to refine his technique to where his physical traits are, and then learning the technique and approach and not just trying to rely on size and bullying people when it comes to blocking. There\u2019s a proper approach to knowing where the block point is going to be. \u2026 There\u2019s a nuance to it all, and there\u2019s a lot of space that he has to learn how to operate out on the edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe probably feels like he\u2019s drinking through a fire hose right now. That\u2019s OK. That\u2019s good. That helps stimulate growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emanuel\u2019s progress at the new position promises to be among the top storylines for the Aztecs during the spring and into the fall, though he said he didn\u2019t do this to step into the spotlight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a guy that\u2019s me, me, me,\u201d Emanuel said. \u201cI\u2019m always for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said Lewis: \u201cIt\u2019s one of those exciting stories that we\u2019ll figure out what it is. He will have every opportunity to make an impression. \u2026 We\u2019ll be able to utilize his talents in a lot of different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When San Diego State backup quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. walked in for his exit interview last December, SDSU…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":256656,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[59157,74,76,75,16255],"class_list":["post-256655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-bert-emanuel-jr","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-san-diego-state-football"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}