The 2024 college football season concluded January 20, when Ohio State defeated Notre Dame for the national championship.

San Diego State’s spring semester started a day later, and the 2025 season was officially underway.

Phase I of it, anyway.

SDSU’s spring roster includes 95 players in the midst of 10 weeks of strength of conditioning before moving into Phase II — spring practice that begins on March 10. The team’s 15 workouts culminate with the AztecFAST Showcase on April 19.

The date April 16 also is of note. That is when a second transfer portal window opens, providing an opportunity for comings and goings in the sport’s seemingly constant roster churn.

Enough about that.

A few notes on where things stand right now with the Aztecs:

• The spring roster includes 42 players on offense, 45 on defense and eight specialists.

There are three returning starters on offense, all on the offensive line: Christian Jones, Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli and Tyler McMahon.

The defense returns nine starters, including all five in the secondary — cornerbacks Chris Johnson and Bryce Phillips and safeties Eric Butler, Deshawn McCuin and Dalesean Staley — as well as Trey White and Krishna Clay return on the line and Tano Letuli and Owen Chambliss at linebacker.

Also, kicker Gabriel Plascencia is back.

• SDSU picked up 22 players from the portal (including three walk-ons) who are here now. In addition, seven of the 18 high school seniors signed in December with the 2025 recruiting class graduated early in order to be here for the spring semester.

• Most of the attention will be on the quarterbacks, where junior Kyle Crum is the only familiar face.

Former Aztecs starter Danny O’Neil (transfer to Wisconsin) and backups Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson (North Dakota) and A.J. Duffy (Division II New Haven) have moved on. Michigan junior transfer Jayden Denegal and Central Michigan junior transfer Bert Emanuel Jr. have moved in.

The 6-foot-5 Denegal was a backup for the Wolverines the past three years. He starred at Apple Valley High School, throwing for more than 4,600 yards and 69 touchdowns (he also rushed for 14 TDs) before heading to college.

The 6-3 Emanuel, who hails from Houston, was sidetracked by injuries with the Chippewas. He was noted more for his running carrying 145 carries, 844 yards, 12 TDs) than his passing (27 of 51, 439 yards, and 5 TDs/3 INTs).

SDSU also welcomes freshman JP Mialovski, who graduated early from Long Beach’s Millikan High School. Mialovski passed for 4,365 yards and 47 touchdowns while rushing 99 times for 399 yards and nine TDs during his prep career.

Junior Travis Throckmorton, a walk-on from Oregon State, completes the QB room. Throckmorton passed for more than 4,500 yards and 42 touchdowns at Simi Valley High School.

• The spring roster a year ago included nine running backs. There are only four listed this year.

They include senior Cam Davis and junior Lucky Sutton, who combined for only 19 carries and 111 yards while senior Marquez Cooper averaged 25 carries a game.

Davis and Sutton have a chance for more carries, although transfer Christian Washington will have a say in that.

Washington, who starred at Helix High School, rushed for 537 yards and five touchdowns last season at Coastal Carolina.

Redshirt freshman Cincere Rhaney is coming off ACL surgery and isn’t expected to be full-go until fall camp.

• Early enrollees joining Mialovski from the Class of 2025 are offensive linemen Gage Dutcher, Ikbahi Kassim, Jett Thomas and Ashdon Wnetrzak, edge Brian Townsend Jr., and linebacker Jeremiah Tuiileila.

While the spring semester will help the players acclimate more quickly come the fall, first-year contributions could be minimal. O’Neil was the only Class of 2024 player who didn’t not redshirt last season.

• Between roster turnover created by the portal and last year’s coaching change, barely two dozen players have been on the roster for more than a year. Ten players remain from 2023, eight from 2022 and seven from 2021.

Senior cornerback Jelani Whitmore is the last player left from the 2020 recruiting class, giving him the distinction of longest-tenured player on the roster.