Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County
The NCAA made a decision this week that is allowing one member of the San Diego State football team to return and another one to move on.
SDSU cornerback Bryce Phillips announced he is coming back for the 2025 season, taking advantage of a blanket waiver granted this week by the NCAA to former junior college players.
“Job’s not finished,” said Phillips, who had 40 tackles and an interception for the Aztecs this season.
Defensive tackle Tupu Alualu said he will enter the transfer portal, tweeting “thankful for SDSU believing in a juco product.”
According to an NCAA memo: “The NCAA Division I Board of Directors granted a waiver to permit student-athletes who attended and competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years to remain eligible and compete in 2025-26, if those student-athletes would have otherwise used their final season of competition during the 2024-25 academic year, and meet all other eligibility requirements (e.g., progress toward degree, five-year period of eligibility).”
The waiver came within a week of a Tennessee federal judge ruling in favor of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who sued the NCAA to get back eligibility for the two years he spent in junior college at New Mexico Military Institute. The NCAA is appealing the decision. In the meantime, those who played junior college ball and exhausted their college eligibility this season now have another year to play.
Phillips played his first season at Santa Ana College before playing two years at Tennessee State. He transferred to SDSU before the 2024 season. Phillips started all 12 game at cornerback for the Aztecs this season. The Long Beach native has started 34 straight games including his two years at Tennessee State.
Alualu had 55 tackles, including 8 1/2 sacks, for the Aztecs over the past two seasons. The Honolulu native played at Mt. Sac and New Mexico Military Institute junior colleges before transferring to SDSU before the 2023 season.
With Phillips coming back, SDSU returns seven starters on defense from the 2024 team. Included are four of five starting defensive backs — Phillips and safeties Chris Johnson, Eric Butler and Dalesean Staley. Edge Trey White, defensive tackle Krisha Clay and linebacker Tano Letuli also return.
Originally Published:
Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County
