Nine Aztecs Earn All-Mountain West Football Honors

By GoAztecs
Saturday, December 9, 2023
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Nine San Diego State football players earned all-Mountain West honors, the league announced Tuesday. The all-conference awards are voted on by the league's 12 head coaches and various media members from the league.

Making the second team were tight end Mark Redman, offensive lineman Cade Bennett, cornerback Noah Tumblin and punter Jack Browning. The Aztecs also had five honorable mentions, including quarterback Jalen Mayden, wide receiver/punt returner Mekhi Shaw (both positions), linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu, cornerback Dez Malone and kick returner Kenan Christon.

Redman made the all-conference second team the second straight season after leading SDSU in catches (37), receiving yards (394) and touchdowns (3). A member of the Mackey Award Watch List for outstanding tight end, Redman ranks second among MW tight ends in receptions (37) and yards (394), and tied for third in touchdown catches (3). The senior started all 12 games this season and played 792 of a possible 799 offensive snaps for San Diego State (according to Pro Football Focus), tied with Mayden for the most on the team.

Bennett, meanwhile, also was selected to the second team for a second straight year. Bennett started and played all 11 games he appeared in, logging the most offensive snaps (735) among Aztec offensive linemen. A junior, Bennett's 83.3 pass block rating (according to PFF) ranked in a tie for first in the league among guards (min. 350 passing opportunities) and tied for second among all MW offensive linemen. According to PFF, he gave up just one sack on the season.

Tumblin made his first all-conference team after a breakout senior season. Tumblin totaled 36 tackles (30 solo) across 11 starts (final 11 of the season) and 12 games played, adding 12 pass breakups and two interceptions. Tumblin leads the MW in passes defended (INT + PBU) (14, T-7th in FBS), passes defended per game (1.17, T-9th in FBS) and pass breakups (12, T-9th in FBS). According to PFF, his 78.6 pass coverage rating is the highest in the league among cornerbacks (min. 300 pass defense chances) and fifth in the league.

The Ray Guy Award semifinalist and the 2022 MW Special Teams Player of the Year, Browning landed on the second team as a punter after earning first-team status last season. The senior averaged 45.4 yards per punt, which is seventh in SDSU single-season history and third in the MW. Browning is also tied for the MW lead in punts inside the 20-yard line (22, T-14th in FBS), while ranking second in net punt average (42.6, 8th in FBS). Browning, who was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week three times this year and five times for his career, also handled the majority of the field goal/PAT and kickoff duties, famously making a SDSU, MW and Falcon Stadium-long 61-yard field goal at Air Force on Sept. 30 and tying a school record with four field goals on Saturday night against Fresno State.

A year after becoming San Diego State's first quarterback to earn all-MW honors since Ryan Lindley in 2010, Mayden picked up his second straight honorable mention nod today. Mayden is the second Aztec quarterback in program history to lead the team in both passing and rushing, joining current Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell in 2007. Mayden completed 199 of 314 passes for 2,031 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing 128 times for 528 yards and five scores. He ranked fourth in the MW in completion percentage (63.4) and fifth in completions (199).

Shaw earned his first all-conference nod, making honorable mention at both wide receiver and punt returner. Despite missing two games, Shaw totaled 28 catches for 375 yards and two touchdowns, while returning 14 punts for 101 yards and a 7.2 average. The junior's 7.2 punt return average ranked fourth in the MW.

A sophomore, Fiaseu led San Diego State in almost every defensive category, including tackles (64), tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (5.5), forced fumbles (3) and fumble recoveries (3). Among the MW leaders, Fiaseu ranks in a tie for first in fumble recoveries (3, T-5th in FBS) and forced fumbles (3, T-15th in FBS), a tie for fifth in tackles for loss (11.5) and a tie for sixth in sacks (5.5).

A junior, Malone picked up his second straight honorable mention nod, recording 46 tackles (33 solo), two tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble. Malone, who has started 23 straight games for the longest streak on the team, played the second-most defensive snaps on the team at 692.

Christon was the final Aztec to earn honorable mention, making it as a kick returner, returning 15 kicks for 331 yards (22.1 avg.). The 22.1 average ranks second in the league. Christon led SDSU with 910 all-purpose yards, including 378 rushing yards and 201 receiving yards on 28 catches with one touchdown.

The Aztecs finished the 2023 campaign with a 4-8 record, including a 2-6 mark in MW play. It was SDSU's first losing season since 2009. Prior to the 2010 campaign, San Diego State had six consecutive losing seasons (2004-09) and 11 straight without a winning campaign (1999-09). The Aztecs' streak of 13 consecutive seasons with at least a .500 record was tied for the sixth-longest streak nationally (entering 2023) and was the longest streak among Pacific Time Zone teams. In 12 of those 13 seasons, SDSU posted a winning record.

2023 Mountain West All-Conference Football Awards (SDSU Players Only)

Second Team Offense

Second Team Defense

Honorable Mention

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