A vicious blocker is headed down to San Diego as head coach Sean Lewis starts to put together his first offense as the head coach of the San Diego Aztecs. Former North Dakota offensive lineman Brayden Bryant committed to transfer to SDSU and officially ushers in the new era of Aztec football.
Brayden Bryant Transfer to San Diego State
Lewis, named the SDSU head coach after former head coach Brady Hoke retired following the 2023 season, has begun to assemble his first team with the Aztecs. Expecting a complete revamp in terms of offensive philosophy, the addition of Bryant officially kicked off what is expected to be a radical transformation.
Bryant is a lean 305 pounds and stands 6’2″. He’s a physical blocking presence and understands how to get up and down the field quickly.
He has seen success follow him at every step of his collegiate journey coming out of Ardmore High School. This, of course, includes a two-year stint at Butler Community College. A stint that saw him earn all-conference honors as a freshman.
Though he appeared in just a handful of games this past season, the 2022 season is what put Bryant on the map with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
Starting 10 games at left guard, Bryant was prone to pancake blocks, clean pockets, and dominant pass-blocking reps within the UND offensive scheme. But he made his name known as a vicious blocker on the ground.
Get Ready to Go Fast, SDSU
Looking back through the data, San Diego State fans must prepare for dramatic changes to their offense in 2024. With Bryant’s place in the lineup secure, a few more pieces have to fall in place.
It’s apparent that Lewis will institute a similar offense to the one he ran at Kent State in 2022 and at the start of the season for Colorado in 2023. Kent State’s offense averaged 73.3 plays per game in 2022, while Colorado averaged 78.7 plays per game with Lewis in charge.
Conversely, the SDSU offense averaged just 66 plays per game in 2023. Given the new time constraints in college football, Colorado’s 78.7 plays per game is an astronomical figure in college football. While they may not be the fastest offense by total plays, the speed in which they’ll align and get to the line of scrimmage will rival any in the country.
Bryant’s place on this team insists that the Lewis-led coaching staff is looking for bodies that can handle it and players who know how to line up quickly and accurately.
The pieces are falling into place and SDSU will be a completely different team by August of 2024. Brayden Bryant is just the beginning.