By Richy Zajic — Content Editor
With the 2019 San Jose State football season soon approaching, there are some key names to look out for on the Spartans’ roster that may be flying under the radar.
As the roster is made up of returning starters looking to continue improving and fresh faces aiming to make an immediate impact, here are 10 Spartans the public may be sleeping on heading into the season.
Redshirt Senior tight end Brett Foley — with the departure of Josh Oliver, there is a glaring need for someone to produce for the Spartans at the tight end position. This will be the first season that Foley will see a decent amount of snaps for SJSU and he will have plenty of opportunities to fill up the stat sheet and help the Spartans contend.
Sophomore defensive end Cade Hall — Hall led the team with three sacks in 2018 and will have every opportunity to grow this number this season. It would also not be a surprise if Hall recorded upwards of 20 solo tackles this year, considering he had 14 last season.
Senior outside linebacker Jesse Osuna — Osuna was a key contributor for SJSU in the 2018 season and may be one of the Mountain West’s most underrated defensive players. Osuna grabbed two interceptions last year and recorded 44 solo tackles. Watch out for Osuna to boost both of these numbers this year.
Redshirt junior safety Tre Webb — Webb is another essential piece to the Spartans’ defense that may be overlooked by the rest of the Mountain West. Webb recorded 40 total tackles last season and deflected six passes. While he did not grab any interceptions last year, he certainly has the potential to snag a few this year.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Isaiah Hamilton — Hamilton only participated in the last three games of the 2018 season. He has the potential to be extremely impactful for the Spartans, especially for special teams as a punt and kick returner. More effective special teams can be one way that SJSU makes a jump this season, and Hamilton can be a big factor in making that leap.
Redshirt senior left guard Troy Kowalski — While offensive linemen are obviously not the most flashy players on the field, they are very valuable and their importance can be overlooked. Kowalski has been a rock for the Spartans in the last three seasons, playing in at least 11 games in each of those years. He will likely continue to open up the field for the backs and protect quarterback Josh Love.
Redshirt junior safety Jay Lenard — Lenard led the team with 56 solo tackles last season, and it would not be a surprise if he repeated or grew that number this time around. He has been vital to SJSU’s defense and he should not be underestimated by the rest of the Mountain West heading into this year. Expect Lenard to be a serious defensive threat for the Spartans.
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