SAN JOSE – Walker Eget didn’t get his big break until the middle of last season. Friday night, there won’t be any debate who is San Jose State’s No. 1 quarterback.
Eget will start for the Spartans in their season opener against Central Michigan at CEFCU Stadium as SJSU begins its quest for an unprecedented fourth-straight bowl appearance.
The senior, who is entering his fifth season at SJSU, didn’t play in last year’s opener (a 42-24 win over Sacramento State) after losing a camp battle with Emmett Brown for the starting job.
SJSU opened the season 4-2, but Eget still appeared in four of those games, including coming off the bench to rally the Spartans past Nevada. Eget made his first career start two weeks later in a win over Wyoming and never relinquished the job. He was 3-4 as a starter, but led the Spartans to their bowl eligibility-clinching win over Oregon State and rallied SJSU past Stanford in the regular season finale.
San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget (5) throws the ball against Stanford’s Tevarua Tafiti (11) in the fourth quarter at CEFCU Stadium in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
In 12 games overall last season. Eget threw for 2,504 yards for 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. SJSU expects Eget to make even bigger strides in his second season running offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann’s Spread and Shred system, which has a steep learning curve.
“He’s grown into himself,” Stutzmann said. “He’s comfortable. He’s confident and he’s our leader out there.”
Xavier Ward enters the season as the backup. Brown transferred to Coastal Carolina, but won’t play this season after suffering an injury two weeks ago.
With the challenge of facing Arch Manning and the top-ranked Texas Longhorns in Austin looming in week two, SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo knows that the Spartans can’t take the Chippewas for granted.
“We’re San Jose State. We’re not Alabama,” Niumatalolo said. “We can’t overlook anybody.”
Friday opens the second year of the Niumatalolo era in San Jose. Last season the Spartans went 7-6 overall and three of the losses – Washington State, Colorado State and South Florida in the Hawaii Bowl – were by a touchdown or less.
San Jose State University corner back Jalen Bainer (15) takes part in football practice on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
The Spartans face a Chippewas team that finished tenth in the Mid-American Conference (4-8, 2-6 MAC) in 2024 and was winless in six road games. But a lot has changed since last season.
Jim McElwain, the onetime Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach, retired after six seasons as the Chippewas’ head coach. His successor is Matt Drinkall, who spent the past six seasons as an assistant at Army West Point.
The Chippewas also have a new offensive and defensive coordinator. In fact only three of the 17 coaches were a part of the staff for the 2024 season.
“We are practicing for every look that Central Michigan did last year even though it’s a new staff,” Stutzmann said. “Since these guys come from Army, we’re going to prepare for all those different pressures and coverages.”
There is one thing the Spartans know for sure about the Chippewas:
“Their offensive lineman are ginormous, their tight ends are big and their backs are big,” San Jose State defensive coordinator Derrick Odum said. “A big emphasis going into this game is that we have to be ready to go from the jump when it comes to physicality.”
San Jose State has experience at quarterback, but they will be breaking in an almost entirely new group of receivers.
The depth chart lists Leland Smith, Danny Scudero and Malachi Riley as starters, but don’t be surprised to see Matthew Coleman, Kyri Shoels and Cooper Hoch in the mix.
San Jose State University wide receiver Malachi Riley (11) takes part in football practice on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
The Spartans will also be breaking in two new starters at cornerback after DJ Harvey transferred to USC and Michael Dansby hit the portal to Arizona.
Senior Jalen Bainer, who was the number three corner last season, and redshirt freshman Jaylen Thomas, who has been turning heads at camp, will start Friday night.
“Thomas has had the best camp of anybody on our team,” Niumatalolo said. “We’ve been really pleased with him at corner.”
Odum said of the converted safety, “I think his ceiling is really high. So we’ll see, he’s going to get a good chance to get out there and run around.”
With a full year with SJSU under his belt, Niumatalolo feels the culture he was establishing last season is strong and in place.
San Jose State’s head coach Ken Niumatalolo walks along the sideline during a game against Sacramento State in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, August 29, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
“Guys came in recruiting visits and asked ‘how much am I going to get in revenue sharing?’ I told them we don’t have any,” Niumatalolo said. “Those guys didn’t show up here which is ok. The guys that are in these seats are the guys that are supposed to be here.”
– SJSU is looking to increase student engagement by introducing a new pregame festival called “Spartan Block Party.”
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The event begins three hours before the kickoff of each home game, and is located near Spartan beach off of tenth street.
The added perks include, live DJ and music, Stella Rosa wine tasting at four games (8/29, 11/1, 11/8 and 11/29), line dancing lessons from the San Jose State line dancing club on Friday night games, an X-Box gaming station and a street hockey skating rink for San Jose Sharks night for the matchup with Central Michigan.
– SJSU games will be broadcast on KTRB (860-AM) for the fourth straight season. Kevin Richardson, back for his 18th season, will handle the play-by-play duties with former SJSU linebacker Jordan Cobbs making his debut as the analyst.
Coverage begins 30 minutes before kickoff and concludes with a 30-minute postgame show with a live interview with Niumatalolo.
