2022 Mountain West Football Top 50: #35, San Diego State S CJ Baskerville

The up-and-coming Aztecs safety lands on our preseason list of Mountain West football’s best performers for the first time.

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2022 Mountain West Football Top 50: #35, San Diego State S CJ Baskerville

The up-and-coming Aztecs safety lands on our preseason list of Mountain West football’s best performers for the first time.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Another talent in a long line.

One of the best things about college football is taking notice of young athletes who crush the first opportunity they’re given to make an impact and, among the 50 players on this year’s list of Mountain West football’s best, few did more in such a situation last year than our next pick.

San Diego State safety CJ Baskerville arrived on the Mesa from Richland, Texas after starring on both sides of the ball in high school and contributed to the Aztecs secondary right away as an early season depth piece. He appeared in all 14 games but got his chance to shine when elevated to a starting role for the last four games and didn’t waste it, posting 29 total tackles, two passes defended, and an interception, the last of which was a big reason why he earned defensive MVP honors in SDSU’s Frisco Bowl victory over UTSA.

That level of performance down the stretch also enabled Baskerville to finish with the highest overall PFF of any Mountain West safety. That’s right, better than JL Skinner, Evan Williams, and Patrick McMorris. It also makes him a very exciting up-and-comer about whom the San Diego State faithful should be excited, so it will be fun to see what Baskerville’s “super sophomore” campaign might look like.

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