2023 Mountain West Football Top 50: #41, San Diego State QB Jalen Mayden

San Diego State seems to have found their star quarterback, who makes his debut on our annual countdown of the Mountain West’s best.

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2023 Mountain West Football Top 50: #41, San Diego State QB Jalen Mayden

The Aztecs appear to have found their star quarterback and he makes his debut on our countdown of Mountain West football’s top performers.

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A breakout in the making?

Quarterback has long been a sore topic for San Diego State football but, heading into 2023, that doesn’t seem to be the case thanks to the efforts of Jalen Mayden, the next player on our list of the Mountain West’s best players.

After transferring to the Aztecs from Mississippi State before the 2021 season, Mayden played QB only sparingly before making a switch to safety ahead of 2022. When injuries and ineffectiveness ripped through the other options on the roster, however, Mayden answered the bell when called upon and gave a moribund offense a much-needed shot in the arm.

In eight games, he managed to complete 59.5% of his throws for 2,030 yards and 12 touchdowns against a 4.2% interception rate, earning an all-conference honorable mention. He also added 231 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground but, most interestingly, his 8.6 yards per attempt led all quarterbacks in the Mountain West.

With new offensive coordinator Ryan Lindley also in place, San Diego State’s aerial attack might look much more potent week in and week out this fall. That makes Mayden must-watch television in 2023.

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