- Marshall Faulk was a two-time consensus All-American and is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
- Donnell Pumphrey is San Diego State’s all-time leading rusher with 6,405 yards.
- Rashaad Penny holds the single-season record in all-purpose yardage with 2,974 in 2017.
The last time the San Diego Aztecs won a bowl game was the 2021 Frisco Bowl against UTSA.
In that game, the Aztecs’ NCAA football odds listed them as 2.5-point favourites. They won 38-24, covering the spread.
Despite the lack of recent success, football bets on the Aztecs are available at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
See the top five Aztecs of all time below.
5 Best San Diego State Aztecs Football Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Aztecs Years |
| 1 | Marshall Faulk | RB | 1991-1993 |
| 2 | Donnel Pumphrey | RB | 2013-2016 |
| 3 | Rashaad Penny | RB | 2014-2017 |
| 4 | Ryan Lindley | QB | 2008-2011 |
| 5 | J.R. Tolver | WR | 1999-2002 |
San Diego State Aztecs All-Time Greatest Football Players
1. Marshall Faulk
Faulk attended San Diego State from 1991 to 1993 before being selected No. 2 overall in the 1994 NFL Draft.
While at San Diego State, he won the Jim Brown Award (top running back), was a two-time unanimous All-American, a first-team All-American, the WAC Offensive Player of the Year, a three-time first-team All-WAC honoree, and the school retired his No. 28.
He finished his career with 4,789 rushing yards (second in program history), 57 rushing touchdowns (second), and 5,595 all-purpose yards (third).
Faulk also holds the top three single-game rushing records, headlined by 386 yards in 1991 against Pacific.
He’s enshrined in the Pro and College Football Hall of Fames.
2. Donnel Pumphrey
Pumphrey played running back for the Aztecs from 2013 to 2016.
He ran for 6,405 yards (first in program history), 62 rushing touchdowns (first), had 6,421 total yards (sixth), 63 total touchdowns (sixth), 7,515 all-purpose yards (first), and scored 402 points (first).
He won the Jim Brown Trophy, was a first-team All-American, a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, and a three-time first-team All-Mountain West selection.
His 6,405 rushing yards are the most in FBS history.
3. Rashaad Penny
We’re continuing with the running back position, and next up is Penny, who was at San Diego State alongside Pumphrey for some time over his tenure from 2014 to 2017.
He ran for 3,643 yards (fourth in program history), 38 rushing touchdowns (third), had 6,654 all-purpose yards (second), scored 312 points (fourth), and had 52 total touchdowns (third).
Penny holds single-season records in total touchdowns (28), points (168), all-purpose yards (2,974), and rushing yards (2,248). All of these marks came in 2017.
Penny was a consensus All-American, the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, was named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year three times, and was a three-time first-team All-Mountain West honoree.
4. Ryan Lindley
Lindley played quarterback at San Diego State from 2008 to 2011, racking up 12,680 passing yards (first in program history), 90 passing touchdowns (first), 12,415 total yards (first), and 92 total touchdowns (first).
He was named second-team All-Mountain West in 2010.
5. J.R. Tolver
A wide receiver for the Aztecs from 1999 to 2002, Tolver still holds program records in receptions (262) and receiving yards (3,572).
He also had 18 receiving touchdowns (tied for eighth).
In 2002, he caught 128 passes for 1,785 yards—these are single-season records.
When it was all said and done, he was a second-team All-American, a first-team All-Mountain West, and a two-time second-team All-Mountain West honoree.
