San Jose State University opened the December 2021 signing period adding proven NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) experience at quarterback, wide receiver and in the offensive line complemented by an array of highly productive high school running backs.
Of the 17 newcomers joining the Spartans for the 2022 season, 13 are slated for offensive responsibilities and four are on defense. Five newcomers utilized the NCAA transfer portal, the most coming to San Jose State in one recruiting class since the portal's inception.
The 2021-22 signees include:
- two outside linebacker prospects with the first name Justin and the same birthdate,
- a twin who is 1:00 older than his brother,
- three players from the local high school San Jose State University football head coach Brent Brennan attended before enrolling at UCLA,
- three high school running backs who accounted for 5,217 rushing yards and 65 touchdowns in 2021,
- a quarterback to play in the only NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game in which neither team punted,
- a running back whose uncle is a San Jose State returning starter and two-time first-team All-Mountain West player,
- an offensive lineman with 30 consecutive starts for an FBS school and,
- a descendant of baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Joe DiMaggio.
San Jose State added five offensive linemen, three wide receivers, and two quarterbacks to accompany the three high school running backs, three linebackers and an all-state community college defensive lineman.
Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro from the University of Hawaii, a 2019 honorable mention All-Mountain West honoree, and wide receivers Elijah Cooks and Justin Lockhart from the University of Nevada played against the Spartans in their college careers. High school senior Tyler Voss, who completed 61.8 percent of his passes for Valencia (Calif.) High and the older of twin brothers Tyler and Trevor Voss, joins the quarterback competition in the summer.
Cooks and Lockhart, whose godfather is basketball great Shaquille O'Neal, combined to haul in 182 pass receptions accounting for 22 touchdowns during their days at Nevada. High school senior Kejuan (Key-juan) Bullard from San Pedro (Calif.) High, who caught 44 passes in 2021 is a third wide receiver adding size to the team's wide receiver contingent.
Viliami Teu, a nephew of San Jose State defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko, rushed for 2,211 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2021 for Saint Francis High of Mountain View, Calif., Coach Brennan's high school alma mater. Camdan McWright averaged 12.7 yards a carry gaining 1,667 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns for St. Genevieve High in Panorama City, Calif. Jakob Galloway of Banning High in Wilmington, Calif., ran for 1,339 yards and 14 touchdowns his senior season.
Uluakinofo Taliauli, the 2021 West Catholic Athletic League co-Offensive Lineman of the Year, and Denaris DeRosa, Jr., a descendant of Joe DiMaggio, are two Saint Francis High offensive linemen heading to San Jose State. Last year, the Lancers rushed for 49 touchdowns and averaged 266 rushing yards a game winning a league championship. Center Bryce Petersen, who started 30 consecutive games for the University of Akron, freshman James McNorton, a Washington State University transfer, and Jake Steele of Murrieta Valley High in Murrieta, Calif., are the offensive line hopefuls. Steele, like Taliauli, was his league's top offensive lineman.
Justin Eklund from Folsom (Calif.) High and Justin Stearns from St. Augustine High in San Diego are the two outside linebacker prospects with the same first name and birthdate. Damonie Perkins of De La Salle High in Concord, Calif., slated to begin his college career as an inside linebacker prospect.
Noah Lavuto of the College of San Mateo is an all-state defensive lineman completing the Spartans' first day of December 2021 signings.