San José State held its annual spring football game Saturday afternoon to offer fans an early glimpse into what next season’s team looks like.
Held at CEFCU Stadium, the game served as a developmental checkpoint, featuring incoming players, structured warm-up exercises and live-action reps.
The event marks the final public appearance of the Spartan football team before summer camp begins later this year in July.
The football team was divided into two sides, with defense in white jerseys and offense in blue.
For roughly the first hour and a half, players cycled through position-specific drills, allowing coaches to evaluate fundamentals across the roster.
The battle for starting quarterback took shape, led by Hawaii transfer Luke Weaver, who took the first reps with the offense. He was later joined by redshirt freshman Robert McDaniel and freshman Daniel Rolovich.
Weaver said he feels his technique is improving at SJSU.
“The way the coach explains things, it makes it really easy on us quarterbacks to see our mistakes and learn from them and take them out for the next practice,” Weaver said.
Afterward, the event transitioned into a controlled scrimmage. While not a full-contact game, since tackling was limited, the scrimmage focused on timing and defensive reads.
Early moments favored the defense, with Rolovich throwing an interception to sophomore cornerback Isaiah Buxton. Weaver was also picked off by sophomore safety Pierce Walker.
The defensive energy is being shaped by defensive coordinator Bojay Filimoeatu, who is entering his first full season in the role after taking over late last year following the Spartans’ 55-10 loss to the University of Nevada, Reno on Nov. 15, 2025.
Filimoeatu said solid defense is a team effort.
“We put in the work every day, we break down film, putting all our combined knowledge to build this defense, which is what you saw today,” Filimoeatu said.
The kicking game also drew attention as the Spartans appeared to stabilize after last season’s inconsistency, with Denis Lynch’s 8-for-16 performance and kicker Mathias Brown going 4-for-7.
Newcomer Trajan Sinatra is taking over as the primary kicker, with Brown currently in a backup role. Sinatra was highlighted by his 54-yard field goal.
The junior transferred from Idaho State and went 18-for-22 on field goals. He was perfect on extra points, going 7-for-7, and has shown he has a big leg, highlighted by a 56-yard field goal at the University of New Mexico on Sept. 6, 2025.
SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo said there will be coaching and player changes for the upcoming season following a disappointing 3-9 campaign in 2025.
The team brought on additional staff, including pass game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Brian Norwood, offensive line coach Ramsen Golpashin and safeties coach Joe Dale.
Niumatalolo said the team has 23 new players, and he believes the new recruits will lead the team to victory.
“Good teams are coach led, elite teams are player led,” Niumatalolo said.
Following the on-field action, the program hosted a football camp for kids ages 6 to 12. This began about 15 minutes after the game and lasted an hour, giving young fans a chance to engage directly with players and coaches.
The Spartans are scheduled to open their season on the road at the University of Southern California for a “Week Zero” matchup on Aug. 29 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
