Nick Nash and Justin Lockhart formed one of the most productive receiving duos in San Jose State history in 2024. Now the Spartans must find a way to replace them.
The pair combined to catch 157 passes for 2,365 yards and 21 touchdowns last season to help the Spartans make their third consecutive bowl game appearance.
SJSU opens the season on Friday night against Central Michigan with 136 combined career receptions from every wide receiver on the roster. Matthew Coleman collected 46 of those over the past two seasons with SJSU, and Sacramento State transfer Danny Scudero, a Mitty High grad, caught 53 passes with the Hornets in 2024.
San Jose State University wide receiver Danny Scudero (10) takes part in football practice on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
That is not a lot of experience for Walker Eget to throw to in his second year as the Spartans’ starting quarterback, but offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann believes the current wide receiver room is more well rounded than last year’s.
“Nash took a lot of the load last year and I think that was because we didn’t have a lot of depth,” Stutzmann said. “This year we are gonna spread it around.”
Nash, who is now battling for a roster spot with the Atlanta Falcons, became the first player in SJSU history to be named a Biletnikoff Award Finalist. He led the nation in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,382) and receiving touchdowns (16) during the regular season, making him the fourth player in FBS history to achieve the triple crown.
The majority of Nash’s snaps came from the slot, which is a position that features a prominent workload in Stutzmann’s Spread and Shred offense. This year SJSU plans to rotate guys in that spot.
Stutzmann mentioned three players to be in the mix at the slot, Coleman, Scudero and the sophomore Arizona transfer Malachi Riley.
Coleman has proven he can be productive in the slot position as he got the start during its 41-39 loss in quintuple overtime against South Florida in the Hawaii Bowl after Nash opted out. Coleman tallied up 12 receptions and 119 yards, both career highs.
Walker Eget #5 of the San Jose Spartans fires a pass downfield during the first half of the game against the South Florida Bulls at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on Dec. 24, 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Image
Coleman’s big bowl game performance cemented Riley’s decision to come to SJSU after hitting the transfer portal.
“When I saw Coleman go off, my eyes opened super wide,” Riley said. “(I saw) that if I come here, work and put my head down, that could be me.”
Stutzmann had high praise for Riley and said he saw many similarities between him and Nash.
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“Riley has a Nash body type,” Stutzmann said. “The reason we wanted Riley is because he can provide those advantages in the slot like Nash did.”
Stutzmann raved about the wide receiver room’s speed.
“We have arguably the fastest receiving corps in the country,” Stutzmann said. “The biggest thing we preach to them is if you’re going to mess up, mess up at 100 miles per hour.”
At practice, GPS speedometers were placed on the wide receiver core and according to Purdue transfer junior Leland Smith, nearly everyone in the room can hit speeds of over 20 mph.
At 6-foot-4, Smith has the combination of size and speed to be a Lockhart type player on the outside.
While losing Nash and Lockhart, who is in camp with the Kansas City Chiefs, is a big blow, the important thing for SJSU is that Stutzmann’s offense is still in place.
At his previous coaching gig as the wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator at Texas State, the offense broke the program record for most passing yards in a season in 2023. In 2022 at Utah Tech, Stutzmann’s offense allowed Joey Horbert to have 1,249 yards, 16 touchdowns on 89 receptions.
Heavily utilizing option routes, the Spread and Shred has had receivers put up big numbers at every stop. Expect that to be the same this year too.
San Jose State University wide receiver Malachi Riley (11) takes part in football practice on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
“Everyone has a deep understanding of the offense’s nuances and different ways to manipulate the defense,” Smith said. “I’m just excited to put it on display.”
Other players expected to be in the mix are junior Kyri Shoels, who took a redshirt season last year, and Cooper Hoch who had 76 yards on 10 receptions in 2024.
The Spartans plan to recreate the production of Nash and Lockhart, by committee. They feel they have the depth and explosiveness to do so.
“I think that it’s going to provide a little more health down the road,” Stutzmann said. “We have lofty expectations, we’re going to need those guys throughout the whole season.”