After a successful year in the Mountain West Conference, San Diego State University is adding a lot more depth to its rosters with new transfers in sports like basketball, football and more.
Below are some transfer athletes to look forward to watching for next season across SDSU’s sports programs.
Women’s Basketball
Sania Wells: Wells is a graduate transfer from Auburn University. During her four years with the Tigers, Wells appeared in 106 games, making 34 starts. Wells is a 5’7” point guard who averaged 6.4 points in 18.3 minutes per game as a senior. “I chose SDSU because I knew I would be happy both on and off the court,” Wells said. “I felt comfortable with the whole staff and got along with the team so well. I feel I can grow in basketball and in life here, it’s hard not to fall in love with San Diego.”
Jada Lewis: A graduate transfer from Portland State University, Lewis appeared in 98 games while making 79 starts during her four years with the Vikings. Lewis, a 5’9” guard, totaled 906 points and made 207 3-pointers, shooting 37.5%. She averaged 11.4 points per game last year, leading the Big Sky Conference with 80 made threes.“I chose SDSU because I believe I will be a great addition to this program,” Lewis said. “I will be able to develop my game and play against tough competition, not only in the Mountain West but in practice as well.”
Erin Houpt: Houpt played her first two seasons at Mercer University. The 5’6” guard was also recognized as the “2021-22 SoCon Freshman of the Year.” Houpt — who received the third-team All-SoCon selection — averaged 12.6 points per game last year, starting all 28 games for the Bears.
For her 3-point shooting (41.6%), Houpt ranks second in the nation among underclassmen and 10th overall. She also has made 93% of her career free throw attempts. “I chose SDSU because it’s a great basketball program that is on the rise,” Houpt said. “The coaching staff cares about their players and winning. Plus, San Diego is a beautiful city.”
Men’s Basketball
Jay Pal: The 6’9” power forward played at Campbell University. Out of his three major college seasons, last year was his most productive year, making an impact on the court. In 32 games as a starter, Pal averaged 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31.0 minutes per game. In addition, he totaled 221 rebounds, 48 blocks, 45 assists and 30 steals. He also led the Camels in rebounds, offensive boards, blocks and field goal percentage. In just 993 minutes, Pal has the second most defensive rebounds for the Camels men’s basketball program while also leading the team in field goals, points, assists and steals.
Reese-Dixon Waters: As the reigning Pac-12 sixth man of the year, Waters has spent the past seasons at the University of Southern California. During the 2022-23 season, Waters was the Trojan’s third-leading scorer, averaging 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 25.3 minutes per game. He set career-bests in rebounds (93), steals (21) and blocks (12) in a career-high 734 minutes on the court.
Of all players who came off the bench at least 20 times this past season, Reese-Dixon averaged 10.3 points per game in appearances, which ranked No.17 in the nation. Among those on that list who stand at least 6’5, Reese-Dixon’s points per game coming off the bench were the sixth-highest in the nation.
Women’s Volleyball
Taylor Underwood: During her lone season in the Windy City in 2022, Underwood earned a spot on the Big East All-Freshman team. She also ranked third on the Blue Demons with 2.47 kills per set, tallying 36 blocks. For the season overall, Underwood went beyond the double-digit kill plateau in 13 games, blasting a career-high 18 kills vs. Seton Hall on Oct. 7, 2022.
Women’s Soccer
Rebekah Brooks:
Brooks finished her two-year career at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita with several accomplishments. In her 2021-2022 season as a freshman, she recorded 19 goals, four assists and 42 points to earn the Western State Conference South Division Player of the Year honors. In addition, Brooks earned spots on both the California Community College Soccer Coaches Association (CCCAA) All-South Region and All-State teams. “Growing up I always wanted to play soccer and live in San Diego.” Brooks said.
Brooks’s commanding presence on the soccer field led to four game-winning goals. One memorable moment is her postseason score against LA Pierce College, which pushed the Cougars to the third round of the CCCAA SoCal Regional playoffs for the first time in program history.
Kali Trevithick: A graduate student from UCLA, Trevithick was named to the Pac-12 academic honor roll in 2020 and 2021. The forward played in nine games during the 2022 campaign, scoring three goals with one assist. In her debut against Cal State Fullerton, Trevithick scored two goals in 10 minutes. Due to her spectacular performance in that game, Trevithick was named the UCLA student-athlete of the week.
Football
Cody Moon: Spending the last three seasons with the Lobos, linebacker Cody Moon totaled 149 tackles (69 solo) after redshirting the 2020 campaign. Over this past season, Moon was the team leader in tackles at 105, 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Moon was an honorable mention for the all-Mountain West selection last year at New Mexico.
Kyle Stanback: Stanback — who is an offensive lineman transfer from Ventura College — initially began on the defensive line for the 2021 season. During his career at Ventura College, Stanback recorded 10 tackles in three games — three for loss, a half sack and a forced fumble. He also earned second-team All-Conference honors before moving to the offensive line late in his career.
Talib Salahuddin: Playing two seasons at Riverside City College, Salahuddin appeared in 22 games for a program that went 22-4 for his two seasons. The junior defensive lineman also helped the Tigers (12-1) reach the 2022 CCCAA Championship match. During his time at Riverside, he totaled 65 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, including posting five or more total tackles in four games played during the 2022 season.
Tupu Alualu: Playing one season at Mt. San Antonio College in 2021, Alualu started at the defensive line for the Mounties. Alualu had 46 total tackles (29 solo) and 5.5 sacks during the 2021 season. Alualu had eight or more total tackles during the 2021 season, including two games with two-plus sacks.
Raphael Williams Jr.: At wide receiver, Willaims Jr. played his first two seasons for the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program at Western Carolina before transferring to SDSU. During his two years at Western Carolina, Williams Jr. racked up 120 catches for 1,617 yards and 15 touchdowns. To go along with his impressive résumé, he has had eight 100-yard games and four games with at least 10 catches. During the 2022 campaign, Williams Jr. logged 47 receptions for 658 yards and six touchdowns. Williams Jr. was named a first-team All-Southern Conference selection in 2021 by the SoCon Sports Media Association.
