We here at Sons of Montezuma are putting into focus our top San Diego State Aztecs football players for you to to know in the upcoming 2025 season. Next up is Defensive Lineman, Krishna Clay.
Name: Krishna Clay
Position: Defensive Tackle
Class: Junior (2025 season)
Height / Weight: 6′2″, 280 lbs
Hometown: Vacaville, CA
2024 Stats: 40 tackles (22 solo, 18 assisted; ~3.3 tackles/game) 1.5 sacks
The job of a nose tackle is not one that gets a ton of the limelight. It is the epitome of working in the trenches—clearing roadblocks, establishing control of the line of scrimmage, and being relentless no matter the ups & downs of the game.
Krishna Clay performed to these duties as an Aztec last season. Clay logged over three tackles per game, showcasing consistency and toughness as an interior force on an Aztecs defense often asked to play from behind.
When looking back on the Aztecs season—minus one game—you walk away saying to yourself, boy that defense played tough. A pretty impressive sentiment to have when a team goes 3-9 and often couldn’t put teams away. Coming into his Junior season Clay embodies that toughness from last year and now he’s reached his upperclassmen status.
After paying in 9 games as a freshman at the College of San Mateo, Clay then performed at the next level at SDSU. Last year as a sophomore he started in all 12 games and showed durability as well as room for growth in both the run and pass games.
Clay has been praised as a “good pass rusher through the middle with solid fundamentals,” and that’s about as good a compliment you can get for such a young guy trying to collapse the pocket each game.
His 1.5 sacks are respectable for a tackle, but he must develop stronger push and awareness to consistently threaten quarterbacks inside. The Aztecs are banking on a more mature Clay in his Junior year to do just that.
Elevating his playmaking—through tipped balls or turnovers for example—can be a big way to do just that. Improvement in TFLs and overall pressure would make him a disruptive presence.
Entering the 2025 season, Clay is expected to cement himself as the primary nose tackle, anchoring a defensive line that features edge threat Trey White, tackle Teivis Tuioti, and newcomer Malachi Finau. With his fundamentals and high motor, Clay should bolster the Aztecs’ interior run defense and develop as an occasional pass rush option.
Krishna Clay is technically-sound defensive tackle. His steady play and durability earned him a key 2024 role, and now as a multi-year starter, he’s poised to take that next step. But while you will be hard pressed to find much Krishna Clay clips or analysis online, look for Clay to help fortify SDSU’s interior, plug gaps with authority, and potentially grow into a more dynamic disruptor in the Aztecs’ front.
Stay tuned as we list more crucial Aztec Warriors that will be looking to make a big impact this 2025 season. The list isn’t in any specific order—but let us know in the comments what you think of each player as the list unfolds.
• WR, Jacob Bostick
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