SDSU heads to Pullman, Washington to take on the Cougars of Washington State. After an impressive opening victory, the Aztecs will be banking on running backs Sutton, Washington, and Cardwell Jr. to carry the Load.
You really couldn’t blame San Diego State football fans for feeling a little nervous coming into this season. Who would be stepping in at running back to replace last year’s workhorse Marquez Cooper?
Lucky Sutton, the opening week starter, carried the ball only five times in 2024 for a total of 35 yards. His primary backups, Christian Washington and Byron Cardwell, Jr., weren’t even on the Aztecs’ roster last season.
And while none of those three names might have stirred excitement in the casual observer of the Red & Black at first, those fans who also follow San Diego County high school football closely would know SDSU’s long history of quality running backs would be in good hands with this talented trio. Really good hands.
Lucky Sutton
On the first Aztecs drive of the 2025 season, Sutton easily surpassed his totals from a year ago. The former KUSI Silver Pigskin winner from Cathedral Catholic High School rushed eight times for 40 yards, capping off the opening drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
Sutton finished a productive opener with 23 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
“I was definitely excited about my first 100-yard game,” he said postgame. “I’m proud of the team and happy for the offensive line. Without them playing extremely well, I would not have had the game I did. I’m grateful for them and very blessed.”
Piling up carries, yards, and touchdowns is nothing new for the gifted local product. Sutton ran for more than 3,500 yards over his high school career while averaging an astounding 10.5 yards per carry. He amassed 44 touchdowns for the Dons, leading the local power to a state title as a senior.
Check out these stats for Sutton’s final three games of his high school career.
In the San Diego Section Open Division Championship, the 6-foot-1 back went off for 275 yards against a good Carlsbad squad in Cathedral Catholic’s win.
Sutton’s rushing totals in the next game, the CIF State SoCal Division 1-AA regional final, defy logic. The San Diego native rushed for 435 yards and six touchdowns! Oh, and he also caught a touchdown to give him a cool seven scores on the evening, matching his jersey number.
In that 71-62 triumph, Sutton scored on runs of 62, 45, 63, 75, 74, and 1 yard. But what makes those figures even more amazing is the fact the three runs of 63, 75, and 74 yards happened on consecutive carries! Three carries, 212 yards, three scores. Unbelievable.
For his final appearance as a Don, in the state title game, Sutton led the way to victory with 232 yards on 30 carries and one touchdown. That touchdown run showed Sutton at his finest – breaking two arm tackles, running to daylight on the edge, and showcasing track speed for a 73-yard TD.
Dons’ Head Coach Sean Doyle was asked about where his star running back ranks in the history of Cathedral Catholic High’s storied program after the San Diego CIF championship win in 2021.
“Everybody asks me if he is the best running back we’ve ever had. I don’t answer those questions, but I’ll tell you he is as good as any running back we’ve had here which is pretty dang good,” Coach Doyle told The Coast News Group. “We’ve had a good handful of great ones and Lucky rates right there with those guys.”
But Sutton isn’t even the most decorated of prospects when you examine the top three local products manning the running back position for the Aztecs this season. That title arguably goes to Byron Cardwell Jr.
Byron Cardwell Jr.
Coming out of high school, Cardwell Jr. was ranked as the 10th best running back in the country and 16th best player overall in California by ESPN. He played three seasons at St. Augustine High School before transferring to Morse High his senior year.
In his sophomore and junior seasons at St. Augustine, the 6’0” now college senior rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 34 touchdowns at a 5.3-yard-per-carry clip. His play earned him San Diego Division II all-conference honors and a scholarship to Oregon.
At Oregon and then Cal, the bruising back gained 568 yards on 96 carries with four touchdowns rushing in 18 career college games coming into this season. He also caught 10 passes for another 68 yards and a touchdown.
Against Stony Brook, Cardwell Jr. had seven attempts racking up 28 rushing yards.
Christian Washington
Also receiving seven carries in the first game of 2025 for the Aztecs was Washington, a former Helix Charter High standout. The 5’10” former Highlander standout ended his first efforts wearing the Red & Black with 38 yards and one touchdown.
The junior transfer, who began his career at New Mexico, comes to SDSU from Coastal Carolina. In 23 college games before arriving on Montezuma Mesa, Washington rushed for 858 yards and five touchdowns. He also owns an impressive 23.6 average on kickoff returns with one 100-yard touchdown return to his name.
At Helix, Washington helped lead the La Mesa school to two Open Division titles in 2019 and 2021 totaling over 4,000 rushing yards in his high school career. Add in what he accomplished in the passing game and on kickoffs, and his all-purpose yards reach 5,634 for one outstanding prep career.
San Diego high schools have produced some of the game’s best running backs, including Marcus Allen, Ricky Williams, Rashaan Salaam, and Reggie Bush, all Heisman Trophy winners. While SDSU’s Sutton, Washington, and Cardwell Jr. might not be in that class, they are certainly more than capable of producing memorable moments for the Aztecs’ faithful based on their accomplishments in high school and thus far at their college stops.
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