The 2025 season is seeing a lot of doors open up for players who had long been waiting behind the scenes. For some, the logjam was so bad that leaving a powerhouse for a struggling program seemed like the better choice. One such player is getting a much-needed start away from Michigan, where he thought his CFB future would be secure. Once a No.2 under J.J. McCarthy, this QB is finally getting his due as a starting QB.

With Bryce Underwood leading the charge at this moment, there is no question that the backup QBs will be in for an extremely strong fight in the next three years. He’s expected to take the lead from J.J. McCarthy, Michigan’s much-loved Natty-winning QB. But when McCarthy ruled college football, one QB from the room quietly made an exit to San Diego State. Jayden Denegal, once a Wolverine, will now start at quarterback for the Aztecs.

He beats QBs Bert Emanuel Jr., JP Mialovski, and Kyle Crum for the job. In 2023, Denegal was the backup to McCarthy. But even in a place like Ann Arbor, it was difficult for him to shine. He hauled in only 50 yards at Michigan and just one TD. 2024 was much more brutal to him, as Sherrone Moore kept him on the sidelines throughout the season. This was despite Michigan being glaringly inept at quarterback last year. When Bryce Underwood entered the mix, Denegal knew it was time to move out and entered the transfer portal soon after the season ended.

“It is my desire to showcase my talents and skills on the football field on Saturdays,” Denegal wrote in his post announcing his decision to leave Michigan. At San Diego State, he gets to do just that. Denegal’s prep career has great stats. He has 4,608 passing yards, 69 TDs, and only 15 INTs from his time at Apple Valley High. At San Diego State, he will have to take on the mammoth task of pulling the program out of the bottom ranks in the Mountain West Conference. What couldn’t pan out at Michigan might pan out with the Aztecs for Jayden Denegal, after a long wait. The QB hinted at being disappointed in the inside workings at Michigan, which caused him to move out.

Jayden Denegal left Michigan for SDSU because of ‘politics’

Technically, Jayden Denegal is a National Championship winner. But despite beating out others for the No.2 spot that year, Sherrone Moore went ahead with Davis Warren as his week 1 starter. The role eventually got split between him, Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle. Denegal was never factored in the equation, and that’s what got him miffed. “Going into the National Championship game as number two and very much in contention to start this season, I was in disbelief not to get one snap,” he told Detroit Free Press.

“The coaching change changed my opportunity. I, and everyone who watched, knows it wasn’t football-based, but I don’t want to give any more energy into what happened,” Denegal added. Michigan went through a complete upheaval in 2024, after the sign-stealing scandal marked a before-and-after period in Michigan football. Sherrone Moore came under fire for his mistakes at QB, with no pick really making a mark. Alex Orji passed for 32 yards in the USC game – the lowest passing total for Michigan since 1987. But at SDSU, things now stand to change.

“I’ll go fight to win QB1 without politics,” Denegal said earlier. With Natty experience in the bag, and now able to take center stage after 3 long years in CFB, Jayden Denegal will set a new standard at San Diego State. The Aztecs are badly in need of a spark that propels them out of their downward trend. Maybe Denegal is exactly that, as their QB1.