San Diego State Professional Athletes

San Diego State Alumni Report | NFL Week 4 (Oct. 4–10, 2026)

Two Aztecs made noise in opposite corners of the NFL this week — one with his leg in the desert, one with his motor in Atlanta.

Araiza Earns AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Matt Araiza had himself a week. The Kansas City Chiefs punter was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after a standout performance in the Chiefs' 30–27 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Oct. 4. Araiza didn't just make an impact with his punting — he also contributed on the ground, logging 12 rushing yards in what became a complete special teams performance that the NFL singled out for recognition.

For Araiza, the honor is a statement moment. The San Diego State product has carved out a legitimate role as one of the better punters in the AFC, and a Player of the Week nod in a divisional road win only cements that standing. The Chiefs' special teams unit was dialed in all afternoon in Las Vegas, and Araiza was the centerpiece.

Thomas Becomes a Quiet Force in Atlanta's Pass Rush

While Araiza was collecting hardware, Cameron Thomas was turning heads in a different way. The defensive end, signed by the Atlanta Falcons as a depth option, has evolved into a genuine contributor in their pass-rush rotation early in the 2026 season. According to Sports Illustrated, Thomas was brought in as a backup, but he's trending well beyond that label.

The Falcons blew out the New Orleans Saints 45–24 on Monday, Oct. 5, and Thomas was part of a defensive front that dominated. At San Diego State, Thomas showed the athleticism and motor that made him a prospect worth watching — Atlanta is now finding out what that looks like at full NFL speed. If he keeps this up, the "surprise" label won't last long.

Around the League

Elsewhere among active Aztecs, Daniel Bellinger caught one pass for two yards as the Tennessee Titans fell to Baltimore 24–18 on Sunday. The tight end is still looking for a larger role in Tennessee's offense. Daniel Brunskill remains on the Los Angeles Chargers' practice squad after being signed as a veteran offensive line depth piece — he hasn't yet cracked the active roster. Segun Olubi was in uniform for the Raiders in their home loss to Kansas City, though he did not record notable stats in the defeat.

San Diego State's NFL footprint is wide — 30-plus alumni scattered across the league — but this week belonged to Araiza and Thomas. A punter winning conference honors and a free-agent defensive end emerging as a pass-rush weapon make for an unlikely but genuinely compelling Aztec double act. Watch both of them closely as the season deepens.

In an era when the fullback has nearly gone the way of the drop kick, San Diego State alumnus DJ Herman is making a legitimate case for the position's relevance — and earning national attention doing it.

Herman, a fullback for the Miami Dolphins, became something of a minor sensation in Week 2 when he turned a short pass into an 18-yard catch-and-run early in Miami's road game at San Francisco. The Dolphins lost 35-13, but Herman's play cut through the noise, prompting Heavy Sports to profile exactly why a team in 2026 is leaning on a fullback in the first place. The short answer: Herman does the quiet, unglamorous work — lead blocking, pass protection, seam routes — that makes an offense function. The 18-yard gain was the exception; disciplined execution is the rule.

A Sports Illustrated mailbag dedicated a question specifically to Herman's pass-blocking, a detail that underscores how closely Dolphins observers are watching him. For an Aztec to become a genuine talking point in the Miami media ecosystem this early in a season is no small thing.

Another Aztec in Miami's Spotlight

Herman wasn't the only San Diego State product drawing coverage in South Florida this week. Cornerback Chris Johnson — a first-round pick the Dolphins are leaning on heavily during what looks like a rebuilding year — was fined by the NFL following Miami's Week 1 loss to the Raiders and subsequently appealed the ruling. Johnson started in the Week 2 loss to San Francisco as well. Growing pains are part of the deal for young corners, but the Dolphins are clearly committed to his development regardless of early turbulence.

Around the League

Cameron Thomas continued to contribute for Atlanta, recording a sack in the Falcons' dominant 35-14 win over Green Bay on Thursday, September 24. It's Thomas's second consecutive week in the stat sheet and a sign that the defensive end is carving out a reliable role on a Falcons front that dominated in Week 3.

Elsewhere, Darren Hall — who has NFL experience with the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals — drew interest from the New England Patriots, who brought the cornerback in for a workout amid a rash of secondary injuries following their Week 2 win. Hall hasn't latched on with a roster yet, but the workout signals he remains on the league's radar.

San Diego State's NFL footprint in this period is led, without question, by Herman. The Dolphins are 0-2 and navigating a rebuild, but the fullback out of SDSU has given the fan base — and the broader league — something unexpected to discuss. Not bad for a position most teams stopped carrying years ago.