SDSU’s Future Is Getting Bigger: The 2027 Class and a WAY Too Early Look at the Future

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The season hasn’t tipped off, but Brian Dutcher is already giving Aztec fans reasons to think about the next one.

With Davey Harris, Precious Sam and Mahamadou Diop committed, SDSU has a perimeter addition and two incoming centers to build around.

As of October 19, the Aztecs sit fifth nationally in the 247Sports Composite high school team rankings, ahead of sixth-ranked Utah State and No. 28 Oregon State. That is an early snapshot from one ranking system, not a prediction of next year’s team, but it is a promising start for a program preparing to replace significant experience.

Diop headlines the group as a four-star prospect ranked No. 66 nationally in the Rivals Industry rankings. The 6-foot-11 San Gabriel Academy center chose SDSU over UNLV, according to Rivals, after receiving offers including Oregon, UCLA and Oklahoma. Sam adds another 6-foot-11 presence and is rated three stars, with reported offers including USC, Arizona State, California and TCU. Harris, the Windward wing coached by former Aztec D.J. Gay, brings the strength, athleticism and scoring Gay highlighted following his commitment.

The appeal is how the pieces fit: a perimeter prospect alongside two big men arriving as Bear Cherry and Luca Vincini project to finish their eligibility.

So who could join them in 2027–28? Assuming everyone uses a season this year, Chance Gladden, Elzie Harrington, Tae Simmons, Thokbor Majak and David Torresani would each have two seasons remaining, while Latrell Davis would have one. Zach White would have three, and Samson Mashebinu would have three—or potentially four if he preserves this season. Raymar Gonzales projects to have two left, with Cooper Cornelius and Jel Malek each having one.

Cherry, Vincini, Isaiah Sy, Nick Anderson and Luka Škorić currently project to exhaust their eligibility. Despite their freshman roster labels, Vincini and Škorić were each granted only one season by the NCAA.

That gives SDSU 11 potential returners plus three recruits: 14 names, leaving at least one opening under the standard 15-player framework. Confirmed roster exemptions could create additional room, so that is a baseline rather than a final scholarship count. The basketball picture would feature Gladden and Torresani handling the ball, Harrington and Davis supplying perimeter experience, White and Harris providing wing options, Simmons and Mashebinu at forward, and Majak, Diop and Sam at center.

Gonzales, Cornelius and Malek complete the all-return projection.

Another scorer or shooter would make sense with Sy, Anderson and Škorić departing; Lyris Robinson would be an intriguing addition, but he is not included in this count.

The exciting part is that SDSU is already building around tomorrow’s needs. Diop and Sam still have to prove themselves in college, but landing both gives SDSU options before next spring’s roster scramble. My priority from here would be keeping the returning guards together and adding shooting.

A backcourt with another year under Dutcher, Harris on the wing and three centers to work with? That is a pretty good reason to be excited about a season we have no business discussing yet.