Bio

Big playmaker, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time ... Is listed as the starting right cornerback heading into the 2016 opener for the 28th straight contest ... Can also return punts ... Has 20 PBUs over his past 24 games after recording just two over the first 15 games of his career ... Among active career players in FBS, is ranked fourth in interceptions (10) and a tie for seventh in forced fumbles (6) ... Also is tied for sixth all-time at SDSU in forced fumbles (6) and tied for ninth in interceptions (10).

SENIOR (2016): Has already racked up numerous preseason accolades, including being named the MW Defensive Player of the Year by Lindy's Sports, and a first-team honoree by ESPN College Football, Sporting News, Lindy's Sports and Athlon Sports ... Has also been labeled "No. 1 on MW's Top-10 NFL Talent," the "No. 5 Cornerback on 2017 NFL Draft Board," the "Ninth-Best Cornerback in FBS," the "MW's Best Cover Corner," and a "SDSU Player to Watch" by Lindy's Sports ... Has been deemed the "MW's Best Athlete" by Sporting News, while Campus Insiders listed him as a "Top 25 MW Player to Watch."

JUNIOR (2015): Was named a second-team All-American by USA Today, an honorable-mention selection by Sports Illustrated and a fourth-team honoree by Phil Steele ... Was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year by the league's head coaches and media, the first SDSU player to be named the MW Defensive Player of the Year since Kirk Morrison won it in back-to-back seasons in 2003-04 ... Kazee and Morrison are now the only defensive players of the year in a league in school history ... Also was named a first-team all-league pick ... Shared the team's defensive player-of-the-year award with Calvin Munson ... Was on the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, which goes out to the top defensive back in the country ... Also earned postseason first-team all-MW honors from Phil Steele ... Was on the preseason all-Mountain West team by the league's media ... Also was a preseason first-team pick by USA Today, Sporting News and Athlon Sports ... Also a second-team selection by Phil Steele and Lindy's Sports, and is listed as a "SDSU Player to Watch" by Lindy's ... Put together a terriffic season, recording 75 tackles (team-high 58 solo - next highest was 45), a team-best eight interceptions, 5.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 14 starts ... The eight picks were tied for the most in SDSU's Division I era, tied for the most in MW history and tied for the second most in Aztec history ... Led the Mountain West and tied for second in FBS play in interceptions (8) ... Ranked fourth in the MW in passes defended (INT + PBU) per game (1.07) ... Also returned five punts for 70 yards (14.0 avg.), including a 66-yard touchdown ... Had a standout game vs. San Diego, recording three tackles (all solo), including a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss, and three interceptions ... The three interceptions were the most by an Aztec since Ed Ricketts had three on Oct. 13, 1951 vs. the Marines and are ranked in a tie for the second most in a game in program history ... Only Dick Adair's four-interception game bettered Kazee's output and that came on Oct. 15, 1949 vs. New Mexico State ... The three picks, which came in the first, second and third quarter, respectively, tied West Virginia's Karl Joseph for the most in FBS during the opening week ... The three picks also matched the most in FBS play since Middle Tennessee's Damon Nickson had four against Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 28, 2006 ... Kazee became the 25th FBS player this decade (since 2011) with three interceptions in the same game (as of the end of the season, there were 30) ... Came up with seven tackles (five solo) and a PBU at California ... Had a career-high and game-high-tying 11 tackles, including 10 solo, against South Alabama ... Also recorded two pass breakups and his fifth forced fumble of his career ... Had eight tackles (six solo) and 0.5 tackles for loss at Penn State ... The eight tackles tied teammate Kameron Kelly for the second most in the game ... Had four tackles (three solo) against Fresno State ... Had a tackle and his fourth interception of the season at Hawai`i ... Finished with nine tackles (seven solo), an interception and a tackle for loss at San José State ... It was his second straight game with an interception ... Had another solid outing against Utah State with four tackles (three solo) and a pass breakup ... Was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 2 for his play at Colorado State, recording seven tackles (five solo), an interception for a touchdown and a forced fumble ... It was the first touchdown of his career ... The forced fumble kept the Rams out of the end zone at the goal line and safety Trey Lomax recovered it ... The 55-yard interception returned for a touchdown gave San Diego State a 27-10 lead ... Made five stops and two pass breakups against Wyoming ... Had three tackles (two solo) in a start at UNLV ... The big contribution came in the return game, where he returned his first career punt for a 66-yard touchdown ... It was his second touchdown of the year (also an interception return for a score) ... Had another good game against Nevada with four tackles (three solo), a 2-yard tackle for loss, his seventh interception of the season and a pass breakup ... Also returned a punt, but lost five yards on the play ... Made three stops (two solo) with a 4-yard tackle for loss vs. Air Force in the MW Championship game ... Recorded six tackles and a 10-yard interception against Cincinnati in the Hawai`i Bowl ... The interception was his eighth of the season.

SOPHOMORE (2014): Was named a second-team all-Mountain West selection by the league's coaches and media ... Was named to the MW midseason first team by Phil Steele ... Was named the team's emerging star by Lindy's Sports ... Started all 13 games for SDSU, making 58 tackles (40 solo), with a team-high 13 pass breakups, an interception, a fumble recovery, 4.0 TFL and two quarterback hurries ... Ranked third in the MW with 1.08 passes defended (INT + PBU) per game ... Made his first career start in the opener vs. Northern Arizona, registering four tackles (three solo) ... Started again at No. 21/23 North Carolina, where he made four tackles (three solo), including one for a 1-yard loss ... Had one assisted tackle in another start at Oregon State ... Earned another start vs. UNLV, where he had four tackles (three solo) and a career-high three PBUs ... Had five tackles (all solo) at Fresno State to go along with a PBU ... Had another five tackles (four solo) and two pass breakups at New Mexico ... The two PBUs were a game-high ... Had another good game against Hawai`i, making six tackles, a game-high-tying two PBUs and his second career interception ... Came up with five tackles (three solo), including a 2-yard loss, and a PBU in an eighth straight start at Nevada ... Had three stops (one solo) and another pass breakup in a start against Idaho, and added a quarterback hurry ... Recorded a season-high seven tackles (four solo), a PBU and a QBH in a start at Boise State ... Made four stops, all solo, in an 11th straight start vs. Air Force to go along with a 3-yard tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and another PBU ... The fumble recovery was this first of his career ... Recorded four tackles (three solo) with a PBU in a 12th consecutive start vs. San José State ... Started for the 13th straight game of the season vs. Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl, where he had six tackles (five solo) and a 4-yard tackle for loss.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2013): Played in each of the first seven games off the bench, making impact plays in almost every contest, before missing the New Mexico game with concussion-like symptoms ... Returned for San José State and played every game the rest of the year ... Had 41 tackles (28 solo), four forced fumbles, 3.0 TFL, two pass breakups, an interception, a sack and a blocked kick ... Led the MW and was tied for 10th (first among freshmen) in the nation in forced fumbles per game (0.33) (four total) ... The four forced fumbles were tied for fourth all-time at SDSU and the most since former Oakland Raider Miles Burris had four in 2010 ... Had the most tackles (41) on the team of any player without a start (next highest was 22) ... Made his collegiate debut in the opener vs. Eastern Illinois and had four tackles (all solo) and a forced fumble ... The four tackles tied King Holder for the most among all cornerbacks ... Had another solid outing off the bench at No. 3/2 Ohio State, making six tackles (all solos) with a one-handed interception ... The six solos were the most by either team ... The interception was the first by an Aztec this season and came at the SDSU 21-yard line ... Came off the bench against Oregon State and had five tackles and a forced fumble ... Made three tackles in a reserve role at New Mexico State ... Came off the bench in fine fashion vs. Nevada, making four stops (three solo) with a sack, tackle for loss and forced fumble ... Made two tackles off the bench at Air Force ... Had five stops and a tackle for loss vs. No. 15/18 Fresno State ... Missed the New Mexico game with concussion-like symptoms ... Had a solid all-around game in the win at San José State with two tackles, along with his first career pass breakup and blocked kick ... The blocked kick in the fourth quarter was arguably the biggest play of the game for SDSU, as it kept the Spartans from taking a 26-12 lead and allowed Nat Berhe to return the loose ball 56 yards ... Donnel Pumphrey then followed with a 34-yard touchdown run, bringing the Aztecs to within three points at 23-20 ... Made three stops (two solo) with a forced fumble at Hawai'i ... Came up with two tackles (both solo), a tackle for loss and a pass breakup vs. Boise State ... Had two solo stops off the bench in the team's loss at UNLV ... Came up with three stops in a reserve role vs. Buffalo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

FRESHMAN (2012): Utilized his redshirt season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Three-time all-CIF athlete who played both sides of the ball at Cajon High in San Bernardino, Calif. ... Helped the Cowboys to a 9-2 overall record as a senior in 2011, including a 6-1 mark in league play ... Recorded 27 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble on defense during his senior year ... On offense, he scored four touchdowns on the ground and caught another four touchdowns through the air ... Scouts, Inc. rated him as a three-star recruit and gave him a grade of 75 ... In high school, he lettered in football, basketball and track.

PERSONAL: Damontae T. Kazee was born June 5, 1993, in San Bernardino, Calif. ... Son of Latrease and Walter Kazee ... Has three brothers and two sisters ... Brother, Walter, was a four-year running back for the Aztecs from 2009-12 ... Also considered Arizona and Washington State ... Majoring in criminal justice.