LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football held its 17th practice of fall camp Tuesday morning and the quarterbacks bring a wealth of talent and experience into the upcoming season with two proven starters at the top of the depth chart.
 
Utah State returns a pair of proven winners with plenty of experience at the quarterback position in graduate senior Cooper Legas and graduate junior Levi Williams.
 
"I've been pleased with the progress," said head coach and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Blake Anderson. "Cooper has gotten better every day and Levi's been right there beside him at number two. I've been really pleased with the progress of McCae Hillstead. He's, without a doubt, since day one, been the number three and has matured a lot over the course of the spring and summer."
 
Legas started eight of the 10 games he played in last season and has appeared in 12 games in his career, which includes two bowl outings. During the 2022 season, Legas was 135-of-221 passing for 1,499 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 303 yards and two more scores. For his career, Legas is 146-of-241 (.606) for 1,670 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
 
"Cooper is definitely more comfortable," added Anderson. "I threw a lot at him in the spring and that was a lot to ask of anybody. He spent a lot of time studying over the summer and he's more familiar with what needs to happen. He is making good checks and decisions, and protecting the ball. He's only thrown a couple of picks through all of fall camp, and we've put the ball in the air a lot. So, I've been really pleased with his progress.
 
"We're all going to benefit from the game plan and narrowing things down. That's the next step and that will help the quarterback room a lot."
 
Legas also led the team to its first-ever bowl win against a Power 5 opponent in 2021. Legas, who was playing in just his second-ever game, was 11-of-20 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns in USU's Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl victory.
 
"Fall camp has gone really well," said Legas. "We started out super-hot on offense and were moving the ball well, and we still are, but the defense is finally coming along, as well, and starting to make plays and create some turnovers. It's awesome to see that out of the defense. The offense has looked good all of camp.
 
"I've grown a lot, as well. With coach Anderson, he really emphasizes taking care of the ball. All the quarterbacks have improved tremendously in taking care of the ball and not being careless. Finding check-downs and just being responsible for the offense and the team and making sure we take care of everything."
 
Another veteran returning for the Aggies here is Williams, who appeared in just six games last season due to injuries in his first year in the program. Williams spent three seasons at Wyoming (2019-21), as he played in 18 games with 12 starts. Overall, Williams was 150-of-278 (.540) passing for 2,210 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 763 yards on 168 carries (4.5 ypr) and 13 touchdowns during his time with the Cowboys. Williams was also named the Offensive MVP of the 2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, as he rushed for a career-high 200 yards on 16 carries (12.5 ypr) and a career-best four touchdowns against Kent State, while also completing 9-of-11 passes for 127 yards and another touchdown.
 
Utah State also welcomes three newcomers to this group in junior Zeke Payne (San Diego, California/Rancho Bernardo HS/New Mexico Highlands), and freshmen Ezra Harris (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) and McCae Hillstead (Lehi, Utah/Skyridge HS). Payne was named the Southern California Football Association Co-Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman at Palomar College in 2021. Harris was a two-year starter at Stansbury HS in Stansbury Park, Utah, and Hillstead was a three-year starter at Skyridge HS in Lehi, Utah.
 
Utah State opens the 2023 season at Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 2, while its home opener is the fol-lowing weekend against Idaho State on Saturday, Sept. 9. USU begins Mountain West play at Air Force on Friday, Sept. 15.
 
For Aggie football ticket information, fans can contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office over the phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy their tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online by clicking on the "Buy Tickets" tab at www.UtahStateAggies.com.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball or on Facebook at Utah State Football, as well as on Instagram at instagram.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.