LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football officially kicked off fall camp with its first practice of the 2023 season Friday morning on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.
 
Third-year head coach Blake Anderson, who is in his 10th year as a collegiate head coach, was pleased with his team's performance on Day 1.
 
"It was a solid day," said Anderson. "We have a lot of new bodies, so it looked chaotic at times, but they were here early today and had good energy. We probably made a million mistakes, but that is kind of what you expect today."
 
In all, Utah State welcomed over 100 players to the first practice, which included nine starters (O-4, D-5) as part of 35 letterwinners (O-19, D-13, S-3) from last year's team that posted a 6-7 record, tied for second in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 5-3 mark, and concluded its season by playing in its 10th bowl game in the past 12 years against Memphis (L, 38-10) in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
 
Along with 35 returning lettermen, Utah State welcomes back 14 redshirts (O-7, D-6, S-1) and three other returners (O-1, D-2) that were members of the program in 2022, while adding 58 newcomers (O-26, D-30, S-2), which includes 13 four-year transfers, 20 junior college players and 25 high school newcomers.
 
Highlighting Utah State's returners in 2023 are four players that have earned previous all-conference honors in senior P Stephen Kotsanlee, senior ILB MJ Tafisi Jr., senior WR Terrell Vaughn and sophomore S Ike Larsen. Larsen was a College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-American along with garnering second-team all-MW accolades. Furthermore, Tafisi and Vaughn both earned honorable mention all-MW honors last season, while Kotsanlee was named honorable mention all-MW following the 2020 campaign.
 
"It wasn't too bad, we have a lot to work on, but I felt like, collectively, we had some good intensity today," said Larsen. "We just need to try and keep getting better every day. We have a lot to install over the next couple of weeks."
 
Other starters returning for Utah State in 2023 include graduate senior CB Michael Anyanwu, graduate senior OL Wade Meacham, graduate senior QB Cooper Legas, senior DT Hale Motu'apuaka, senior TE Josh Sterzer and senior DT Poukesi Vakauta. In addition to the players mentioned above, Utah State returns four more players with at least four career starts in senior OL Falepule Alo, graduate junior QB Levi Williams, junior OL Cole Motes and sophomore ILB Max Alford.
 
"Today was awesome," said Legas. "The offense was good, especially for it being the first day, and we were working well together. We can pick up the tempo for sure, but honestly, I thought we looked solid."
 
Among the group of new players are 13 four-year transfers in graduate senior OL Ralph Frias III (Arizona State), senior RB Sione Finau (BYU), graduate junior WR Colby Bowman (Stanford), junior QB Zeke Payne (New Mexico Highlands), junior DE Blaine Spires (Bowling Green), redshirt sophomore CB Avante Dickerson (Oregon), sophomore CB Al Ashford III (Wisconsin), sophomore ILB Gavin Barthiel (Washington State), sophomore S Simeon Harris (Colorado), redshirt freshman DT Sir Mells (Oregon), redshirt freshman WR Grant Page (Colorado), redshirt freshman ILB Logan Pili (BYU) and redshirt freshman S Jackson Sundstrom (Concordia).
 
As part of the NCAA's five-day acclimation period, Utah State will again be in shorts and helmets on Saturday, then add shoulder pads on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. The Aggies' first practice in full pads will be on Thursday, Aug. 10.
 
All fall camp practices – minus two scrimmages – will be closed to the public. Fans are invited to watch Utah State's first scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 12, at 11 a.m., and its final scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 19, at noon, as part of its annual Family Football Fun Day. Both scrimmages will be held on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.
 
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.