LOGAN, Utah – With the changing landscape of college athletics, especially within football, it is going to be more and more common for roster turnover at the quarterback position each season. And the 2024 campaign for Utah State proves just that.
 
Utah State does not return a single quarterback that was on the roster from a season ago following the departures of its three starters in Cooper Legas, McCae Hillstead and Levi Williams.
 
However, Utah State has welcomed a talented group of players this year that has the coaching staff excited about the potential of the offense this fall.
 
"Collectively as a group we have continued to get better daily, from the top of the room with Spencer (Petras) to the new guys that just got here in the fall," said quarterbacks coach Hayden Kingston. "We have consistently gotten better every day, which is all you can ask for, and the experience they bring to the team is huge.
 
"Obviously, we remade the quarterback room in the offseason. Having these guys get into our system, learn how we operate, and learn our mentality and our philosophy on offense, has probably been their biggest challenge. Each one of them has stepped up in a big way. They came here because they believe in our philosophy, and they believe in what we do."
 
Regardless of who will be playing quarterback for Utah State this fall the mindset will not change; do whatever they can to help the team win.
 
"We want to put the team first in every decision we make. We want to turn negatives into zeroes and zeroes into positives. That is really the standard that we are based on. How do we continue to progress the offense forward each drive? If we end every drive in a kick, we will be right where we want to be at the end of the year," Kingston said.
 
The Newcomers
Fortunately for Utah State, of the six newcomers brought in to play quarterback this fall, four have previous Division I experience and the other two have played at the junior college level.
 
Listed as the starter coming out of spring practice, graduate senior Spencer Petras (San Rafael, Calif./Marin Catholic HS/Iowa) joins the Aggies after spending six seasons at Iowa (2018-23) as he played in 37 career games with 31 starts, compiling a 20-11 record as the Hawkeyes starting quarterback. During his career, Petras has completed 468-of-825 (.567) passes for 5,199 yards with 24 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, while also rushing for 11 scores. He also has 10 career 200-yard passing games and has thrown multiple touchdowns in six games, including a career-high three touchdowns twice.
 
"I expect Spencer to continue to be the same guy he has been since he got here in early January, and that is to be the hardest worker in the room, the most accountable guy in the room and hold all his teammates to the same standard that he holds himself to, which is to go out and try to be the best quarterback he can be. You will see an efficient quarterback in Spencer, one that is mechanically clean from the bottom up. His feet are awesome. What he does in the pocket and how he moves in the pocket is huge for us. And the arm talent is going to be on full display," added Kingston.
 
Petras sat out the 2023 season due to injury, but started all 12 games during the 2022 campaign, as he was 157-of-281 (.559) passing for 1,725 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions. He also started 11 of the 12 games he played in during the 2021 season and was 165-of-288 (.573) passing for 1,880 yards with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors as he started all eight games in the 2020 season and was 140-of-245 (.571) passing for 1,569 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
 
Another player who went through spring practice with the Aggies is junior Bryson Barnes (Milford, Utah/Milford HS/Utah), who played in 24 career games with 11 starts during his four years at Utah (2020-23). During his career, he is 181-of-301 (.601) passing for 2,025 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, while also rushing for 391 yards on 111 carries (3.5 ypc) and three touchdowns. Barnes started 10 of the 11 games he played in during the 2023 campaign and was 142-of-242 (.587) passing for 1,572 yards with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while rushing for 265 yards on 90 carries (2.9 ypc) and three scores.
 
"No player has made a bigger jump from spring ball to where they are now in fall camp than Bryson and that is a testament to how hard he was willing to work," said Kingston. "Bryson is playing with a lot more confidence and a lot more efficiency, and he is creating explosive plays on offense. He is settling into what we are trying to do and how we are trying to do it."
 
Other newcomers to the group this summer include graduate junior Jacob Conover (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler HS/Arizona State), redshirt freshman CJ Tiller (Gilbert, Ariz./Rancho Cucamonga HS/Boise State), junior Braden Siri (American Fork, Utah/Lone Peak HS/Golden West College) and sophomore Levi Manning (Bakersfield, Calif./Centennial HS/Bakersfield College). Conover and Tiller both have previous Division I experience as Conover spent his first three seasons at BYU and was at Arizona State last year. Overall, Conover has appeared in eight games. Tiller appeared in two games at Boise State last season in his first season with the Broncos and made his first career start in the LA Bowl.
 
Fall Schedule
Utah State opens the 2024 season on Saturday, Aug. 31, as it hosts Robert Morris and begins Mountain West play at Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 5.
 
Ticket Information
Season tickets and mini-plans for the 2024 season are on sale now. Purchase your tickets today to guarantee your seat for the return of the 'Battle of the Brothers' on Saturday, September 14th. To purchase visit utahstateaggies.com or call the ticket office at 435-797-0305.
 
Parking
All Single-Game Parking sales will be cashless, starting this year. Those can be purchased in advance for $10 online, or for $15 on gamedays at the F lot entrances.
 
Follow
Fans can follow the Aggie football program with behind the scenes content and coverage on social media through X, Instagram and Facebook, along with visiting www.utahstateaggies.com.