LOGAN, Utah – Potential would be the best word to describe Utah State's defensive line heading into the 2024 season as it returns two starters to go along with four more letterwinners, while adding 13 newcomers, which includes seven four-year transfers, four junior college transfers and two high school players.
"I think we've had an unbelievable camp so far," said Ced Douglas, who is in his first year as USU's defensive run game coordinator and defensive line coach. "The thing that I appreciate about those guys, and how camp has been, is you have those days when you know you have to make a decision. Are you going to work today or not? And I like the fact that our group makes that decision every day. We're going to come to work, and we're going to try and get better."
The Returners
Highlighting this group is a pair of returning starters in senior
Cian Slone and junior
Seni Tuiaki. Tuiaki has played in 20 career games for the Aggies with 14 starts and has 42 career tackles, which includes 6.0 tackles for loss. Slone started six of the 13 games he played in last season in his first year with the program and recorded 2.0 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss as part of his 28 total stops.
Other letterwinners returning along the defensive line for Utah State include senior
Blaine Spires and juniors
Bo Maile,
Enoka Migao and
Ioholani Raass. Collectively, this group has played in 92 career games with 24 starts. Spires is by far the most experienced player in this group as he has played in 42 career games with 21 starts and has 93 career tackles, which includes 7.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. In his first year with the Aggies in 2023, Spires played in 12 games with three starts and had 27 tackles, while adding 5.0 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, both of which were the second-most on the team. Maile has played in 22 career games for USU and has 21 tackles. Migao has played in 20 career games with three starts and has 25 career tackles in his time with the Aggies, while Raass appeared in eight games a year ago in his first season with the program.
From this group, Douglas has seen Spires emerge as a leader.
"It's pretty much been
Blaine Spires," said Douglas. "He doesn't necessarily say stuff all the time, but he's been the standard of how they work. It's been cool and it pulls other guys along. He sees guys that he knows can get better and works with them. He gets to know other teammates and spends that time with them."
Furthermore, Utah State welcomes back two more defensive linemen that redshirted last season in freshmen
Zion Andreasen and
Bryan Vogl.
The Newcomers
Along with the eight players mentioned above, Utah State welcomes 13 newcomers along the defensive line, including seven four-year transfers in graduate senior
Collin Vaughn (Charlotte Courthouse, Va./Stafford Senior HS/Limestone), senior
Miguel Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pine-Richland HS/Charlotte), senior
Taz Williams (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary's HS/Kent State), junior
Lawrence Falatea (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS/Washington State), junior
Gabriel Iniguez Jr. (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg HS/New Mexico State), junior
Gabe Peterson (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest HS/New Mexico State) and redshirt freshman
Siolaa Lolohea (Euless, Texas/Trinity HS/Oklahoma State).
Highlighting this group is Iniguez, who earned second-team Conference USA honors during his sophomore season at New Mexico State in 2023 as he had 24 tackles, which included 2.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss, as he played in all 15 games with four starts. Vaughn has played in 37 career games with 20 starts during his collegiate career, including starting seven of the 11 games he played in last season at Limestone as he recorded 47 tackles. Peterson played in 27 games with 14 starts during his two years at New Mexico State and recorded 72 total tackles, which included 5.5 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss. Jackson played in 27 games with 10 starts during his three years at Charlotte, and has posted 58 tackles during his career, including 3.5 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss. Williams spent three seasons at Kent State (2021-23) as he played in 31 career games with one start and recorded 36 tackles, which included 3.0 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. And Falatea spent three seasons at Washington State, appearing in 14 games.
"Gabe Iniguez for sure has emerged as a leader," said Douglas. "For our defense, he is the guy that people turn to a lot.
Seni Tuiaki is still a very strong presence. To come in and be who Gabe has been, is awesome to see. Those guys gravitate toward him."
The four junior college players joining this group include junior
Braydon Bailey (Kona, Hawaii/Kahuku HS/Golden West College), junior
Marlin Dean (Elberton, Ga./IMG Academy/Butler CC), junior
Carl Nesmith (Jacksonville, Fla./Baldwin HS/Fullerton College) and sophomore
Isaiah Bruce (Lena, Ill./Lena-Winslow HS/Iowa Central CC).
Dean began his career at Georgia and earned all-conference honors at Butler CC this past season as he had 25 tackles, which included 7.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, to go along with two forced fumbles. Bruce began his career at Iowa and posted 23 tackles, which included 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, this past season at Iowa Central CC. And Nesmith earned California Community College Football Coaches Association First-Team All-American honors following his sophomore season at Fullerton College as he recorded 31 tackles, including 9.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss.
Two freshmen round out this group in
William Holmes (Detroit, Mich./Western International HS) and
Manase Tupou (Logan, Utah/Logan HS).
Defensive Production in 2023
Utah State's defense finished the 2023 season second in the Mountain West and 33rd in the nation in tackles for loss with 80 (6.2 pg), fifth in the MW and 56th in the nation in sacks with 29 (2.23 pg), sixth in the MW and 60th in the nation in passing defense (219.6 ypg), and sixth in the MW and 61st in the nation in passing efficiency defense (131.3). USU was also second in the MW and 43rd in the nation in red zone defense (.810), third in the MW and 48th in the nation in fourth down conversions (.471).
Utah State was also fifth in the MW and 38th in the nation with 20 forced turnovers, third in the MW and 16th in the nation in fumbles recovered with 10 (0.77 pg), seventh in the MW and 65th in the nation in passes intercepted with 10 (0.77 pg), and one of 28 FBS teams in the nation with three defensive touchdowns on the season.
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.
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