LOGAN, Utah – Utah State's safeties are one of the most experienced and talented groups on the football team this fall. In all, this group has six players that have played Division I football, which includes four returners and two newcomers.
 
"It has been a really good group," said first-year safeties coach Kwame Agyeman. "We have a lot of new faces and a new defense. We have been focusing on learning different positions and trying to find the right group that we are going to start the season with. I've been excited about how they have handled the process and having to prove themselves every day.
 
"It is awesome having a lot of guys that have played a lot of football. They are confident because they have been out there. You can do a lot more with the experience we have, being able to move players around. Instead of playing checkers, we can play chess with them, and I think that will help us throughout the season."
 
The Returners
Utah State's three returning starters here are graduate senior Jaiden Francois, junior Simeon Harris and fellow junior Ike Larsen. Overall, these three returners have combined to play in 74 games with 37 starts during their collegiate careers.
 
Larsen highlights this group as he was named a College Football Network (CFN) honorable mention All-American and first-team all-Mountain West selection a year ago as he started all 13 games and finished the year with 103 tackles, four interceptions and six pass breakups. Overall, Larsen has played in 25 games with 17 starts and has 137 career tackles, which includes 2.0 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss, while adding eight interceptions and eight more pass breakups.


 
"Ike was good last year, so let's go be great this year," added Agyeman. "I've been proud with how he has handled the process. He is putting in extra work and trying to be more of a leader on the defense."
 
Harris has played in 24 games during his collegiate career with 13 starts and has 79 tackles. In his first year in the program last season, he started nine of the 13 games he played in and had 59 tackles.
 
Francois has played in 25 games in his career with seven starts. In his first year with the program in 2023, he started seven of the 12 games he played in and finished the year with 57 tackles, which included 1.0 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, while adding one interception that he returned 75 yards for a touchdown and two pass breakups.


 
Four more players redshirted the 2023 season in graduate senior Omari Okeke, sophomore Teeg Slone, and freshmen Chase Davis and Kadiyon Sweat. Okeke is the only member of this group with in-game experience as he appeared in 10 games with one start during the 2022 campaign and had 18 tackles.
 
The Newcomers
Joining the seven players mentioned above are five newcomers. Included in this group are a pair of four-year transfers that have combined to play in 84 games with 43 starts during their collegiate careers, to go along with two junior college players and one high school player.
 
Senior Jordan Vincent (Chicago, Ill./Stevenson HS/New Mexico State) is the most experienced player here as he has played in 43 games with 33 career starts and has 234 tackles. During the 2023 season at New Mexico State, he played in all 15 games with six starts and had 65 tackles, which included 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss, while adding three pass breakups. Vincent also spent three seasons at Eastern Illinois, where he played in 27 games and had 169 tackles.
 
Graduate senior Torren Union (Mesa, Ariz./Marcos de Niza HS/New Mexico State) has played in 41 career games with 10 starts. Most recently, he spent three seasons at New Mexico State (2021-23) as he appeared in 31 games with 10 starts and recorded 86 tackles.
 
The two junior college players joining the secondary includes junior Terrell Taylor (Compton, Calif./Paramount HS/Golden West College) and sophomore Malik McConico (Ocala, Fla./Vanguard HS/Hutchinson CC). The lone high school player joining the group is freshman Gio Kafentzis (Puyallup, Wash./Emerald Ridge 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.
 
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.