USU football adds transfer Henry-Cole to the backfield
In quite the unusual turn of events, former University of Utah running back Devonta’e Henry-Cole has withdrawn his letter of intent from in-state rival BYU and instead will play for Utah State this coming season.
As first reported by Jake Hatch of The Zone Sports Network, and later confirmed by Chris Kamrani of The Athletic, Henry-Cole will make his way to Logan as a graduate transfer and figures to immediately compete with Doak Walker Award Nominee, Jaylen Warren, for the starting spot. At this time, Utah State has yet to confirm Henry-Cole’s addition to the program.
I know it’s been widely rumored & reported by @austinhorton, but I can confirm that Devonta’e Henry-Cole will not suit up for #BYUfoootball this fall & is expected to enroll at #USU & play for the #USUfootball program instead. Expect an official announcement in coming days. #BYU
— Jake Hatch 哈雅各 (@JacobCHatch) July 20, 2020
A source confirms that Devonta’e Henry-Cole has yet to reappear in the NCAA Transfer Portal, but as @JacobCHatch indicates: the former Utah running back will end up at Utah State this fall after originally signing with BYU as a transfer in February.
— Chris Kamrani (@chriskamrani) July 20, 2020
Utah State football head coach Gary Anderson has made adding former Utes to the roster a routine since his arrival in Logan, after spending 2018 as Utah associate head coach. Henry-Cole is the second former Ute to transfer up to Cache Valley in the past week, joining quarterback Jason Shelley who was Henry-Cole’s teammate for three seasons at Utah. Andersen brought in three former Utes — defensive end Nick Heninger, tight end Caleb Repp and wide receiver Siaosi Mariner — who played for the Aggies in 2019.
The Florida native will have the opportunity to share a backfield with Warren, who rushed for 569 yards and five touchdowns last season, but couldn’t stay healthy, especially for the second half of the season. Utah State was lacking depth at the running back position, with Warren the only player on the roster with more than 100 career carries. The player with the second-most carries, Enoch Nawahine (16), is currently serving a two-year mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, leaving a massive gap in experience in the Aggie backfield.
Henry-Cole had his best statistical season as a sophomore in 2018, rushing for 279 yards on 55 attempts and scoring two touchdowns. Last season, he appeared in nine games and recorded 188 yards on 34 carries and another two touchdowns.
Photo by Kiffer Creveling | The Daily Utah Chronicle
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