USU Football: Takeaways from fall camp

After three weeks of practices, training and preparation for the 2021 season, it is now game week for Utah State. The Aggies head up to Pullman, Wash. to take on Washington State on Saturday. 

But before looking ahead to that, let’s take a glance at how the team did in fall camp, which ended on Aug. 26. 

Defense and transfers stood out 

One thing I noticed throughout camp was how well the defense performed. They had the edge on the line of scrimmage and in overall momentum for much of camp. 

There were two public scrimmages during camp, on Aug. 14, and Aug. 21. The defense managed to put a lot of pressure on the offense during both of them. On Aug. 14, they totaled seven sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Three of the sacks came from defensive end Addison Trupp. Thanks to his efforts during fall camp, Trupp received a scholarship last week. 

Also during the first scrimmage, the defense added three fumbles and two interceptions. They dominated from start to finish in the scrimmage. After every turnover, they would group up and celebrate together. After every tackle for loss, the sideline would be animated and hype up their teammates. 

One defensive player I thought had a great camp is Nick Heninger. He played phenomenal on the defensive end, racking up sacks and pass deflections at the line. Heninger also had a safety earlier at the start of practices and it provided a spark throughout the rest of the camp.

In addition to the defense playing well, another good thing was how well the transfers have performed in camp. Michigan transfer Hunter Reynolds is one of them. Reynolds had several interceptions throughout camp. During one of the days at camp, he had 2 pass deflections, and two open-field tackles in just a single drive. His efforts earned him a spot on the two-deep at safety. 

Additional transfers include Justin Rice, who transferred from Arkansas State with head coach Blake Anderson. He has made a huge impact on the newly renovated Aggie defense, raising the overall physicality and being a proficient tackler. 

Rice can also create havoc. At the first public scrimmage, he snagged an interception and forced a fumble, and at the most recent practice on the 29th, had 2 interceptions against the scout team.

Playmakers on offense 

I was impressed with the depth I saw at the wide receivers position throughout fall camp. Wideouts Derek Wright and Kyle Van Leeuwen have had the best camp so far from this position group in my opinion. Derek Wright had three touchdowns in the scrimmage on Aug. 14 and has made some impressive endzone catches in practice. He also had a crowd wowing hurdle that ended up being a 45 yard gain in the scrimmage on Aug. 21. 

Kyle Van Leeuwen has been a consistent playmaker all camp. He had three touchdown catches at the Aug. 21 scrimmage, including a 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cooper Legas. 

Devin Thompkins and Justin McGriff both have shined as well. Thompkins has been aggressive, athletic and fast the entire camp, and has made some ridiculous moves on defenders. 6’6 Justin McGriff has been using his height as his advantage, bullying his opponents who try to overpower him.

Veteran wideouts Savon Scarver and Jordan Nathan have played big roles in the return game. Scarver has been one of the better returners in college football, ranking No. 50 in kick return yards in 2020, and No. 25 in 2019. Tight end Josh Sterzer has been awesome all camp, providing sparks to this Aggie offense with elite blocking, and catching whatever comes his way.

John Gentry and transfer Calvin Tyler Jr. could be one of the better running back duos in the Mountain West. They have both played remarkably well, holding onto the ball well, making plays, blocking, getting downfield, and following blockers. The depth of the running back position is also worth noting. Devonta Henry-Cole, Pailate Makakona, Eleyon Noa and Cooper Jones all ran the ball efficiently all camp. The running back depth will go a long way for the Aggie offense. 

CONCERNS

Last season the offensive line gave up a total of 14 sacks in six games. That’s 2.6 sacks per game, which was No. 94 in college football. It has been up and down for the offensive line this camp. They struggled to keep the defense out of the backfield and open up holes for the running backs. On the 14th, the offense only had 90 total rushing yards, with 30 of them coming from the quarterbacks. 

Credit to the defensive line for just being so good and overpowering, but there have been some struggles from the line. It is hard to tell if the defensive line is just really good or the offensive line isn’t performing the best. But it looks like it’s a combo of both.

I fully expect a fun year from this football program. The coaches are doing an excellent job adjusting and learning as a new staff. I expect them to lead the program in an upward trajectory this season.