USU’S Dennis, Cooley recognized by The Sporting News

Utah State football players Chris Cooley and Jerome Dennis have been recognized for being among the top 20 players in the country at their respective positions by The Sporting News magazine it was announced recently.

Cooley, a senior fullback/tight end was named the 19th best fullback in the country by the preseason annual. Last year Cooley caught 31 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns. He ended the season with consecutive 100-yard receiving games with 134 yards against Troy State and 105 vs. Middle Tennessee.

Dennis, a junior cornerback, was named the 19th best return man in the nation. Last year he averaged 27.7 yards on 14 kickoff returns, which ranked seventh in the NCAA. He had a stretch of three straight games with at least one return of 60 or more yards.

As a defender, Dennis recorded 24 tackles on the year and returned an interception 75 yards for a score against Brigham Young.