Wagner, Gallagher anchor strong linebacker unit
What’s better than having one returning senior who was also a key defensive leader? How about two? Well, that’s exactly the scenario for the Utah State linebackers. Seniors Bobby Wagner and Kyle Gallagher come into spring training for the final time, ready to lead a deep, young, talented linebacking corps that looks to be an anchor for the ever improving Aggie defense.
“They need to be big leaders,” USU head coach Gary Andersen said. “They need to be vocal leaders at times and they’re doing a much better job at that then they have in the past, which is highly encouraging.”
Since his freshman year, Wagner has been a key contributor to the Aggie defense, appearing in all but one game since coming to USU. Last year, Wagner notched his second straight season with more than 100 tackles and now needs just 24 tackles to break into the USU top 10 list. He was also named to the All-WAC first team following both his sophomore and junior seasons, the first Aggie to win back-to-back awards since Kevin Curtis in 2001 and 2002.
Wagner enters this spring focused and ready for his final season in an Aggie uniform. With performance up to par, he could earn a third-straight All-WAC first team honor this season. “It means a lot, not a lot of people have done that recently and I would love to leave my mark,” he said.
That one honor, though, is hardly his only goal.
“My goals for the season are to win a WAC championship, go to a bowl game, finish my senior season off right,” Wagner said. “Of course I want to get a lot of tackles, but if I get 50 tackles and a WAC championship, I’ll take it.”
Alongside Wagner is fellow senior linebacker, Kyle Gallagher. Gallagher has been an iron man for the Aggies, playing in every game since he was a freshman. Gallagher is an emotional leader for Utah State and during his time as an Aggie has been a force to be reckoned with on the field as he is just shy of 200 tackles for his career.
Although these two returning stars are crucial for the Aggies, arguably the biggest story for the linebackers is the depth they’ve added for the upcoming season. Besides Wagner and Gallagher, USU should get major contributions from a number of players, including Zach Vigil, Jake Doughty, Tavaris McMillian, Parker Hausknecht and junior college All-American Bojay Filimoeatu. These young, talented players look to make an impact right away, something that definitely excites Wagner.
“I think we improved by adding a lot of depth,” Wagner said. “Last year me and (Gallagher) had to take a lot of reps, I think this year we definitely have a wide range of players who can play. It’s going to make me and Kyle’s job easier, so we get a little bit of break.”
McMillan especially has generated hype thus far. A redshirt freshman from Miami, Fla., McMillan is performing well in spring practices and looks to be a big contributor during the season.
“My goal is, first of all, to help the team out however I can,” McMillian said. “I want to be the best player I can be on the field and off the field.”
Other key pieces in the Aggies’ “D” are two sophomores, Doughty, from Sandy, Utah, and Vigil, from Clearfield, Utah, both of whom have impressed Wagner and the coaches with their play during the spring.
“I definitely think that (McMillian), Doughty and Vigil are going to come in and make a contribution as soon as they play,” Wagner said.
That contribution can be seen even now, as most of the time is given to the young guys. During these spring practices, Wagner and Gallagher see limited practice and playing time for several reasons. One, it reduces the risk of them getting hurt, something that is especially important after the injury to star running back Robert Turbin last offseason. Secondly, it gives the young guys a chance to get in and get lots of practice time.
“They’re (Wagner and Gallagher) getting very limited reps,” linebacker coach Kevin Clune said. “We’re trying to work on a lot of the younger guys; Vigil, Doughty, Parker and Forrest Dabb.”
The talent is there and the intensity is there, but most importantly, the unity of purpose is there. These guys know what they are playing for and they are all on-board, something that is obvious when Doughty echoed Wagner’s goals saying, “We want to compete at the highest level we can, win a WAC championship and go to a bowl game.”
Wagner, Gallagher and a group of other guys hungry to contribute seems like a pretty good formula for something special to happen. It’s still early, but with the pieces Andersen and the Aggies have assembled, the future for this upcoming season is looking bright.
– mark.israelsen@aggiemail.usu.edu