6 storylines to watch for as Utah State opens fall camp


Save Story

Show 1 more video

Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LOGAN — For the next four weeks, every college football team is the same. Everybody is sitting on a perfect season. Still every team has questions that remain. Here are the six biggest questions Utah State will look to answer during fall camp:

1. Who backs up Chuckie Keeton?

Keeton's injury history has been duly noted. An injury knocked him out after eight starts in 2011. After a full season in 2012, a knee injury knocked him out of the 2013 season after six games. Aggravation of that knee injury forced Keeton to miss the rest of the 2014 season after just three games.

The battle for Chuckie's backup, and even that person's backup, is critical this year. The battle will most likely be a three person race between DJ Nelson, Damion Hobbs and Kent Myers.

Myers, who spent time as a wide receiver in the spring, is listed as a quarterback again on Utah State's roster. Myers might have the edge over Hobbs and Nelson based on his experience starting in games last year. However, coach Matt Wells noted that the battle for backup quarterback is something that will not be settled early in camp. "They better not count their reps, they better make their reps count. That competition will go pretty deep into training camp."

2. Is there any depth along the defensive line?

During Thursday's media days, Wells reiterated that only John Taylor will be ready to start the season from those injured in an accident in June. Edmund Fiamalo and Adawale Adeoye are progressing but have no timeline put on them.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Clune opened the door for possible positional changes to help up front if necessary, saying, "We're going to try to put our best guys out on the field and if we have to move somebody from one place to another, we will."

Specifically mentioned was Ian Tongiai, who played outside linebacker last year. He is listed as defensive end entering fall. Fall camp will provide an opportunity to see which young guys step up along the defensive line to provide the much-needed depth

3. Can Utah State replace Jojo Natson?

Jojo Natson was not only a dynamic wide receiver but also one of the best punt returners in the nation. Last year, Natson was one of only 10 players nationally with two or more punt return touchdowns.

These next weeks will be crucial for Utah State to find a player to replace Natson's production. Hunter Sharp is a clear candidate to pick up production as both a wide receiver and a returner. Young guys like Gerold Bright or Andrew Rodriguez will also be looked at to step up and compete.

4. Can the inexperienced secondary mesh quick enough?

The Aggie secondary is going to be a pretty young secondary. We already previewed how they are going to replace three big performers, but fall camp will show just how quickly they can mesh or if they struggle through some growing pains.

Clune had high praise for a couple of the safeties in Devin Centers and Marwin Evans. Centers, who was coming on last year, is expected to step up and "become the quarterback of the defense." Evans has come along strong through the spring, and his growth through the fall will be watched closely.

5. Can the offensive line improve on last year's struggles?

The offensive line was one of the most criticized parts of the Aggies' offense last year. The line did get better as the season went on. Four of the last five games the offensive line helped the Aggies reach 6.2 yards per carry or higher.

Junior college transfers Jude Hockel and Preston Brooksby were joined by graduate transfer Ben Wysocki over the summer. These experienced new comers will push the current starters for playing time and give much-needed quality depth.

6. What exactly is changing offensively under Josh Heupel?

Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel has set the bar high for this Aggie offense. "He wants to be one of the top scoring (offenses) in the nation," said Senior Brandon Swindal. "With the scheme he is bringing and with our weapons that we have, I think we can do that."

Heuple has had a spring to install and fine-tune his "scheme." It will be interesting to see exactly how it will shake out during fall camp. What does he plan on doing with the run game? Will the new offense try to keep Chuckie in the pocket? Will the tight ends become more of a receiving threat? There is a lot to learn about this offense and what it will become.

The Aggies' fall camp opens today. Scrimmages will be on Saturday, Aug. 15; Wednesday, Aug. 19; and a final one on Saturday, Aug. 22. Parker Robertson is a graduate of Utah State University, a freelance contributor, and an avid fan of sports. Follow me on Twitter @ParkerRob78 Email: ParkerRobertson18@gmail.com

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsUtah State Aggies

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast