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LOGAN — Utah State wide receiver Hunter Sharp, offensive lineman Tyshon Mosely and cornerback Bryant Hayes were suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season for a violation of team rules, head coach Matt Wells announced late Saturday night.
Sharp, a senior, was the Aggies' top returning wide receiver from 2014 after hauling in 66 catches for 969 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior after transferring from Antelope Valley Junior College. The 6-foot, 200-pound senior from Palmdale, California, posted four-straight 100-yard receiving games as a newcomer in 2014, the most by an Aggie since Kevin Curtis in 2001.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Mosley played in 14 games with 11 starts at left guard for Utah State as a redshirt freshman. The Jordan High grad posted 40 knockdowns in 2014, including six each against BYU and New Mexico.
Hayes, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound defensive back from Compton, California, played in 12 games last season and finished with 20 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks.
Finding a way to cover the gap of the missing starters might not be a difficult task for the opening game versus Southern Utah, but a Week 2 meeting in Salt Lake against the Utes will pose a bigger problem.
The loss of Sharp, on top of the dismissal of JoJo Natson earlier in the year, will test the depth of the Aggie receivers. Utah State still has one returning starter in senior Devonte Robinson.
Additionally, Brandon Swindall is back after missing most of 2014 with injury. Outside of those two, the Aggies will be looking to new faces to help create some offense.
Redshirt freshman Zach Van Leeuwen, younger brother of former Aggie Travis Van Leeuwen, and junior Ethan Cortazzo received high praise the first couple days of camp.
Young players like Gerold Bright and Andrew Rodriguez, who have been mentioned as possible replacements for Natson, will have the next four weeks to show their stuff. Even guys most fans haven't heard of yet, like junior college transfer Jaren Colston-Green or redshirt freshman Tyler Fox, will have the chance to step into that third and fourth receiver role.
Bottom line, while none of these receivers are as good as Sharp, all of them can make plays when put in the position to do so. As long as Swindall and Robinson are out there, the third and fourth receivers will still be very good. There will be some drop off for the first two games but nothing to panic about.
Replacing Mosley might not be as easy. This offseason Utah State brought in three transfers for the offensive line to provide depth up front. Preston Brooksby and Jude Hockel are junior college transfers who have been with the team since the spring, while Ben Wysocki, a graduate transfer from UCLA, has recently joined the team.
These transfers were brought in to push the offensive line for a starting spot and provide depth. This is their opportunity to shine.
Currently, Hockel is listed as Mosley's back-up and Wysocki is listed as the back-up behind guard Taani Fisialu. While these two might be the main players battling to replace Mosley, sophomore Brandon Taukeiaho could also make a run at the vacant guard position.
It will be very interesting to see who gets reps with the first team later in camp. With how good Utah's front seven are, the Aggies need there to be little to no drop off up front.
Hayes' 12 games last year meant he was expected to contribute much more this year. Hayes is battling with junior Daniel Gray to be a backup corner and potential starting nickel back. Gray started seven games last year and saw action in all 14. Gray has two inches on Hayes, and that might even make him a better matchup against Utah's tall receivers. With Gray slated to step in there should be zero drop off defensively.
While frustrating for Aggie fans and players alike these suspensions do not spell certain doom for Utah State's first two games. This will all be another thing to watch for during the Aggies' fall camp.
Contributing: Sean Walker, Rod Zundel
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
