The first thing you notice about Utah State head coach Gary Andersen is his confidence, you know, the borderline swagger that he exhibited.

The Aggies are headed to the Mountain West in 2013. Andersen believes his 2013 team could possibly be the best of his tenure, and for good reason.

Chuckie Keeton will be a junior. Tavaris McMillian will be a junior. Joe Hill will be around, as will Nevin Lawson and a host of guys who will play major roles this season.

Without Boise State, without San Diego State, the Aggies could have the ability to come in a compete right away. Not just compete, but to potentially compete for a title.

"I definitely feel like we can step i...

John Fakahafua, a 6-foot-1 wide receiver out of East High, has committed to Utah State. He is USU's second commit in the class of 2013.

According to scout.com, Fakahafua has received recruiting interest from BYU, Utah and Georgia Tech, as well as the Aggies.

Fakahafua attended Utah State's junior day this past weekend. He almost committed on the spot, but pulled the trigger officially on Tuesday night.

Tony Jones

On Monday night, Utah State formally offered Jared Stutzman, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Bonneville High. He's originally from Idaho Falls, but has stated repeatedly that he wants to play his collegiate ball in the state.

The offer should come as absolutely no surprise to Aggie fans, as Utah State coaches have tracked and recruited Stutzman for two years now, despite him being just a rising junior.

He is one of the premier players in Utah's 2014 class, and plays his AAU basketball for Utah Pump N' Run, maybe the premier club program in the state.

This will be Stutzman's third formal offer, with Utah and Weber State having also offered.

This will be the seco...

Much like Utah did last year by offering Nick Emery, Utah State is hoping to strike it big by offering Orem's 6-foot-7 small forward Dalton Nixon, whose father played at BYU and who is considered a huge Cougar lean.

As Tribune reporter Kyle Goon wrote earlier, Utah State offered Nixon, now a state champion and one of the better prospects in the state right now.

Like with Marcel Davis and Quincy Bair, the hope is getting an early commit, before BYU can latch on. Problem is, getting Nixon out of BYU country will be extremely difficult. It's not impossible - USU did get Tai Wesley from Provo when it was all but written in stone that he would become a Cougar. However, everyone i...

Via twitter, it's apparent that Utah State won't be getting a commitment from Quan Conner, the highly coveted junior college point guard. He is expected to sign a letter of intent with Morehead State.

That means, TeNale Roland is the lone known point guard target for the Aggies. He visited the Utah State campus last week, and will visit Idaho this weekend.

Should Utah State miss out on him as well, the Aggies will in all probability be relying on a freshman to handle the bulk of the minutes at point guard, be it American Fork star Marcel Davis or Riley Bradshaw, the red-head out of Montana.

The good news: Davis and Bradshaw are two of Stew Morrill's most coveted recru...

At 265 pounds, Bojay Filimoeatu was a good defensive end last season. He started slow, but by the end of the season, he very closely resembled the player Utah State drooled over during the recruitment process.

In this, the second week of spring football practice, Filimoeatu is 245 pounds and planning on getting more trim. He's quicker, while not losing much of the power that made him a good down lineman in 2011.

Utah State coaches don't need the rising senior to blend into the crowd this season. The Aggies need him to be a game-changer in the wake of Bobby Wagner's graduation to (likely) the NFL.

"I'm feeling better, quicker," Filimoeatu said. "The defense is startin...

In Utah State's first morning practice in the cold and mist, Gary Andersen came away quite pleased with the effort and focus that his team displayed.

It's obvious to Andersen that his troops are beginning to understand what's expected of them in spring football practice. He said as much afterwards, praising his players for coming in prepared.

"I think this was our beat practice of the spring so far," Andersen said. "I'm happy with our play today."

Andersen said the offense was crisp, while the defense proved unyielding, not an easy feat. A week after roasting the defensive line, he praised them for their effective play. The Aggies were done at eight a.m., and the fee...

Despite reports to the contrary, Marvin Jean has not yet given Utah State a commitment for next season.

The Aggies are hot after the 6-foot-5 small forward with the smooth left-handed jumper. But he hasn't committed just yet, although he will visit Logan on April 12th.

Jean is well-liked by the USU coaching staff for his athleticism, his ability off the dribble and his maturity physically. If he does become an Aggie, he would be expected to challenge Danny Berger for a starting spot right away.

Tony Jones

Through two days of spring practice, this is what we know about the running back spot:

1. Kerwynn Williams will be a senior, and will be the undisputed feature back.

2. Williams is not Robert Turbin. He will not be on the field for 70 snaps per game.

That means more importance placed on the second and third spots this spring. And there are options. Joe Hill, Robert Marshall, Joey DeMartino and Tavarreon Dickerson are all locked into competition for what could be pivital roles.

Dickerson, a true freshman has caught notice with his sheer speed. Coaches cautioned that it's only two practices, and that the pads won't go on until Friday afternoon. But he has learned...

Gary Andersen is not a happy person right now.

Check that. Gary Andersen is livid.

The source of his discontent? His defensive line, which has drawn his ire and as harsh a public criticism as any group he has coached during his tenure as Utah State's head coach.

Here are some of his greatest hits from Thursday morning's practice.

* "If the line continues to play like this, we're going to have to score 60 points every week if we want to win games."

* "Right now, we don't have a division I defensive line."

* "The line as a whole thinks they are much better than they really are. In reality, they have miles to go."

* "We already play an odd fro...

Utah State's newest defensive coordinator didn't even pretend to mince his words.

"This spring is crucial for the development of the defensive line."

Definitely an important directive, but also very true.

There isn't a lot of experience on the defensive line outside of potential All-WAC tackle Al Lapuaho. Connor Williams and Travis Seefeldt are starting next to Lapuaho. Neither have started before in an Aggie uniform. Plus, former Sky View star Eric Bernston, a return missionary, has made his way onto the two-deep.

That means, the line has to gain experience and quickly. That means the line has to gel, and gel quickly. Havea Lasike has experience, but he's out ...

As a senior, and given his status as a probable second to third round NFL draft pick, Bobby Wagner was going to be gone, and everyone knew it.

The linebacker group, however, has been dealt another blow.

Maurice Alexander, who played extremely well in his lone season at Utah State, is no longer an Aggie.

Alexander started multiple games in a USU uniform. He is best known for his speed, his size and ability to make plays in opposing backfields. He would most likely have been a starter in 2012, although he was going to be moved to strong safety.

His departure means sophomore Tavaris McMillian is the undisputed leader of the linebacking corps. While the sophomore o...

Morgan Grim hasn't been healthy since the very beginning of the season, the product of a bum ankle that won't really heal without substantial rest.

That's what you don't know about Utah State's senior big guy. That's what hardly anyone knows.

But there's Grim, running, posting up, scoring, grimacing in pain, giving his final year of college hoops all he has. He's not the biggest, especially for a center. He's more like the anti Brady Jardine in that he has little vertical lift. He can be overpowered in the post.

But if basketball were measured by the heart displayed, Morgan Grim would be Dwight Howard. Massive.

On Wednesday night, Grim played one of his best ga...

This is the Kyisean Reed coaches have wanted to see.

The Reed that flies around and plays above the rim. The Reed that's capable of pulling in tough rebounds in traffic. The Reed who finishes plays on the interior.

Reed, a junior forward, powered the Aggies on Wednesday night, scoring 16 points and adding eight rebounds in a 75-69 win over Cal-State Bakersfield in the CIT Tournament first round.

Reed was tough against difficult competition, emerging from the game with a bloody lip and a gash on his right shoulder. He brushed it off, saying that it was alright and that it wasn't a painful injury. But Reed stood tall against a lot of pressure on Wednesday night.

...

Gary Andersen maintained following signing day that he wasn't finished recruiting and would probably add to his team in the coming weeks.

On Monday, he did just that.

He signed offensive lineman Joe Summers and defensive lineman AJ Pataialii, both out of Snow College, both coming close to 300 pounds.

Both are eligible to play and will join the team for summer workouts.

Expect Pataialii to contend for a starting spot on the defensive line, as he is quick, nimble and explosive out of his stance. His strength also gives Andersen the option of playing him on the interior as well as outside.

A former star at Hunter High, Pataialii played eight games this seas...

Utah State's 2012 football schedule will reveal a ton a juicy storylines.

1. When Utah visits, it will represent a matchup of sorts between to families. And it will be the first time in quite a while that the Aggies will have a serious hope in competing.

2. Utah State visits Colorado State, which will pit CSU offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin up against his former team.

3. The Aggies matchup against UNLV will surely excite assistant coach Mike Sanford, who used to coach the Runnin' Rebels.

4. A trip to Wisconsin is sure to be fun for USU as the Aggies try to play the role of giant killer once again.

5. And of course, there will be another trip to Provo ...

With the last weekend of the season at hand, the All-conference team will be out early next week.

USU, in the opinion of this blog, should get one member on the respective teams, and that would be Preston Medlin. The rest of the teams should be Nevada and New Mexico State dominated.

With that in mind, here's what I have.

1st team

Deonte Burton, Nevada: A no-brainer here. The best player in the league, a point guard who really can score, can make big shots and is a leader. Is maybe the closest thing the league has to a surefire NBA prospect. His sophomore season has really been special.

Preston Medlin, Utah State: With apologies to Kevin Olekaibe, Zane Jo...

As a sophomore, Preston Medlin has largely kept to himself when it comes to leadership.

Stew Morrill wants that to change.

Medlin is Utah State's best player, its most reliable offensive weapon and a big reason the Aggies have at least a fleeting hope of making noise next week in the WAC Tournament.

With scoring, and with offensive prowress comes responsibility. At least in Morrill's eyes.

"I don't know if he knows how much we will lean on him in the next two years for his leadership," Morrill said. "He's got to start doing some of that now."

Medlin has been vocal. He certainly voices his pleasure with each made shot, which is his natural emotion. But Mo...

Matt Austin, Utah State's leading receiver last season and one of the best receivers in the Western Athletic Conference, has been granted a sixth season of eligibility.

At 6-foot-3 with big hands and a physical nature, Austin was the Aggies' best deep threat last year. He repeatedly hooked up with quarterback Adam Kennedy on big plays. He caught game-winning passes against San Jose State and New Mexico State, and his return greatly enhances an offense that will emphasize the pass much more next season.

Austin missed the 2009 season with a broken foot. He was great in the 2010 season-opener against Oklahoma before disaster struck late in the first half of that game and he tor...

By "it", this blog means Utah State's sudden, swift and dramatic return to defense in Friday night's 67-50 win over Idaho.

Pane simply latched on to Idaho point guard Landon Tatum and wouldn't let go. Kind of like a terrior on a human leg. Kind of like Jeff Van Gundy on Alonzo Mourning's leg during his legendary boxing match with Larry Johnson.

Pane's defense at the point disrupted Idaho's offense. Kyle Barone couldn't get decent touches in the paint. Stephen Madison couldn't get looks beyond the three-point line.

"Defense starts at the point and Brockeith just started getting at his guy," Morgan Grim said. "It gave our defense life. We see him out there going hard a...

I what is sure to be an emotional scene, it has been confirmed that Brady Jardine will take full part in senior night on Friday against Idaho.

Jardine hasn't played since early this season against Southern Utah with a foot injury that derailed his career. Since he won't play again, he will get to step on the Spectrum floor one last time.

Jardine was one of the best rebounders in the Western Athletic Conference, and was going to be the main inside presence for the Aggies this year. But his injury has caused the Aggies to have one of their worst seasons in memory. USU is 14-14 and needs to make a push if they want to avoid becoming the first losing team in Logan since 1992-93....

It was a shock to hear it coming from a Utah State player, and more of a shock that the player was a freshman in Jordan Stone who really doesn't play that much.

But here's his quote, following Utah State's 72-64 loss to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday night.

"We've got to keep trying to be consistent and play hard the whole 40 minutes. After they went on a run, we kind of sat back on our heels and we weren't attacking as much or playing as hard."

Now, Utah State is 14-14, and clearly not the same team as it has been. And the Aggies weren't as purely talented as the Gauchos. But for a freshman to comment that the rest of the team wasn't playing hard? That's a pretty shock...

With a season mired in mediocrity, it's been a horribly kept secret that Utah State is looking for a few upgrades out of the spring recruiting class.

With that in mind, the Aggies have offered a scholarship to Spencer Butterfield, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard out of Yuba College.

Butterfield is a shooter, and a scorer. He's got a 42 point game under his belt this season, and is capable of creating his own shot off the dribble.

Butterfield would be a junior and have two years of eligibility. Should he choose Utah State, he would compete with the likes of Preston Medlin, Danny Berger, Mitch Bruneel, Adam Thoseby and Riley Bradshaw for playing time.

Bradshaw is an in...

One Utah State assistant coach said it was flat out unfair that Danny Berger is even playing this season.

And he has a point.

Danny Berger started the season at 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds. He's not that anymore. He's now 6-7 and 180 pounds. He's lost weight, the weight he was supposed to gain by redshirting this season after returning from an LDS mission.

Predictably, Berger has had his issues. He's not strong enough to handle some of the bigger and more physical small forwards in the WAC. He sometimes has issues with his stamina.

But, the talent is there. For a guy his size, he can stroke the jumper and he can get to the basket off the dribble, as well as pass. T...

This is becoming a nasty habit.

Utah State has lost each and every game during that was somewhat in doubt during the conference season.

At home against Nevada. On the road against Nevada. On the road against Idaho, and now against New Mexico State at the Spectrum.

NMSU scored 15 of the final 18 points on Saturday afternoon. New Mexico State took over like it seemingly knew it would eventually do. And that's the biggest diss of all, when a team knows it will eventually make enough plays to win the game.

Utah State turned the ball over five times in the last three-minutes. As Stew Morrill said, his Aggies simply couldn't take care of the ball when it counted.

The Salt Lake Tribune has learned that Utah State assistant coach Chris Jones, the lead instate recruiter on the staff, is a finalist for the Idaho State job and could be offered as early as next week.

Jones is scheduled for an interview on Sunday. He has already previously interviewed.

Thing is, the Idaho State job is a dangerous one to take. It's hard to recruit there, and the last few coaches have all been fired.

But Jones has proven to be a great recruiter at Utah State and his alma mater Utah. He is largely responsible for USU's recruitment of Marcel Davis and Quincy Bair for the prized class of 2012.

Tony Jones

A week ago, despite a win over Hawaii at the Spectrum, the Warriors destroyed Utah State in the rebounding department.

It's been like that for a while for the Aggies.

With Morgan Grim hobbled, with Brady Jardine out for the season, and with Kyisean Reed floating in and out of games, it's been hard for USU to hold its own on the boards.

On Thursday night against Nevada, a 53-52 defeat, the Aggies more than held their own. They dominated.

43-28 was the total for Utah State, a plus 15 rebounding advantage. But turnovers at key times, poor shooting in the first half and the lack of being able to get to the free-throw line, did USU in.

This was a season-high...

For Utah State fans, this blog won't contain good news on either front. Brandon Faniaka has officially eliminated Utah State from contention, so the Aggies won't be getting the highly sought after offensive lineman from Pleasant Grove.

The Tribune has learned that Stanford is in the lead for Fanaika's services, the school whom he is verbally committed to. But Utah is coming on strong, and on Tuesday afternoon he sent out a tweet to reporters saying BYU is now in the picture as well.

Fanaika's cousin Hoko, another big offensive lineman, won't be committing to anyone on Wednesday, the Tribune has learned. The Utah State coaching staff is still holding out hope to land him, but...

The Tribune has learned that Palepoi, the coveted defensive end out of Snow College, spoke with Utah State head coach Gary Andersen spoke with Palepoi, and was told that he was leaning towards becoming an Aggie.

According to a source, however, the fight for Palepoi is far from over. Palepoi greatly enjoyed his visit to Utah, and for all intents and purposes it will be a majoe surprise if he goes anywhere other than the two mentioned schools.

Palepoi is expected to announce his decision tomorrow afternoon. He and his family are also expected to sit down tonight and come to a decision en masse.

Win or lose, this is the strongest indication that Gary Andersen's program i...

This blog was speaking to a Utah State assistant following Saturday night’s Aggie win over San Jose State concerning Preston Medlin.

This is what the coach had to say about USU’s starting shooting guard.

“To think, we have him for two more years.”

Indeed.

Preston Medlin won the WAC player of the week on Monday. Beyond that, however, is what he has started to become over the past month.

That would be a full-throttle go-to guy. Medlin has made jumpers, he has created off the dribble, he has gotten into transition and thrown do...

The Aggies beat out Washington State, Indiana, Purdue and East Carolina amongst others for Patrick Ward, a 6-5 285 pound lineman out of Glendale Community College.

Ward is the latest in a slew of linemen to commit to the Aggies. The offensive line was a strength last season, and it looks as if that's shaping up again.

Ward is strong, but also quick and powerful. He's known as a great run blocker who can get out and pull for running backs.

Ward committed to Utah State on Thursday night. He visited the Aggies last weekend.

Tony Jones

Currently, Utah State is hosting two football recruits as signing day nears.

With crunchtime in full-effect and everything coming down to the wire, Rashad Rainey is in Logan, a 6-foot-3 185 pound linebacker out of Riverside CA. He's considered to be the best available player left on USU's recruiting board. Two years ago, Utah State did the same thing when it lost out on V.J. Fehoko. That turned out pretty good for the Aggies as Tavaris McMillian is considered one of the mainstays of a stout defense.

Metuisela "Tui" Unga, a 6-4 235 pound tight end from Rancho Cucamonga, is in town also. He's considered very athletic for his size with good hands as well.

Tony Jones

Utah State commit Paul Franklin, a highly touted running back out of Texas, won't be an Aggie, the Tribune has learned.

Franklin, who committed two weeks ago, entertained a home visit from UTEP on Monday. He didn't inform the Utah State coaching staff, which caused Gary Andersen to cancel his scheduled home visit on Wednesday night.

Franklin was expected to come into camp and compete for time at a running back spot that has just one major contributer from last season, Kerwynn Williams, returning.

Andersen has been busy this week, going on in-home visits in Florida to start the week. He will be in Texas tonight, and he will visit Arizona tomorrow, before returning to c...

With a week left until national signing day, the recruiting for Tenny Palepoi, the highly touted defensive lineman out of Snow college, is reaching a fever pitch.

Palepoi has already said that he will sign at either Utah, Utah State or BYU next Wednesday. When this blog caught up with Palepoi, who was working out with his older brother Anton at 24 hour fitness on Tuesday night, Palepoi declared a favorite.

Utah State.

Palepoi still has yet to visit Utah, and will do so this weekend. And the former star out of Skyline High grew up a fan of the Utes. But that has to come as a good sign for Aggie fans, who have followed Palepoi's recruitment for almost two years.

...

Sky View High star Casey Oliverson and Utah State commit is now Sky View High star and a former Utah State commit.

Oliverson, the 6-foot-7 small forward, will now play his basketball at Dixie State, which officially means that he won't be signing or playing for the Aggies.

Oliverson committed to USU as a sophomore along with Marcel Davis and Quincy Bair. But he fell out of favor with Utah State's coaching staff because he didn't play over the summer, and didn't communicate with the staff for most of the summer, even after repeated attempts to contact him.

Oliverson's offer was pulled, so he didn't sign in the fall. But since he was likely to embark on an LDS mission s...

As athleticism goes, Utah State's junior forward Kyisean Reed is one of the best in the Western Athletic Conference. Easily.

His jumping ability is a sight. He throws dunks over people. he catches alley-oops. When he's on, he drops in 18 foot jumpers with ease. He goes by people off the dribble, he blocks shots and makes observers drool over his potential and what he is already.

That's the good news.

Problem is, Kyisean Reed is on about once every four games. The other three? He sleepwalks his way through. His tendency to disappear at crucial times is one of the most frustrating aspects of Utah State's season, and an aspect that needs to reverse itself if the Aggies w...

Now, Utah State is a desperate team.

The Aggies lost to Idaho on Saturday night, 57-54, in a game they should've won. It's a game that USU will regret, and an outcome that leaves the Aggies searching for a win. Any win.

Utah State led 39-30, after Preston Medlin hit a lay-up and converted a three-point play. At that point, USU looked well on its way to an important WAC win, a 3-2 conference record, and hope with winnable home games against Hawaii and San Jose State on the horizon.

Instead, the Aggies are wondering how it all went wrong.

Here are some clues:

There was a Ben Clifford turnover. An E.J. Farris turnover. A Brockeith Pane turnover. A missed fr...

Five USU football recruits descended on campus this weekend.

By Saturday night, the Aggies received commitments from four of them.

The new commits are Paul Franklin, Alex Wheat, Devonte Glover and Marquan Ellison.

The four are added to the slew of commitments Utah State received two weeks ago.

The coaching staff is reportedly happy about all four. Wheat's addition is a big one, as he's a big wide receiver with speed to stretch a secondary.

Tony Jones

Three weeks ago, Matt Wells was crowned Utah State's offensive coordinator after Dave Baldwin bolted for Colorado State.

Just like recruiting, however, no commitment is safe, as schools continue to cherry pick the brightest prospects. Coaching is no different.

Gary Andersen, USU's head coach, told the Tribune on Friday that Wells interviewed at Boise State a few weeks ago for the job of passing game coordinator.

"I know that he interviewed for the job," Andersen said.

Was he offered the job?

"No," was the answer from Andersen.

Was Andersen angry that his newly minted offensive coordinator took an interview?

"No, I'm not mad at all," Anderse...

Utah State will be hosting a fresh crop of football recruits this weekend, as we're closing in on signing day. In all, five players will be on campus, beginning on Friday. They will all leave on Sunday afternoon.

Here is the list:

Paul Franklin, a running back out of South Oak Cliff High in Texas.

Wide Receiver Alex Wheat

Cornerback Devonta Glover

Offensive lineman Patrick Ward

Cornerback Marquan Ellison

Tony Jones

Gary Andersen has put more time into Tenny Palepoi's recruitment than almost any other player that he's wooed or tried to woo to Utah State.

It's been an almost three year courtship for the defensive end for Snow College, and one time star at Skyline High. It will end soon, one way or another, as signing day is just a mere few weeks away. And while Utah State is squarely in the thick of his wish list, the Aggies are fighting a battle with heavyweights.

BYU, Utah and Oregon State are all trying to obtain Palepoi's services. And for good reason. He's big, quick, powerful and a potential game-changer. He's the younger brother of Anton Palepoi, the former UNLV star and NFL veter...

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Utah State officially has a new defensive coordinator.

The Aggies named Dave Aranda to the job on Tuesday, hiring him out of Hawaii and bringing him to Logan to take Gary Andersen's spot on the staff, so Andersen can focus more on his head coaching duties.

Aranda, who manned one of the most aggressive defenses in the Western Athletic Conference this past season, was on campus early last week and introduc...

Good night around the conference.

Nevada defeating Hawaii is easily the game of the night. 77-74 was the final, as Olek Czyz led the Wolf Pack with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Deonte Burton, probably the best player in the league, scored a game-high 25 points on 8-16 shooting. That was enough for Nevada to hold off the Warriors.

The Wolf Pack are now 4-0, unbeaten with New Mexico State and looking very much like the class of the league. It would've been big for Utah State if the Aggies were able to get that win last Saturday night.

Speaking of New Mexico State, the Southern Aggies pulled away from Idaho, much in the manner that they pulled away from USU on Thurs...

This is the Brockeith Pane that coaches have wanted to see all season.

Well, the Brockeith Pane that's showed up for the last three games.

Early on, Pane was shooting too much, taking too many three-pointers and looking for his offense at the expense of others.

On Saturday night, Pane scored a career-high 24 points. Better than that, he picked his spots. He knew when to defer. He knew when to take over the offense. As a result, he took over the game, causing major issues for Louisiana Tech's defense, getting to the free-throw line at will and scoring from mid-range.

He was unguardable off the dribble against the Bulldogs, a huge thing because Louisiana Tech wa...

Utah State football came out of a big recruiting weekend with six commitments.

Dwayne Lorick and Jordan Jenkins both committed to Gary Andersen's program on Saturday, the Tribune reported. They are wide receivers.

Bill Vavau, the offensive lineman out of Snow College had previously committed to USU before coming on his visit.

Offensive lineman Andrew Chen committed on Sunday morning. He is a greyshirt and will enroll at Utah State in January of 2013.

Offensive lineman Jake Simonich committed to USU, along with Logan Malohifoou, a former standout at Copper Hills who is a return missionary and will be a freshman.

Junior Salt, a Florida commit and an offens...

The recruiting weekend still has a basketball game to go against Nevada, but Gary Andersen has already garnered two pledges.

The commits are Dwayne Lorick and Jordan Jenkins, both wide receivers.

The recruiting weekend is dominanted by linemen, amongst them Stanford commit Brandon Fanaika and Florida commit Junior Salt, both Utahns.

Tony Jones

On Monday, the Tribune broke the news of Dave Baldwin leaving his offensive coordinator post at Utah State for the same job at Colorado State, and the subsequent hiring of Matt Wells to succeed Baldwin.

A new defensive coordinator may be on the horizon as well.

Head coach Gary Andersen, who handled those duties this past season, is likely to hire a new one, barring a change of heart. He handed more and more of the defensive coordinator duties off to Billy Busch as this season wore on, and is pretty much ready to hand it off fulltime, as he wants to focus more on his duties as a head coach.

Andersen still wants say in how the defense is constructed. But the day-to-day ...

Headlined by Brandon Faniaka and Tenny Palepoi, USU is setting up for one of the bigger recruiting weekends in school history.

Why? Because the Aggies, led by Gary Andersen, are trying to rumble with the big boys for line talent that could make them dangerous next season.

Fanaika, a 6-foot-4, 315 lineman out of Pleasant Grove is already committed to Stanford. He is brothers with linebacker Jason Fanaika and their cousin Hoko, a 6-4 340 pound offensive lineman, will also be visiting.

Former Brighton High star Junior Salt, a 6-3 330 pound lineman, is visiting as well. He is committed to the University of Florida for next season.

The recruits are expected to atte...

Aggie nation is alive with the perspective of Matt Lopez, a seven-footer who played at LaSalle previously, transferring to Logan.

Lopez, described as a pure scorer in the paint, was on campus for the previous few days.

At this time, however, he is not enrolled in classes for the spring semester, which will start next week. He has left campus, and whether he will commit to Utah State is very much in question.

If he were to play for the Aggies, he would be eligible around the winter break next season. USU already is stacked in its frontcourt for next year, with Oklahoma State transfer Jarred Shaw becoming eligible and Brady Jardine coming back into the fold.

If ...

It has yet to be determined whether Matt Austin, Utah State's terrific wide receiver, will return to Logan for one more season.

The Aggie coaching staff is waiting for the NCAA to rule on his application for a medical hardship waiver and the sixth year of eligibility that comes with it.

Austin has missed two years due to injury, which is usually the requirement. He missed all of the 2009 season with a broken foot, and then tore his knee up against Oklahoma in the first game of the 2010 season.

"We believe that it's a slam dunk that he should get another year," USU head coach Gary Andersen said.

But that's still to be determined. There is no timetable on the rul...