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Logan • Standing on the sidelines with his helmet in his hand, Utah State sophomore Kent Myers looks out of place as he shifts from one foot to the other while watching the action on the field.
You can't blame the guy for being a little antsy.
Last year, Myers went from being a no-name freshman to being the starting quarterback, thanks to teammates' injuries.
Myers finished 5-1 as the starter and earned offensive MVP honors in the Aggies' bowl win over UTEP.
But now that Chuckie Keeton is back and ready to resume his starting role, Myers has been relegated to battling for the backup position against Damion Hobbs and freshman D.J. Nelson.
Myers isn't pouting about the situation, though; if anything, he is embracing it with bigger arms than he had last season.
Motivated by the season he had last year, Myers worked hard in the offseason to come back even better this year.
He gained about 10 pounds thanks to a detailed strength program and a nutrition program overseen by his other coach, his mother, Stephanie.
Myers, from Rowlett, Texas, realized all his hard work in the weight room wouldn't get him far if he didn't eat well, so he took some cooking lessons from his mother.
"I'm on my own now, so I have to take care of myself," he said. "Cooking jambalaya is my favorite. It's easy to make, and you can make a lot of it."
As for being on the field, Myers hopes to bring a little spice, too; he just isn't sure in which capacity. He experimented with receiver in spring ball, but he wasn't a receiver at heart and decided to move back to the quarterback position.
That decision was welcomed by the Aggies, particularly after Darell Garretson decided to transfer to Oregon State, making Myers the hands-down favorite for the backup role.
From his experience last year, Myers knows situations can change quickly, so he said he is studying as if he were the starting quarterback, even if he isn't getting the reps.
"I thought about switching to receiver because I didn't want to wait," he said. "But I realized I wanted to be a quarterback. I know it's a process and the main thing for me is to come every day and learn and get bigger, better and faster."
Losing the starting role to a newcomer or getting beaten out for the right would be hard to take, but Myers acknowledged stepping down to Keeton is different; after all, he was a candidate for the Heisman Trophy before his season was cut short with a knee injury.
"It's a chance for me to learn more, learn the concepts of this offense," he said. "Things can change really fast and you have to be ready for anything, so that is what I want to do. If I do have to redshirt or be the backup, I'm OK with that because I know my time will come."
Twitter: @lyawodraska —
Kent Myers
Vitals • 6-0, 195, Sophomore
Hometown • Rowlett, Texas
Of note • MVP of the New Mexico Bowl in 2014 after leading the Aggies to a win over UTEP, giving him a 5-1 record as a starter. … Set a school and Mountain West record against Hawaii when he completed 93.3 percent of his passes (14 of 15 for 186 yards and three touchdowns). … Finished the season 79 of 119 for 866 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.