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Las Vegas • Utah State running back Robert Turbin has a knack for being emphatic. This applies to when he's running the football, catching a pass out of the backfield, or speaking to the media.

So he sounded completely believable when he said that USU teammate Bobby Wagner is the best linebacker in the country. Not the Western Athletic Conference. The country.

"He's going to show everyone how good he is this year," Turbin said.

The WAC, at the very least, is sold. On Thursday, at Media Day in Las Vegas, Wagner was named the preseason conference Defensive Player of the Year. This is no small thing. Wagner is the first Aggie to receive a preseason accolade from the WAC since the school joined the league in 2005.

And it's deserved. He's been one of the best defensive players in the conference for two consecutive years. He's been one of the leading tacklers in the country in that same time span, and he's developed into the first legitimate defensive star of the Gary Andersen era.

"It's hard playing against a guy like Bobby," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "He's got great instinct as a football player. He's like a running back. Nobody knows exactly how he ever gets there, but he gets there. He's one of the best players that we've played against in the last few years."

Wagner added a different skill every season that he's been an Aggie. He started off as a great tackler. Then he became proficient in pass coverage. The next step is for him to become a threat rushing the passer and getting into the backfield.

"That's the plan," Utah State coach Andersen said. "We want him to get sacks, force turnovers and get tackles for losses."

The potential presence of Bojay Filimoeatu could help free Wagner up to roam a little more this season. In previous years, he didn't have that kind of leeway.

That looks to change this year as the Aggies switch from a 4-3 defensive alignment to a 3-4.