This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Logan • Utah State coach Matt Wells looks up, squints because of the driving snow pellets that have just started to fall and points to the top of Maverik Stadium.

The massive construction project on the west side of the facility, which began shortly after the final home game 2014 and will transform the stadium into one of the best in the Mountain West Conference, is progressing.

There's still much to do before it is finished, however, and Wells sees a similarity to his football team.

"We're kind of like that new press box up there," he said. "We're a work in progress."

Utah State finished 6-7 last year. The Aggies dropped four of their last five games, including a 23-21 loss to Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

An offseason filled with change followed. Six assistant coaches left, including both coordinators. Between recruiting and putting together a new staff, Wells had little time to breathe.

As the Aggies head into their final two weeks of spring practice, however, the 2016 edition of Utah State football is slowly evolving.

Is Wells juiced about what's happening within his program?

"I'm always excited," he said. "I'm coaching at my dream job and the challenge and motivation of putting together the new version of the Aggies — after some graduation losses and some coaching changes — is very exciting."

With 13 starters returning, but only three on defense, Wells likens the process this spring to piecing together a puzzle.

"When I was a kid, the first thing you did was find the four corners," he said. "We did that when we found our coaches. Then the middle of the puzzle starts coming together. That will happen for us."

Linebacker is one position that will look newer than Maverik Stadium when Utah State opens its season Sept. 1 against Weber State.

Wells must replace four players who are likely headed to NFL training camps, including draft picks Kyler Fackrell and Nick Vigil. Along with LT Filiaga and Torrey Green, they made 352 tackles last season, including 11 quarterback sacks.

"Any time you lose four guys like we lost," Wells said, "it's going to take some time to replace them. … It's a challenge for the guys here now and for some new guys we have coming. They have to step up and fill those spots. But I think we have some good candidates to do it."

Among the returners, sophomore Chasen Andersen (5-11, 220) played in all 13 games last season. He had 13 tackles. Senior Brock Carmen (6-3, 230) also played in every game. He finished with 12 tackles.

Junior Alex Huerta (6-2, 230) was pushing for a starting job in 2014 before breaking his shoulder just before the season opener at Tennessee. Last year, he had four tackles in 12 games while playing behind Utah State's Big Four.

Asked about Huerta, who prepped at Mountain Crest High School, Wells said, "He cares, he has knowledge of our system and he plays really hard. He can also play inside or outside in our system."

Another locally produced linebacker is sophomore Derek Larsen (6-3, 230) from Logan. He played in nine games last season.

"I believe we have all the potential in the world," he said. "Those linebackers we had before set the bar for us and we have to play up to it. … We know how they played and we have to set the same tone."

Noting Utah State's inexperience at the position, Larsen said, "We've got a lot to learn — obviously — because we're young. But everyone is giving all they've got. There's a lot of heart on this team. … We didn't have a winning season last year so we've got to come back and be better. We have to be the great defense that Utah State has always been."

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Utah State spring update

• Utah State has two weeks of spring practice remaining. The annual Blue-White game is scheduled for April 9.

• Coach Matt Wells must retool at linebacker, where he lost four players who will likely be in NFL training camps this summer.

• Senior Brock Carmen, junior Alex Huerta and sophomores Chasen Andersen and Derek Larsen are returning linebackers who could have an impact.