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Utah State cornerback Jalen Davis spent much of his freshman year watching and learning from standout seniors, including Frankie Sutera and Brian Suite.

Now, with those leaders gone, it is Davis' turn to help set the tone for the Aggies.

It's a challenge that Davis, who hails from La Mesa, Calif., says he is ready to accept.

"Those guys helped me a lot," Davis said. "I know that I have to do that for everybody else now. I want to follow in their footsteps and do for others what they did for me because we have got to have that leadership."

Those are sweet words to the ears of USU coach Matt Wells, who said establishing leaders on the defensive side of the ball is one of the top goals of the Aggies' spring session.

"That leadership is invaluable," he said. "You think you can replace guys athletically, but can you train young men to be the types of leaders you need? That is key."

Davis seems up to the task after his solid freshman year. He finished the season ranked sixth on the team with 61 tackles and was tied for second on the team with two interceptions. He also had seven pass breakups.

Davis had some of his best games in conference play, recording at least four tackles in eight of his final nine games. All those stats sound great, but Davis said his efforts made him more eager to improve in 2015 rather than satisfy him.

"I feel like the coaches trust me now," he said. "I feel like I showed them I could play well under pressure and be a great competitor and they accepted me after that."

Davis, who was the first true freshman cornerback in school history to start the season opener, isn't the only player expected to step up in 2015.

The Aggies also return safety Devin Centers, who has played in 26 games with six starts and earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors last year, and Daniel Gray, a junior who had seven starts with 29 tackles and five pass breakups.

Other returners include seniors Bryant Hayes and Deshane Hines, while newcomers Jontrell Rocquemore and Aaron Wade will also try to make good impressions during spring.

As for Davis, he hopes to build on a season in which he earned true freshman All-American honors from 247Sports, the only player from the Mountain West to earn a spot on the team.

"Football comes natural to me so I don't feel a lot of pressure but I want to keep competing and showing what I can do," he said. "My goal is to just keep improving and be a leader." —

About Jalen Davis

Sophomore cornerback

Vitals • 5-foot-10, 170 pounds

From • La Mesa, Calif.

Of note • Finished freshman season with 61 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups … Caught 48 passes for 649 yards and four touchdowns in high school, also returned 17 punts for 348 yards and four touchdowns … Also ran track in high school.