From Prep to Pro!, EST 2001


  Draft Scout by Conference











 Draft Scout College Football Player News: Utah State
Previous 15 Notes Next 15 Notes


  Spencer Petras completed 18 of 28 passes for 186 yards and ran for a touchdown to lead Iowa over Penn State 41-21 on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Mekhi Sargent and Tyler Goodson combined for 179 rushing yards and three touchdown for the Hawkeyes (3-2, 3-2 Big Ten), who won their third straight and snapped a six-game losing streak to Penn State (0-5, 0-5). Iowa led 31-7 midway through the third quarter before Sean Clifford replaced Will Levis at quarterback for Penn State. Clifford completed a pair of touchdown passes for 96 yards in a 3:54 span that cut Iowa's lead to 10 with just over a quarter left.

Levis went 13 of 16 for 106 yards, added 34 rushing yards and fumbled twice. Clifford was 13 of 22 with 174 yards and two interceptions for the Nittany Lions, who fell to 0-5 for the first time in their 134-year history. A handful of chunk plays on Iowa's opening drive set up a 40-yard field goal from Keith Duncan that opened the scoring. Penn State took its first lead since the final minutes of its season opener when Keyvone Lee scored from 6 yards out on his team's next possession. The first-half highlights ended there for Penn State who turned the ball over on three of its next four possessions before halftime. - AP College/Iowa Football


rSr/2025 QB Spencer PetrasUtah State
News Source: AP College/Iowa Football
Share/Comment: Here


  Utah State and coach Gary Andersen are parting ways after a 0-3 start to the season for the Aggies. Andersen was in Year 2 of his second stint at Utah State. Co-defensive coordinator Frank Maile will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Andersen, 56, went 26-24 at Utah State from 2009-12, leaving after an 11-2 season to take over at Wisconsin. Utah State went 7-6 last season in Andersen's return, a disappointing season with eventual first-round draft pick Jordan Love at quarterback. This season the Aggies have been on the short end of three lopsided games, most recently a 34-9 loss to Nevada on Thursday night. Andersen was hired back by Utah State after the 2018 season to replace Matt Wells. - AP College Football

rSr/2022 WR Savon ScarverUtah State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here


  As Wyoming awaits final word on exactly what the healing process for one quarterback will require, another is preparing for his first shot as the primary option behind center. Levi Williams is stepping into the starting role in place of Sean Chambers, a spot on the depth chart the redshirt freshman figures to hold for a while if not for the rest of the season following yet another injury to Chambers. Williams isn't completely green, having played in three games with one start last season, but there's plenty of room for improvement for the offense and its new full-time signal caller after the Cowboys struggled to muster much of anything before exploding for 25 points in the final 15 minutes of regulation in Saturday's 37-34 overtime loss at Nevada. "We thought he did a good job," UW coach Craig Bohl said of Williams. "However, there were some plays he left out there on the field. He's going to need to improve, and we think that he can. This week, practice will be important."

The plan for the Cowboys this season was always to play Chambers and Williams in some fashion, and UW went into its opener with the first half scripted for both quarterbacks. But that went out the window just three plays in when Chambers was tackled underneath the weight of Nevada defensive tackle Dom Peterson, causing a high ankle sprain and a fracture of Chambers' left fibula. "Obviously it was a surprise," Williams said. "I need to be ready when my number is called. That's a big thing Coach Bohl preaches on, and I felt like I was. I just didn't feel like I played my best, especially the first half. Left a lot of things out on the table." - Casper Star-Tribune


rSr/2025 QB Levi WilliamsUtah State
News Source: Casper Star-Tribune
Share/Comment: Here


  Upon further review, Spencer Petras didn't really want to talk Tuesday about his debut as Iowa's starting quarterback. The sophomore spoke of the "need to be more consistent." "I did some good things," Petras said of his performance in the Hawkeyes' 24-20 loss at Purdue on Saturday. "I did some things that I wish I could do better, wish I could go back and change." And then Petras was on to Northwestern, saying his attention has shifted to Iowa's opponent in its home opener at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN). Petras had a bumpy beginning against Purdue, admitting later to having some nerves to work through. He completed only one of his first six pass attempts. But when he got into a rhythm in the second quarter, Iowa put up 17 points, including a 1-yard touchdown run by Petras for the team's first points of the season. Petras completed 13 of 15 passes in that stretch. He finished 22-for-39 for 265 yards, the most by a Hawkeye quarterback in his first start since Jon Beutjer racked up 380 yards in 2000. - Iowa City Press-Citizen

rSr/2025 QB Spencer PetrasUtah State
News Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen
Share/Comment: Here


  OCT 12 SUN BELT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Justin Rice, Arkansas State,...Senior linebacker Justin Rice posted a season-high 12 tackles while also finishing Arkansas State's 50-27 victory over Central Arkansas with career-best totals for both tackles for loss (4.0) and sacks (3.0). Not only were Rice's 3.0 sacks the most by a Sun Belt Conference player this season, they tied the seventh most in A-State history for a single game. His 3.0 tackles for loss were also the most by a Sun Belt player this year. The Modesto, Calif, native has now posted at least 2.5 tackles for loss in each of A-State's last three games and his 9.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage for the entire year lead the Sun Belt. With his 3.0 sacks against the Bears, he also ran his season total to a Sun Belt-high 4.0 on the year. - Sun Belt Football

rSr/2022 ILB Justin RiceUtah State
News Source: Sun Belt Football
Share/Comment: Here


  OCT 11 WALTER CAMP NATIONAL FBS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: JUSTIN RICE, ARKANSAS STATE, Senior, Linebacker, Modesto, CA/Modesto,...Justin Rice totaled 12 tackles, including four for losses, and three quarterback sacks as Arkansas State defeated Central Arkansas, 50-27. With the win, Arkansas State improved to 2-2. Notes: Justin Rice is the first Arkansas State player to earn Walter Camp National FBS Player of the Week honors, and the second from the Sun Belt this season (Louisiana LB Ferrod Gardner, Sept. 13). - The Walter Camp Football Foundation

rSr/2022 ILB Justin RiceUtah State
News Source: The Walter Camp Football Foundation
Share/Comment: Here


  Spencer Petras is QB1 for the Iowa Hawkeyes now, and, at least in his initial meeting with the media Tuesday, he's carrying himself accordingly. Petras was firm in his belief in the Iowa offense and in his ability to make plays, not excuses. He spoke with authority, knowing that there is no room for the timid under center in a college football game. But, mostly, Petras reiterated what is obvious for any first-year starter at quarterback: Nothing will be known about whether he is up to the challenge until Oct. 24, when the Hawkeyes open a delayed, abbreviated Big Ten Conference season at Purdue. "I'm extremely lucky. I feel really grateful just to be in the same room as a lot of these guys. It's an honor to go out and play with them," Petras said of a Hawkeye offense that is skilled and experienced at every position except the one that matters most.

"It's my job to make sure this doesn't go to waste. We have a great team and a lot of talented guys. It's up to all of us. But it's up to me to execute this offense well." Petras has the size (6-foot-5, 231 pounds), the high school accolades (50 touchdown passes against only two interceptions as a senior at Marin Catholic in northern California), and the trust of Iowa's coaching staff after he beat out the older Peyton Mansell to be Nate Stanley's backup last season. But the redshirt sophomore doesn't have the exposure to meaningful game action after completing 6-of-10 passes in mop-up duty a year ago. - Iowa City Press-Citizen


rSr/2025 QB Spencer PetrasUtah State
News Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen
Share/Comment: Here


  If you were building an NFL team, your top two positional priorities would be quarterback and defensive end. Unfortunately, those are (in my mind) the two biggest areas of uncertainty for the 2020 Hawkeyes. Spencer Petras is the least-experienced starting QB in the Big Ten West, and there is no replacing A.J. Epenesa's dominance as an edge rusher. If those positions are average or worse, Iowa will have a tough time going .500. But there's a lot of internal hope that Petras, now in his third year on campus, is the real deal. The red-headed California QB who broke Jared Goff's high school records couldn't have asked for a better situation. He'll be surrounded by an experienced offensive line and the best group of receivers of the Kirk Ferentz era. If Petras is an instant hit and Parker's defense can be a top-25 national unit (as it has been in six of the last seven years) … this team can consistently score 30-plus points and rule the Big Ten West for the first time since 2015. - Iowa City Press-Citizen

rSr/2025 QB Spencer PetrasUtah State
News Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen
Share/Comment: Here


  Sen. Mitt Romney pushed his idea for how student-athletes could get paid for the use of their name, image and likeness on Tuesday - but college leaders at a Senate hearing didn't support his plan. Romney, R-Utah, during a Senate committee hearing Tuesday suggested Congress could increase the ability to compensate all members of a college football team. Furthermore, he suggested those with a very high earning potential, the type of athlete who could make it to the NFL, be capped at $50,000 per year. After Romney finished, he posed that scenario directly to University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank. "I would oppose that type of thing, it becomes a pay-for-play system," Blank told Romney and the rest of the panel. "I have 860 student-athletes and I run those programs because I want those students to develop a set of skills that may not be developed in the classroom. I want them to learn self-discipline, self-confidence. This is about an educational process. The main benefit these students take away is their educational degree. It's not about coming here to earn money and to be an employee, so no, I wouldn't agree with you that I think that's a good idea." - Salt Lake Tribune

rSr/2022 WR Savon ScarverUtah State
News Source: Salt Lake Tribune
Share/Comment: Here


  Junior quarterback Logan Bonner will take the first snap Saturday in Arkansas State University's season-opening matchup with Memphis, Coach Blake Anderson announced Monday. But sophomore Layne Hatcher also will see the field, Anderson said, after he started the final nine games for ASU last season when Bonner suffered a season-ending injury. Bonner and Hatcher have been battling all fall, with Anderson saying it was Bonner's job to lose. Although Bonner is the official starter, Anderson indicated that doesn't mean Hatcher won't play more in the game or start the next week.

"Logan Bonner was the starter going into fall camp and he still is. He did nothing to lose that job," Anderson said. "But we are going to play Layne Hatcher some as well. How many snaps it is, where that happens - not absolutely certain. That's still a day-to-day conversation. "So Logan Bonner is going to go out with the first [team offense] and then somewhere during the course of the game you're going to see Layne Hatcher play." Bonner started the first four games last season before hurting his throwing hand. He threw for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns with 1 interception. - Northwest Arkansas Times


rSr/2023 QB Logan BonnerUtah State
News Source: Northwest Arkansas Times
Share/Comment: Here


  Justin Rice was in Albuquerque, N.M., when he received a call from SMU Coach Sonny Dykes and defensive coordinator Kevin Kane. Rice, a standout linebacker from Fresno State, was on his way to Jonesboro to play for Arkansas State University. Dykes and Kane were hoping to change his mind. "What do I do?" Rice asked his father, Jeff. " Do I make a turn and go south, or do I keep heading toward Arkansas?" The brief conversation kept Rice heading east, keeping the promise he made to Arkansas State. A day later, the Modesto, Calif., native found himself in Jonesboro joining his new teammates two weeks before their season opener. For Rice, the 2020 season might be the most important of his career. Picked as the preseason Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year, he's expected to be selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.

But after the Mountain West announced its decision Aug. 10 to postpone fall sports, Rice put his name in the transfer portal Aug. 14. Rice has received attention from dozens of schools, including multiple Big 12 programs, according to his dad. But Arkansas State offered two things that most other schools couldn't - a scholarship and the likelihood of immediate playing time. "Agents have told us he needs to play, and he needs to show that he's making progress while he's playing. So when the Mountain West shut down, we're like, OK, now what do we do?" Jeff Rice said. "Teams that are playing this fall are hot and heavy in fall camp. And every day that went by was going to put him in a worse spot to kind of be prepared for a season. So we kind of did two years of high school recruitment in a three-day period. And he made the decision about 24 hours before hitting the road down there." - Northwest Arkansas Times


rSr/2022 ILB Justin RiceUtah State
News Source: Northwest Arkansas Times
Share/Comment: Here


  If Fresno State is able to play football in spring 2021, the Bulldogs will have to do so without their best defensive player. Senior linebacker Justin Rice - the preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year - announced Friday that he is entering the transfer portal. Since Rice already graduated with a bachelor's degree in anthropology, he will be eligible to play immediately as a graduate transfer. Considering Rice's performance last season - 112 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions to go along with a spot on the All-Mountain West First Team - he could be a prime target for a school in the ACC, Big 12 or SEC. - The San Joaquin Valley Sun

rSr/2022 ILB Justin RiceUtah State
News Source: The San Joaquin Valley Sun
Share/Comment: Here


  Quarterback Jason Shelley will indeed be joined in Cache Valley by one of his close friends. Fellow University of Utah transfer Devonta'e Henry-Cole will play for Utah State's football program in 2020, should there be a season. The addition of the running back was officially announced by the Aggies on Wednesday. Henry-Cole, a graduate transfer, has one year of eligibility remaining. He entered the transfer portal in January and signed with BYU a month later, but was recently released from his National Letter of Intent with the Cougars. A few different reports of Henry-Cole's intention to transfer to Utah State surfaced last Monday. Henry-Cole will be reunited with Shelley, who was added to USU's roster a couple of weeks ago. Shelley has two years of eligibility remaining. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound tailback spent four years in Salt Lake City as he redshirted in 2018 after suffering an arm injury during the preseason. Henry-Cole played in 25 games at Utah, started one and rushed for 469 yards and four touchdowns on 90 attempts (5.2 yards per carry). Henry-Cole was the Utes' No. 2 tailback behind all-time leading rusher Zack Moss as a sophomore in 2017. - Herald Journal Tribune

rSr/2022 RB Devontae Henry-ColeUtah State
News Source: Herald Journal Tribune
Share/Comment: Here


  2020 WUERFFEL TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Justus Te'i, Utah State, senior, defensive line,...Te'i started all 13 games for the Aggies last season and ranked seventh on the team with 51 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He also had three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry, to go along with a team-best three fumble recoveries, which was tops in the MW and sixth in the nation.

For his career, Te'i has recorded 117 tackles, including 10.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, in 41 games. He's had five fumble recoveries, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles, both of which occurred in the red zone. Off the field, Te'i, a sociology major, has twice earned academic all-MW honors. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound native of Oceanside, Calif., has also spent countless hours working with various groups/organizations in the community. - Utah State Football


rSr/2022 DE Justus TeiUtah State
News Source: Utah State Football
Share/Comment: Here


  2020 PRESEASON PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST: Deven Thompkins, Utah State,...Thompkins displayed his versatility as a sophomore in 2019 by hauling in 40 receptions for 536 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver. He also carried the ball six times for 77 yards and one touchdown, returned one punt for a 45-yard touchdown and had one kickoff return for 22 yards. The honor is the second of the preseason for Thompkins, who was named to the Phil Steele Magazine Preseason All-Mountain West fourth team earlier this summer. - Utah State Football

Sr/2022 WR Deven ThompkinsUtah State
News Source: Utah State Football
Share/Comment: Here

Previous 15 Notes Next 15 Notes






 BACK TO TOP

 Utah State Football Videos

 Buy Draft Scout Weekly


** Draft Scout Data **

(Everything Online PLUS)

 Support Draft Scout

The Database Engine for NFLDraftScout.com, Draft Scout is being repurposed...Support the Future Development of ScoutNation.com...

 




 Draft Scout Archives


** 2010-2022 Draft Scout Archives **

(Yearly Player Data Exports, Prospect Lists & More)

 

 Draft Scout Future

100% Dedicated and Never Done
80% Innovated
45% Hidden
35% Built

Synergization