Utah State Football Announces 30 Player National Signing Day Class
Feb 7, 2024, 1:31 PM
Utah State head coach Blake Anderson (Courtesy of USU Athletics)
(Courtesy of USU Athletics)
LOGAN, Utah – Bowl season is a distant memory, and the start of spring practices inches closer for the Utah State Aggies football program every day. With preparations for next season fully underway, the Aggies announced their 2024 signing class.
Aggie head coach Blake Anderson introduced his fourth signing class on Wednesday, February 7, as part of the NCAA National Signing Day.
“We’re in a much different place than we were a year ago,” Anderson said while meeting with the media on Wednesday afternoon.
RELATED: USU Football Announces 19-Player Early Signing Day Class
Utah State Football Announces 2024 Signing Classhttps://t.co/EWQD8n6A3u
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
19 players signed with Utah State during the early signing period in December, and the Aggies formalized 11 more additions today.
18 of the 30 players are defenders. USU signed eight defensive linemen, six defensive backs, and four linebackers. Of the 12 offensive players, there are two QBs, two wide receivers, two running backs, one tight end, and five offensive linemen.
After playing at a size and physicality disadvantage at positions across the roster last season, Anderson believes his team got bigger during this recruiting cycle.
“If you just look at the sheer size of some of the frames that we brought in, we tried to get bigger. We were looking for physicality… We could be a bigger football team; we could be a more powerful football team.”
Prep Additions
Kimo Lopati | Dixie Flyers | Offensive Line
Lopati joins the Aggies after earning Utah Class 4A Region 9 first-team recognition as a senior offensive lineman for Dixie HS. Lopati brings great size with his 6’6, 340 pound frame.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @KimoLopati77 #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/2u6zuassPD
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Herschel Turner | Concord, CA | Running Back
247Sports.com rated Turner as a three-star prospect after he earned first-team all-state recognition from MaxPreps following his senior season at Mt. Diablo HS. The 5’9, 180-pound freshman was named the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division Offensive MVP after gaining 3,027 yards and scoring 42 touchdowns in 2023.
AGGIE NATION!! Mount Diablo High (CA) running back Herschel Turner has just signed his National Letter of Intent with the Aggies!! Here is my story detailing his signing!! Please click the link below and thank you for reading!https://t.co/FYDhtklcfA pic.twitter.com/GN7S1mDJUS
— BrianPhillips@aggies22 (@BrianPhillipsa1) February 7, 2024
Junior College Transfers
Nick Floyd | Mt. San Antonio College | Running Back
Listed at 5’10 and 190 pounds, Floyd earned California Community College Football Coaches Association First-Team All-American honors as a sophomore with the Mounties. He finished the season with 1,265 rushing yards (9.3 yards per carry), and 12 touchdowns on the ground. The Riverside, California native had seven 100-yard games with a season-high of 213 yards and three scores against Riverside College.
Floyd gained 119 yards on 19 carries playing for the Utah Tech Trailblazers in 2020. He comes to Logan as a junior.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @floydnicholas17 #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/EtuoNxs4qn
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Courage Ugo | Blinn JC | Defensive Back
The 6’1 defensive back comes to Logan as a junior after earning honorable mention Southwest Junior College Football Conference honors following his sophomore season at Blinn. In nine games, Ugo accumulated 20 tackles, nine pass breakups and two interceptions.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @Courage_Ugo #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/oGjkJcMmRj
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Four-Year Transfers
Bryson Barnes | Utah | Quarterback
A Milford HS product, Barnes played 24 games, starting ten, for the University of Utah after joining the program before the 2020 season.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @bryson_barnes10 #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/OvXb7Ptbvr
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
The 6’1 junior QB completed 181-0f-301 (.601) passes for 2,025 yards and 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. A threat with his legs as well, Barnes ran for 381 yards and three touchdowns on 110 carries as a Ute.
Bryce Cage | Texas State | Defensive End
A 6’3, 255-pound defensive end from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Cage recorded six tackles in nine games for Texas State in 2023. Cage will be a junior for USU next season.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @CageBryce #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/sICrufKlEu
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Shaun Dolac | Buffalo | Linebacker
The 6’1 linebacker joins the Aggies as a graduate transfer from the University of Buffalo. In four seasons, Dolac made 19 starts and appeared in 36 games overall. The former first-team all-Mid American Conference linebacker racked up 223 tackles, six sacks, and forced three fumbles.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @ShaunDolac #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/yCYZ2iwucY
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Davon Graham Jr. | Oklahoma | Defensive Back
The 6’0, 205-pound defensive back joins the Aggies after four season with the Oklahoma Sooners. Graham recorded 72 tackles, five pass breakups, two INTs, and one forced fumble. He missed the 2023 season while recovering from a knee injury.
Graham has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @djgraham_ #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/rZfnWZeN2Q
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Gabriel Iniguez Jr. | New Mexico State | Defensive Tackle
The 6’2, 290-pound defensive tackle earned College Football Network Conference USA second team honors and Phil Steele fourth-team all-conference honors after registering 24 tackles, two sacks, and five tackles for a loss for New Mexico State in 2023.
Iniguez Jr. joins USU as a junior.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @Tokomico #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/KSAm5WGHHu
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Miguel Jackson | Charlotte | Defensive Tackle
The senior defensive tackle played three seasons at Charlotte where he appeared in 27 games, making ten starts. Jackson registered 58 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and blocked one kick. Jackson was credited with 16 tackles and two sacks in 2023.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @_mjjacks #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/TxIMLE0G5S
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
Jordan Vincent | New Mexico State | Defensive Back
Another senior transfer, Vincent earned Conference USU honorable mention recognition after playing in all 15 games, making six starts for NMSU in 2023.
The 5’11 defensive back recorded 65 tackles, two sacks, and three pass breakups for the Aggies.
🏔 Welcome to Cache Valley 🏔 @jvincent1k #HurdEmUp24 🤘 | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/DslbCa6ZBa
— USU Football (@USUFootball) February 7, 2024
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.
