Cooper Legas will be back for Utah State, and the expectation is that he will be completely healthy after he suffered a lower right leg injury midway through the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl against Memphis on Tuesday and was replaced by true freshman quarterback Bishop Davenport.
Per Utah State head coach Blake Anderson, the injury — Anderson said it was either a high ankle sprain or MCL sprain — shouldn’t be anything to worry about, at least not long term.
“Structurally he should be fine,” Anderson said of Legas. “Not surgical, at least from the first glance. I would expect that by the time we start spring ball he is completely healthy and ready to compete.”
Legas missed time during the season after suffering a concussion against Colorado State on Oct. 15, but he returned in time to help Utah State complete a midseason turnaround that led to bowl eligibility.
After Aggie quarterbacks Legas, Davenport and Levi Williams combined to throw three interceptions in USU’s 38-10 loss Tuesday, though, Anderson suggested the starting quarterback job could be up for grabs next season.
“That is a room that is going to be critical for us to improve in,” Anderson said. “We have to stop turning the ball over there, we have to stop taking sacks — obviously there are a lot of people involved in that — and we gotta make decisions to stay ahead of the chains.
“I would anticipate (Legas) to take the first series with the (first string) when spring ball starts and then let’s go. Let’s compete. Let’s see what happens.
“We have three guys already on the roster,” — Legas, Davenport and Williams — “and add another one coming in in January in (incoming freshman) McCae Hillstead. It will be a lot of fun to see who competes and ends up winning that job.”
In his first season as a full-time starter, Legas threw for 1,495 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions while also rushing for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
The Aggies went 5-3 in games Legas started, though that included back-to-back losses — against Boise State and Memphis — to end the season.
Davenport, a true freshman, threw the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career against Memphis on Tuesday, a 44-yard strike to senior wide receiver Brian Cobbs.
Davenport started one game for Utah State this season — against Wyoming the week after Legas got hurt — and threw for 245 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in three games played.
Williams, originally the chief competition with Legas when it came to who would back up Logan Bonner, was injured against Colorado State and didn’t play again until the bowl game, completing one pass and also throwing a pick against the Tigers.
As for Hillstead, the three-star recruit and 6A state championship-winning quarterback with Skyridge (Lehi), brings a lot of of upside.
“He brings tons of things as a player,” Anderson said last week on signing day. “He is a 10.7 (second) 100-meter guy who can make every throw.
“To go head-to-head with Washington State on him and get him to stay home (was huge). He committed to us and then took a visit to Washington State with an offer. He came back and said ‘Utah State is where I want to be,’ and never wavered. He is competitive, fast and mobile. A great guy to build around.”