Another day another Aggie starter in the transfer portal.
A day after news broke that defensive end Daniel Grzesiak and offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho were transferring, defensive end Byron Vaughns announced on social media that he too will be leaving Utah State.
A two-year starter, Vaughns transferred to Utah State in the winter of 2021 from Texas.
He immediately became a key contributor for the Aggies, racking up 100 tackles, 6.5 sacks, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles in two seasons.
He was the defensive MVP of the Mountain West Conference title game in 2021 and generally regarded as one of the Aggies’ most impactful defenders.
This year, Vaughns was better than ever for Utah State, finishing with 56 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble, numbers that belie how how disruptive he truly was.
A three-star prospect coming out of Eastern Hills High School (Fort Worth, Texas) in 2018, per 247 Sports’ Composite, Vaughns was one of the leaders on a Utah State defense that finished tied for No. 12 in the country in tackles for loss, with 94 total, an average of 7.2 TFLs per game.
Infamously, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge rusher drew the wrath of BYU fans following the Cougars’ victory over the Aggies this season, for a late hit delivered on BYU quarterback Jaren Hall.
Vaughns embraced the enmity, though, just as he did his time at Utah State.
“Together we have fought through adversity, competed and won a championship,” Vaughns wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to the entire USU football staff and family for believing in my talents. I truly played to leave all the Aggie in me on the field and I hope I made you all proud.”
A graduate transfer, Vaughns has one year of eligibility remaining.