LOGAN — Recently, Utah State has become a sort of tight end university-lite.
While Utah State certainly isn’t on the same level as programs like Iowa, Miami or Stanford — all famous for churning out pros — over the last few years the Aggies have made a habit of sending tight ends to the NFL.
“Winning a conference championship has become my motivation. I really want to win that. I think that would be really special and something that I would hold on to for the rest of my life.” — Utah State tight end Carson Terrell
First there was Dax Raymond. In his time at Utah State, Raymond, a Timpview High grad, was one of the Aggies’ more prolific pass catchers, regardless of position.
He earned All-Mountain West honors back-to-back years, in 2017 and 2018, success that led him to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft and later find a home with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.
Raymond was followed at USU by Caleb Repp, a graduate transfer from Utah who did not disappoint in his lone season in Logan. Repp earned All-Mountain West honors himself, after a career year that saw him tie for second on the team in touchdown catches, and finish fourth on the team in both receptions and receiving yards.
Like Raymond, Repp went undrafted, but he too found a home in the NFL, with the Atlanta Falcons.
After the success of both Raymond and Repp, it is only fair to wonder who is next in line at tight end for USU. Can they possibly maintain the level of play that Raymond and Repp brought? Are they all-conference caliber?
The later questions won’t be answered until the 2020-21 season is complete — if and when it happens — but as for who is up next, that would be Carson Terrell.
A fourth-year senior from Lehi, Terrell has patiently waited for his opportunity. A three-star recruit out of high school, who entertained UCLA, Oregon State, Kansas and BYU, before choosing the Aggies, Terrell had considerable hype accompanying him to Cache Valley and for good reason.
He was a first-team All-State (5A) tight end at Lehi High School his senior year in 2016, when he hauled in 57 passes for 837 yards (14.7 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns.
His career at USU thus far has been decidedly less prolific — Terrell has 33 receptions for 341 yards and a touchdown in three years — but ahead of fall camp he is the leader in the clubhouse.
“Carson obviously has the most experience and played very well last year,” Utah State coach Gary Andersen said.
Experience is the most important thing Terrell brings to the table, aside from his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame.
“I’ve been around for a while,” Terrell said. “And I have had some studs in front of me show me the ropes, with Caleb and Dax. They both had their own kind of playing style that I’ve tried to put into my own game.”
Don’t expect Terrell to be as prolific a pass catcher as either Raymond or Repp, though. In offensive coordinator’s Bodie Reeder’s system, the tight end position is multi-faceted — USU will often play in two tight end sets — arguably the second-most difficult position to master after quarterback.
“There is a lot to know, a lot that is different,” Terrell said. “Coach Roc (Bellantoni) and coach DJ (Tialavea) tell us all the time that besides the quarterback, the tight end has to know the most in this offense. They are asking a lot of us.”
Much of that asking has to do with pass blocking, something Terrell hasn’t really done before, and yet he is expected to lead a group of tight ends that is to be more focused on blocking schemes — another group will be of the pass catching variety.
“We are pass blocking this year,” he said, “and there is a lot of new stuff that I don’t feel very comfortable with, but I’m really excited to learn. I’m especially excited to learn pass blocking. I am not very good at that. I’ve never played O-line in my life, so it is going to be fun.”
A season spent in the trenches isn’t likely to bode for individual accolades and recognition, but at this point in his career Terrell is more interested in team success anyway.
“A lot of my goals have turned into team goals,” he explained. “I really want to win the Mountain West championship. That would be really sweet. Since coach Andersen has come back, I’ve seen the glimpse of what it was like, them winning the WAC (Western Athletic Conference). Winning a conference championship has become my motivation. I really want to win that. I think that would be really special and something that I would hold on to for the rest of my life.”
And who knows, en route to that title Terrell may very well wind up the latest in a line of all-conference caliber Aggie tight ends.