The NCAA transfer portal opened Dec. 9 and officially closed on Dec. 28.
During that window, college football players from across the country could — and many did — enter their names into the portal in order to search for a new program to call home.
Utah State has been hit especially hard by defections to the portal over the last couple of years and the Aggies have had to utilize the portal to great effect to rebuild their team multiple times now.
That trend continued this offseason for USU and here are all the 2024-25 Aggies who’ve decided (or been asked) to move on from Utah State and try their luck elsewhere, as well as all the players who’ve committed to join Utah State next season after leaving their now former programs. FBS transfers specifically (junior college transfers aren’t included in this list).
One final note, players sometimes announce their entry into the transfer portal and then delete those posts. Safety Ike Larsen did it during this portal window and has since announced that he is returning to Utah State next season.
Utah State football transfer portal defections
By position
Safety — 5
Cornerback — 5
Offense linemen — 2
Defensive linemen — 6
Linebacker — 4
Wide receiver — 1
Running back — 3
Tight end — 1
Kicker — 1
Punter — 1
Long snapper — 1
By name
Aloali’i Maui
- Offensive lineman
- Junior
- 6-foot-1, 305 pounds
Maui was a key starter on the offensive line for Utah State this past season, playing in all 12 games. He played guard and center (the latter when needed) and has since announced that he has signed with Southern Mississippi.
Alexander McDougall
- Long snapper
- Sophomore
- 5-foot-11, 205 pounds
McDougall never played for the Aggies, walking on in 2023 and redshirting his freshman season. He then didn’t make an appearances in 2024 either.
William Holmes
- Defensive end
- Sophomore
- 6-foot-4, 240 pounds
One of the more interesting stories for the Aggies in 2024, Holmes is a freak athlete who walked on at USU after a professional baseball career. Holmes played in nine games this season and recorded six tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and also had 1.5 sacks.
Rahsul Faison
- Running back
- Graduate senior (pending ruling on JUCO players eligibility)
- 5-foot-11, 200 pounds
Faison was a standout for two seasons at Utah State and rushed for over 1000 yards in 2024, averaging better than five yards per carry. The expectation was that Faison (out of eligibility) would attempt to make it in the NFL, but a recent ruling in favor of Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia could mean extra eligibility for players who spent time in the junior college ranks. As a result, Faison is in the portal, with an eye on continuing to play college football.
Jaiden Francois
- Cornerback
- Graduate senior
- 5-foot-10, 195 pounds.
The former UCF Knight had two strong season with the Aggies, including this past one. Francois played in all 12 games in 2024 and had 51 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss. He also had an interception and two pass breakups.
Robert Briggs
- Running back
- Junior
- 5-foot-6, 185 pounds
Briggs was expected to be part of a one-two punch with Rahsul Faison at running back and got off to a hot start in the season opener against Robert Morris before suffering a season ending injury. In his Aggie career, Briggs rushed for 861 yards and three touchdowns, averaging over five yards per carry.
Terrell Taylor
- Safety
- Senior
- 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
A junior college transfer ahead of the 2024 season, Taylor played in eight games for the Aggies this season, but didn’t record a statistic while playing primarily on special teams.
Will Monney
- Tight end
- Junior
- 6-foot-4, 230 pounds
After injuries hit the Aggies’ tight end room, Monney saw a bump in action, playing in 10 games, hauling in 11 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. He was especially productive in USU’s victory over Hawaii late in the year.
Malik McConico
- Safety
- Junior
- 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
A JUCO transfer to USU ahead of the 2024 season, McConico played in six games, racking up 11 tackles. His most productive game was against USC, when McConico had five tackles.
Blaine Spires
- Defensive end
- Graduate senior
- 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
Roundly considered the Aggies’ best defensive end to start the season, Spires played in just four games before sitting the rest of the year with an injury. In those four games, Spires had eight tackles, including three for loss. He also recorded a sack.
Herschel Turner
- Running back
- Sophomore
- 5-foot-9, 190 pounds
After an early season injury suffered by Robert Briggs, Turner immediately became a key contributor for the Aggies as a true freshman. In 12 games played, splitting reps with Rahsul Faison primarily, Turner rushed for 405 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 12 receptions for 71 yards.
Marlin Dean
- Defensive end
- Senior
- 6-foot-5, 235 pounds
One of the prizes of Utah State’s 2024 signing class, Dean was one of the highest rated JUCO recruits. He played sparingly to start the year for the Aggies, before injuries opened up playing time in the latter half of the season. All told, Dean played in nine games and recorded six tackles, including 1.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Braydon Bailey
- Defensive tackle
- Junior
- 6-foot-1, 295 pounds
A JUCO transfer to Utah State last season, Bailey did not see game action in 2024. Before joining the Aggies, Bailey earned Southern California Football Association (SCFA) Central League second-team honors at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California.
Mason Edwards
- Cornerback
- Junior
- 6-foot-2, 175 pounds.
A junior college transfer (from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas), Edwards played sparingly in his first year as an Aggie, appearing in only two games.
In total, he had two tackles, both of which came during USU’s blowout win over Hawaii.
Tanner Cragun
- Kicker
- Sophomore
- 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
A transfer from the University of Utah, Cragun started the season as the back up kicker before earning the No. 1 gig midway through the season. In total, Cragun played in eight games this season and made seven of nine field goal attempts. His long this year was a game-winning 40-yard effort against Wyoming.
Max Alford
- Linebacker
- Sophomore
- 6-foot-1, 245 pounds
Injuries have been a problem for Alford during his career — he missed nearly the entire 2023 season because of one — but when he’s played he has shown promise. The Park City High School product played in four games this season, enabling him to redshirt the season, and recorded two tackles.
Tanner Williams
- Linebacker
- Redshirt freshman
- 6-foot-2, 215 pounds
Part of a small 2024 high school signing class for Utah State, Williams played in four games as a true freshman after injuries piled up at the linebacker position. He acquitted himself fairly well, though he only recorded a single tackle.
Logan Pili
- Linebacker
- Sophomore
- 6-feet, 225 pounds
Pili, a transfer from BYU, played in eight games this season for the Aggies, before an injury kept him out of the final four. He recorded seven total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Gabe Peterson
- Linebacker/defensive end
- Junior
- 6-foot-2, 255 pounds
Peterson was a transfer from New Mexico State and was expected to be a major contributor on defense for the Aggies. A rib injury limited him to only three games during the season though. He did manage six tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack.
Jadon Pearson
- Linebacker/Safety
- Graduate senior
- 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
Pearson, a transfer from the University of Utah last season, made the shift to linebacker at USU and eventually settled into the role. He finished the season with 42 total tackles, including three tackles for loss.
Grant Page
- Wide receiver
- Junior
- 6-foot-3, 220 pounds
Page — a one-time transfer from Colorado — had something of a breakout season this year, especially after Jalen Royals went down with injury. Page finished the year with 33 receptions for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He set new career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns in a game and at times looked like the potential next star receiver for USU.
Chase Davis
- Safety
- Sophomore
- 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
Davis played in eight games for the Aggies in 2024, racking up 12 total tackles and also forcing a fumble. The Texas native redshirt his first year at USU and was a consensus three-star recruit coming out of Little Elm High School, despite being injured for the majority of his senior season.
Avante Dickerson
- Cornerback
- Senior
- 5-foot-11, 170 pounds
Dickerson was, for most of the season, USU’s top corner. He routinely was tasked with countering opponents top wide receiver, usually on an island by himself. He finished the year injured, but still played in nine games and recorded 19 tackles, including two for a loss.
Simeon Harris
- Safety
- Junior
- 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
Harris redshirted this past season — after playing in the first three games of the season against Robert Morris, Utah and USC, along with the season finale against Colorado State — in order to preserve eligibility. In those four games he totaled four tackles. The year before, while playing in all 13 games, Harris had 59 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss.
DJ Graham II
- Cornerback
- Graduate senior
- 6-foot-200 pounds
Something of a breakout performer for the Aggies in his only season in Logan, Graham finished the year with 42 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, three forced fumbles, an interception and two pass breakups. He was arguably the Aggies’ best defensive back the season half of the year.
JD Drew
- Cornerback
- Junior
- 5-foot-11, 165 pounds
Drew was a regular in the Aggies’ secondary the last two seasons. He played in all 12 games this season and 11 games the year before. This year, his redshirt sophomore campaign, he racked up 45 tackles, including a tackle for loss. He also forced a fumble.
Teague Andersen
- Offensive lineman
- Junior
- 6-foot-5, 305 pounds
Andersen has been a stalwart on the Aggies’ offensive line then last two seasons. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Andersen played in 12 games and started seven. This season, he started 11 games, missing the San Diego State game with an injury. A tackle, Andersen was one of a pair of brothers along the Aggies’ offensive or defensive lines. He and his brother Trey Andersen forming one duo, Bo and George Maile forming the other.
Ryan Marks
- Punter
- Junior
- 5-foot-11, 235 pounds
Marks, a former standout at Farmington High School, shared punting duties with Stephen Kotsanlee this season. Marks was used for accuracy, Kotsanlee for distance. In total, Marks punted seven times and five of those punts were downed inside the 20- yard line.
Collin Vaughn
- Defensive tackle
- Graduate senior
- 6-foot-2, 285 pounds
Vaughn spent only this past season with the Aggies and played in only one game — in the season opener against Robert Morris — without recording a statistic. Previously, he played three seasons at the NAIA level at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent the 2023-24 season at the Division II level at Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina.
Teeg Slone
- Safety
- Sophomore
- 6-feet, 185 pounds.
Former junior college transfer played in just two games for the Aggies in 2024, against USC and Hawaii, and didn’t record any stats.
Utah State transfer portal commitments
By position
Cornerback — 2
Safety — 2
Long snapper — 2
Running back — 2
Wide receiver — 1
Punter — 1
Kicker — 1
By name
Bobby Arnold III
- Cornerback
- Sophomore
- 5-foot-9, 179 pounds
A transfer from New Mexico, Arnold was a junior college transfer to UNM last season and in his one year as a Lobo he recorded 21 tackles in four games played.
Carter Brown
- Kicker
- Senior
- 6-feet, 198 pounds
A transfer from Cincinnati, Brown made 29 of 38 field goal tries in two seasons played with the Bearcats and another with Arizona State. His best season was his first with Cincinnati in 2023, when he he connected on 15 of 19 tries.
Miles Davis
- Running back
- Graduate senior
- 6-feet, 215 pounds
Davis, a wide receiver turned running back, showed flashes during his BYU career but was unable to have sustained success. This past season, while serving as a depth option at running back, Davis ran the ball 18 times for 76 yards and caught five passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Braden Pegan
- Wide receiver
- Junior
- 6-foot-4, 200 pounds
A three-star recruit coming out of high school in 2022, Pegan saw limited action for the Bruins in 2023 and didn’t play in 2024.
Will Safris
- Punter
- Redshirt freshman
- 5-foot-10, 175-pounds
A Missouri transfer, Safris was rated a top 35 punter in the 2024 class. He redshirted his one and only season with the Tigers.
Owen Edwards
- Long snapper
- Sophomore
- 6-feet, 200 pounds
Edwards spent one season at Hampton University — an FCS program — and appeared in nine games.
Javen Jacobs
- Running back
- Junior
- 5-foot-9, 190 pounds
A former Arizona State Sun Devil — in 2022 and 2023 — Jacobs had a solid season for New Mexico as a change-of-pace running back and a kick returner. In seven games played in 2024, Jacobs rushed 285 yards and three touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. As a returner, he took by six kicks, averaging just over 23 yards per return.
Brevin Hamblin
- Safety
- Junior
- 6-foot-5, 205 pounds
Hamblin, a Syracuse High standout, played two years at Utah Tech. As a sophomore this past season he played in 12 games and led the team in tackles with 96, including two tackles-for-loss. Hamblin also had two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and blocked a kick.
Hyrum Hatch
- Long snapper
- Sophomore
- 6-feet, 196 pounds
The first transfer portal commitment of the Bronco Mendenhall era (unless you count Larsen), Hatch transferred to USU from New Mexico where he played in 12 games last season.
D’Angelo “DJ” Mayes
- Cornerback
- Redshirt freshman
- 6-foot2, 172 pounds
A standout wide receiver at Syracuse High School in northern Utah, Mayes redshirted his one and only season at New Mexico, before transferring to USU this winter.
Bryson Taylor
- Safety
- Senior
- 6-feet, 175 pounds
A Georgia native, Taylor is transferring to USU from New Mexico. In 12 games played for the Lobos this season, Taylor recorded 58 tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and 11 pass breakups.