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LOGAN — Utah State stumbled to a 3-9 season in 2016.
But don’t pin it on the Aggie D — a defense that allowed just 176 passing yards per game, the 10th-best mark in the nation.
The secondary could be even better this year, with seven returning players and five starters — highlighted by All-Mountain West Honorable Mention Jalen Davis at cornerback and BYU transfer Dallin Leavitt at safety. Senior Wesley Bailey and juniors Gaje Ferguson and Jontrell Rocquemore also return valuable experience in the Aggies’ “no fly zone.”
Coach Matt Wells compared Utah State’s 2017 secondary to the 2013 squad, which intercepted 17 passes and produced two NFL draft picks.
“I think this secondary is as close as we have had,” he said. “Dallin Leavitt is a great leader. There are multiple safety spots up for grabs. Gaje Ferguson has played. A redshirt freshman is going to be right in that mix. Then out at corner with Jalen Davis, who has started since the Tennessee game in 2014.”
Davis is the biggest name in the defensive backfield, having started all 36 games of his collegiate career and racking up 147 tackles, four sacks and six interceptions.
“It’s crazy, because I was just a freshman a couple of years back. Time flies so fast,” Davis said. “It is an urgency for me to go out there and do the best I can do to help my team do the best they can do.
“I wasn’t picked to be All-Mountain West or anything, so that really made me want to step up my game.”
Related:
CFB preview: Utah State out to erase memories of 3-9 season
The bar has been raised for Utah State’s football program. <br> After five-straight bowl appearances and 43 wins in five years, last season’s 3-9 record was unacceptable — no more so than to the players who remember the 1-7 Mountain West slog.Leavitt, too, has a chip on his shoulder. His three interceptions in 2016 were a team-best mark to go along with 57 tackles.
And he hopes for even more in his final season as an Aggie.
“I want to prove that I'm the best safety in this conference and I want to prove that this is the best secondary in the conference,” Leavitt said. “I want to prove that this is the best team in the conference.”
Along with the numbers, the play on the field and the projections, Davis knows senior year brings an added level of leadership. He’s ready for that challenge.
“This summer … I tried to focus on just being an example by what I do, not what I say,” Leavitt said.
What will a team that ranked fourth in the Mountain West in total defense a year ago look like in 2017?
“An aggressive team that is just trying to force as many turnovers as possible,” said Davis, who added 30 pounds through offseason weightlifting. “Just try to get the ball back to the offense. It is an aggressive, intimidating defense out there.”
