By Mark Pszonak
With the official firing of Blake Anderson on Thursday night, Utah State players now have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal. Numerous players will be contacted by other schools with the hope that they make themselves available, but here are the five who will draw the most interest:
WR Jalen Royals
The skinny: Royals experienced one of the biggest breakout seasons in the country last season with the Aggies. The JUCO signee played in 12 games during his first season at Utah State in 2022, but did not have a reception. He then did the unexpected in 2023 by finishing with 71 receptions for 1,080 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns, which led the MWC and was second most nationally. Wide receiver generally isn’t one of the highest priority positions in the portal, but production like Royals won’t be overlooked.
S Ike Larsen
The skinny: After showcasing his potential in 2022, with 34 tackles and four interceptions, Larsen exploded last season with 103 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups. This earned him First-Team All-Mountain West honors and firmly put him on NFL radars as a draft pick in 2025. Larsen received plenty of interest from P4 schools after the 2023 season but decided to stay loyal, but Anderson’s firing may be what pushes him to a new school.
DE Blaine Spires
The skinny: Spires began his collegiate career at Bowling Green before transferring to Utah State prior to the 2023 season. In his one season with the Aggies, he finished with 27 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble, showcasing the big play ability that grabs attention.
DT Seni Tuiaki
The skinny: While a bit on the smaller side (6-foot-1, 290-pounds), a productive and experienced defensive tackle is always a hot commodity in the portal. Tuiaki started all 13 games last season, finishing with 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery and one interception, after only playing in 4 games during the 2022 season because of an injury. A breakout season in 2024 was predicted by some, which is something that would get noticed by other schools.
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OT Cole Motes
The skinny: Offensive tackle is always a position that schools scour the portal for if they feel that they have depth concerns. Motes, who played tight end and defensive end in high school before making the move to tackle at Utah State, possesses both experience and versatility. He has played in 31 games with 22 starts, including 10 last season. During those 10 starts in 2023, he played eight games at right tackle and two at left tackle, which showcases the versatility that schools crave to find.
