Wyatt Bowles practices on Merlin Olsen Field — PHOTO COURTESY OF USU ATHLETICS LOGAN — The old man of the team, Wyatt Bowles comes in at No. 23 on the Cache Valley Media Group Top 25 Aggies of 2023. Entering his sixth season, Bowles is poised to make his move into the starting lineup at right guard. In his first season way back in 2018, Bowles played 52 total snaps (47 on offense) but in the following four season played only 133, and those overwhelmingly on special teams. But with four departing starters, including one at guard, Bowles is a prime candidate to put on the mantle of starter.   Cache Valley Media Group Top 25 Aggies (revealed so far)  Broc Lane (TE)  Xavion Steele (CB)  Wyatt Bowles (OL)                        

Maverik Stadium on the Utah State University campus LAS VEGAS — Utah State weren’t the stars of those show at Mountain West media days. The Aggies were picked to finish eighth in the conference media’s preseason poll. Only one member of the team made the preseason All-Mountain West Team. Neither of USU’s two player representatives — quarterback Cooper Legas and defensive tackle Hale Motu’apuaka — were the singular Aggie honored. Despite the lack of fanfare, optimism flowed from the two players and their head coach, Blake Anderson. The Aggies have a lot of hurdles to overcome. Voters in the media aren’t optimistic about their chances, but at least these three are. Could 2023 be be like the 2021 seasons? When asked if this year’s team could pull off a 2021-esque surprise, going from picked to finish last in their division (and nominally 10th in the conference) to winning the conference crown, Anderson said “I think any team has that kind of potential. You don’t really know until you start really kind of developing and playing.” That’s a basic principle of college football, where it seems like any team can come out of the blue at times. But it’s underpinned by

Utah State defensive back Xavion Steele (7) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) LOGAN — Graduate cornerback Xavion Steele comes in as the first defensive player announced for the Cache Valley Media Group Top 25 Aggies list. Last year he sat on the edge of the cornerback rotation while being a fixture on special teams. This year, with a secondary decimated by departures, Steele will play a valuable role as one of just a few defensive backs with more than a year or so of collegiate football under his belt. Steele enters his fourth season at Utah State. He joined the team in 2020, transferring from Fullerton Junior College. With Fullerton JC, he was named National Junior College Defensive Back of the Year by GridironRR.com along and was a two-time first team All-Southern California Association selection. In his time with the Aggies, Steele has played sparingly, even redshirting in 2021 where he appeared in only four games to preserve that redshirt season. In 2022, Steele saw a jump in snaps, though still limited to special teams. He played 187 special teams snaps across punt and kickoff