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 coverage. Steele did have one where he played significant snaps on defense. In USU’s matchup with Boise State, Steele played a majority of defensive snaps and recorded a career-high in tackles (four).
Cache Valley Media Group Top 25 Aggies (revealed so far)
- Broc Lane (TE)
- Xavion Steele (CB)
