The 2025 Mountain West Media Days provided another chance to get a glimpse at Utah State football as the Aggies prepare for the start of the Bronco Mendenhall era. So far, the team under Mendenhall has been a secretive group and not by accident. In his first year with the Aggies, Mendenhall has been entirely focussed on getting the team ready to bounce back from a chaotic 4-8 season in 2024.
“I don’t talk about it much because really it’s giving away an advantage I don’t have to give away,” Mendenhall said. “If no one knows what we’re gonna do or how we’re gonna do it until we play, everyone’s behind in preparation for Utah State because they don’t know.”
It’s come at the expense of hype along with fan and media knowledge of the team. And it isn’t as though Mendenhall doesn’t value those things (they often induce ticket sales and build interest from the student body that populate most of the east side of the stadium). He just doesn’t feel the risk of putting his team out there is worth it because of the spring portal window. And at media days, Mendenhall confirmed that so long as the spring portal window exists, spring practices will remain closed.
“As long as there is a transfer portal after spring practice, I won’t open spring practice,” Mendenhall said. “Simply because of the roster being protected and I’m the steward over that program. I think everyone understood that. It also allowed an intimacy of just my team and myself and our staff to just work. And I think it ended up serving its purpose.”
There is a decently high likelihood that the spring portal window will eventually be eliminated. In January, the American Football Coaches Association voted unanimously to recommend a single 10-day transfer portal window beginning on Jan. 2 and going through Jan. 12. And in June, there were reports that the FBS Oversight Committee will be having “a deep discussion on a single portal window” with committee chair, the Buffalo athletics director Mark Alnutt, telling The Athletic that he is “confident we’ll get there.”
But even if that happens, it may not solve everything. Utah State begins its spring semester earlier than most, with its 2025 spring semester having begun on Jan. 4. According to Mendenhall, that earlier spring semester, would be a significant hindrance to using the portal.
“That would literally eliminate us from being able to use the transfer portal,” Mendenhall said in a March 10 interview on the Full Court Press on 106.9 The FAN, “Unless Utah State’s academic calendar changed or they found, and we found, some way to have players arrive and either take remote or online or coursework, somehow where they have a chance to catch up maybe three up to even four weeks after the semester started.”
Mendenhall had to lean heavily on the transfer portal in his first offseason, and the turnover on his roster has been something he’s repeatedly emphasized in interviews. Utah State is bringing in 87 new players to its 2025 roster with just four returning starters — Josh Sterzer, Gabriel Iniguez, Ike Larsen and John Miller — and 18 total lettermen. This is essentially a new squad, almost entirely different from the team that went 4-8 last fall.
“We’re restarting basically,” Mendenhall said.
With so many departures, there were rumblings that Mendenhall was essentially cutting players to accelerate a roster transformation, a notion Mendenhall offered clarity on.
“We spent four days of doing nothing other than evaluating the existing roster,” Mendenhall said of his coaching staff’s first week at Utah State. “And then we made phone calls as to, yes we think you’ll be a great fit here, or we think you’re going to struggle, and this is how come. We didn’t cut a single player, but we did advise saying ‘This is our [thinking], and with the portal being now, the sooner you enter, the better, if you planned to enter. But if not, these things are going to have to change for you to fit in the program.’ And so really, I think it’s the most humane and the best for everyone to say that really clearly on the front end. Many had already decided when I was hired, they were already moving on. Some after my hire had decided. Very few of those phone calls were the reason. Sometimes that was just the validation.”
Perhaps this is just coach speak for cutting players. But whether he told players to leave or encouraged them to accelerate plans and/or prepare for big changes, it reflects Mendenhall’s biggest goal for the team this season: establish his culture in the program and get buy-in from everyone in the building.
With so many newcomers, there’s an air of mystery surrounding the team as few know which players will be impactful in 2025 (just how Mendenhall wants it). But there are a few players that are being talked about at length. First among them is quarterback Bryson Barnes.
Mendenhall did relent slightly in his campaign of secrecy when he confirmed what had just about been assumed at this point — that Bryson Barnes will be the starting quarterback for the Aggies this season. Barnes played in nine games last year, starting three (USC, Utah and Colorado State), throwing for 856 yards, rushing for 530, and accumulating 17 total touchdowns (12 passing, five rushing).
This will be Barnes’ first time being the Week 1 starter for a collegiate team without any injuries being taken into consideration (he started the first week for Utah in 2023, but that was largely due to Cam Rising suffering a torn ACL in the Rose Bowl). He’s won the offseason battle and will be a leader for the team on the field as well as off it.
“I’m lucky that he’s at Utah State. I love who he is as a person. I love his leadership skills, the experience he brings, but the mindset, especially,” Mendenhall said. “So I’m really looking forward to him.”
While Barnes hasn’t necessarily dominated as a pure passer in college, he has done very well in the ground game. Last year, he set a USU record for rushing yards by a QB when he ran for 193 yards in a win over San Diego State and followed that up a week later with 185 against Colorado State (which is the third-highest by a QB in school history). Not only did those two games make Barnes the first USU quarterback to run for 100-plus yards in back-to-back games, but also the first-ever QB to have multiple 100-yard rushing games for the Aggies.
So, naturally, Mendenhall is excited to see what the offense can end up being with a dual-threat QB behind center.
“As a defensive coach You run out of numbers pretty fast when someone can run and throw. When you put it on that in a package and with a head coach that loves tough competitive people and style of play. He’s a perfect fit for us,” Mendenhall said.
Likely starting alongside Barnes in the backfield will be running back Javen Jacobs. The junior transfer has made a big impact from a leadership standpoint, being one of the players to follow Mendenhall from New Mexico to Utah State. He knew what the coaching staff was all about and became a valuable asset in establishing the new culture in Logan.
“The credibility that lent himself to our team really generated some momentum that I couldn’t have done without him. So I’m really grateful that he chose to join us,” Mendenhall said.
Mendenhall gave a not-too-subtle nod to Jacobs’ potential on the field, noting his progression in Mendenhall’s progression system which has tiers that mirror martial arts. Jacobs has earned the highest level of black about which Mendenhall said that most of his players that reached that level went on the play in the NFL.
Newcomers and breakout players are likely to form a large contingent of the Aggies production this year — that’s what having 87 newcomers will do to you — but there is still one returning veteran, star player: Ike Larsen. For a third straight year, Ike Larsen made the preseason All-Mountain West team. But this year doesn’t have the same feeling as previous years. Larsen entered the last two seasons riding more and more momentum. This year feels much more like he’ll be aiming to rebound.
Despite recording 80 tackles, the second-best total of his career, and a career-best nine passes defended, the narrative from Mendenhall and Larsen’s own teammates is that he had a down year in 2024. Other stats and metrics back up this notion, particularly the game-changing plays Larsen made as a freshman and sophomore, but didn’t as a junior. In his first two full seasons, Larsen totaled eight interceptions, a forced fumble and five blocked kicks. Last year, all he had in that department was one interception.
“Earlier in his career the performance was stronger. Last year, not as strong, clearly. And that then provides an opportunity for what will this year be,” Mendenhall said. “It can be a return to and a surpassing what he’s ever been, and this will be the best version of [him].”
Mendenhall felt Larsen’s selection to the All-Mountain West Preseason Team was a good reflection of his career so far. But one of the votes done by the media was met with more skepticism from the Aggies’ coach. Utah State were picked to finish ninth in the Mountain West Preseason Poll, a reflection of the team’s struggles last season and a lack of confidence from most that things will be different this year. But Mendenhall, like basically all coaches, isn’t putting stock in that.
“I don’t know if it’s ever been accurate, so there might have been number one on occasion predicted, but usually not, certainly not one through four. I don’t know if it’s ever been one through three, I don’t even remember if it’s been one through two and and yet we talk about it and so I think it’s nonsense.”
In defense of the preseason poll the Mountain West version did, in fact, predict the top two in the final standings as Boise State and UNLV were picked 1-2 and finished as such. Granted, other preseason polls, such as the Big 12, were almost comically wrong.
The Aggies’ preseason rankings, in the Mountain West Preseason Poll and in national rankings are a reflection of the overall view of the team. And it’s not optimistic. The Mountain West believes USU will finish ninth. National media, such as ESPN (ranked USU 119th in SP+), Phil Steele (122nd) and KFord (119th), see Utah State as just about a bottom-15 team in FBS.
These rankings are heavily influenced by recent history and perception of a team’s recruiting success. USU’s recent history, including its 4-8 record last year and three straight losing seasons overall, are obviously a negative factor. So to is the perception of the Aggies’ recruiting. According to 247Sports, USU ranks seventh in the Mountain West in average high school recruit rating. More important for this season, 247Sports ranked the Aggies dead last in average transfer recruit ranking.
Very few see this Utah State roster as talented. At least, there are very few outside of Logan that feel that way. Mendenhall said he believes he has enough talent, plus other advantages.
“I don’t think that when folks see our roster, they’ll say there’s an overabundance [of talent]. But when folks watch us play, I think the take will be: ‘Wait, who’s that? Who’s that? I like him or I like them,'” Mendenhall said. “My philosophy has always been the collective is enough. And I’ve never really liked the talented only and individualistic type of teams, so we make sure we hit the enough mark in terms of ability and then the collective enhances the ability. And so I think we have both. Again, it’s early. We haven’t been through fall practice yet, fall camp. But I think there’s certainly enough talent, probably more than what people will think. And I think the collective will highlight that in a way that will give us a strong chance.”
Last season, for just the third time in the last 14 years, Utah State did not go to a bowl game. The consistent appearances in bowl games has been a point of pride for the Aggies and getting back to college football’s postseason is goal number one in most fans’ minds. Mendenhall is confident in his ability to deliver that to the fans, saying “we’re absolutely capable of (being bowl eligible).”
Mendenhall cited the fact that in 16 of 18 seasons as a head coach, his team has been bowl eligible with the two exceptions being last year at New Mexico (5-7 record) and his first season at Virginia in 2016 (2-10). The fact his year one seasons at New Mexico and Virginia were the two missed bowl games may not strike the most confidence in whether he’ll reverse those fortunes at Utah State, but Mendenhall felt his New Mexico team was bowl-game-caliber and just came up short.
“No one gave New Mexico a chance. They were predicted to win one game,” Mendenhall said. “Any team I coach on any year absolutely has to be considered for bowl eligibility. It’s what 16 of 18 years says. And so it’s just the baseline of where we start from.”
Media Days gave the opportunity to talk with all of the Mountain West coaches at media days and ask them about Utah State. Every coach had something to say about Mendenhall, with a few other small notes about either this year’s matchup or other anecdotes. The following are quotes taken from interviews done with Mountain West head coaches by Eric Frandsen and Craig Hislop for 106.9 The FAN.
Jason Eck (New Mexico)
- On Mendenhall: “I’ve always respected his work. He did such a great job at BYU and did a great job at Virginia.”
- About this year’s game between USU and UNM on Oct. 25: “It’ll be a fun game. It’s kind of like the farewell tour, it’ll be our last time playing them for a while, so we’ve got to take advantage of our one shot we get against them.”
Ken Niumatalolo (San Jose State)
- On seeing Merlin Olsen Field in person a few months ago (as part of a longer story including his son being on the USU staff): “I got to see the stadium from outside. To be honest, when I saw the stadium I was like: ‘Oh my gosh, this is a beautiful stadium.’ It’s like, wow. It’s gotta be one of the nicest stadium in the conference.”
- On Mendenhall: “I know what kind of coach he is. The guy has won everywhere he’s been. He took over at BYU, did a great job. Took over at Virginia, did a great job. Took over at New Mexico, did a great job. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to recognize what he’s gonna do at Utah State. We know we’re gonna have our hands full.”
Dan Mullen (UNLV)
- On Mendenhall and facing USU this season: “We go way back. We go back to those Utah, Salt Lake City days when I was calling plays up there at Utah and he was calling defenses down there at BYU. We go way back. Got to play him in the Orange Bowl in 2019, I was at Florida, he was at Virginia. We have a pretty good background of going against each other. Obviously always had tremendous respect for Bronco. Excellent football coach. And probably like me, he kind of walked away a little bit. He walked away and got reset. And obviously, for him, going back to a place where, the knowledge he has in the state of Utah is going to be a great fit. We’ll have to continue our battles out there on the field.”
Spencer Danielson (Boise State)
- On Mendenhall: “I think Bronco Mendenhall is one of the best coaches in the country. Let me start by saying that. I think the absolute world of him, not only just as a football coach but how he’s gone about. From his years at BYU, Virginia, New Mexico to Utah State now. I think that Utah State made a home run hire in bringing him to Logan. I’ve gotten close to Bronco over the years because even from afar, have so much respect for how he has run his programs. How he’s done it the right way.”
- On facing Utah State: “I think the world of what Utah State’s always done. It’s always been a dogfight against the old Aggies.”
Troy Calhoun (Air Force)
- On previous games played at Utah State and the environment at Merlin Olsen Field: “There’ve been some great football games. There really have. I think one of the neat things about that environment, it tends to be pretty spirited. I think you guys would hear that not only in football, but definitely basketball too. Just tremendous support in that area. We’ve played against some really, really good teams, some 10-plus win teams.”
- On Mendenhall: “Enormous respect. He did an absolutely amazing job at BYU. When you think of the consistency, the nine-plus win seasons. But even more so, just, he’s one of those guys, he’s all-in for his players as human beings. Very, very astute as a football coach, most certainly, but just the decency as a man.”
Jeff Choate (Nevada)
- On experiences in Logan (was a graduate assistant then assistant coach at USU from 2002-04): “Being able to work for Mick (Dennehy), he was my college head coach and really was an inspiration and motivation to me in the business. Still stay in touch with him. And my daughter Jacy was born in Logan. Those are a couple (things). The football part of it, it was a tough time to be there. We were FBS independent, not a good place to be. I think one year we played four home games. And that was an interesting time, but there were some great relationships that were formed.”
- On former Aggie, now Nevada running back Herschel Turner: “He’s gonna be a good player for us. I don’t know if you guys had the opportunity to engage with him, but he is mature beyond his years. He is a high quality young man and we’re really fortunate to have him.”
- On Mendenhall: “It’s a great hire for Utah State. It’s a really good fit. Talking to him on the side, personally, how excited he and his family were for that opportunity. So I think he’ll do a tremendous job there.”
Timmy Chang (Hawaii)
- On game against Utah State on Oct. 11: “Looking forward to it. Bronco’s gonna get those guys rolling, so I hope we catch them before he gets them rolling.”
- On Mendenhall: “I’ve always watched him and admired him from afar. Watching him groom BYU and just get BYU ready to go and had Virginia. Took a step away, been in contact with a lot of guys that have been on his staffs. They have nothing but good things to say.”
