Several familiar faces will be missing when Utah State’s football team holds its first practice of Spring Camp on Monday, March 20.
The Aggies have lost four full-time assistant coaches or coordinators from the 2022 season, plus several players to the transfer portal. The latest impact performer to enter the portal is three-year starting linebacker AJ Vongphachanh.
Vonphachanh’s decision to enter the portal was first reported Tuesday by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and was seemingly confirmed by the USU graduate on Twitter. The native of Pasco, Washington, has one year of eligibility remaining and he is a graduate transfer.
The four-time academic all-Mountain West selection is USU’s third starter on the defensive side of the ball to enter the portal since the conclusion of the ‘22 campaign, joining defensive ends and fellow graduate transfers Byron Vaughns and Daniel Grzesiak, who has signed with the University of Cincinnati. Another ‘22 Aggie starter, right guard Weylin Lapuaho, has transferred to BYU.
In his three seasons as a starter, Vongphachanh racked up 206 tackles, including 21.0 for a loss and 7.0 sacks. No. 10 was a honorable mention all-Mountain West selection during the COVID-19 shortened season of 2020 as he led the Aggies in tackles with 50. He was also USU’s leading tackler this past season with 101.
Vongphachanh recorded single-season career highs in tackles and tackles for loss (10.5) this past season, in addition to contributing with 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and three passed broken up. The former Chiawana High School star ranked ninth in the Mountain West in tackles per game (7.8) this past season.
In addition to the aforementioned athletes, the Aggies have also lost a handful of other impact performers from their ‘22 squad to the transfer portal — the lion’s share of them from the defensive line unit.
The latest USU assistant to leave for another team is cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks, who will coach the same position at Big 10 Conference program Northwestern, according to multiple reports. That news first surfaced last week.
Utah State head coach Blake Anderson has also lost the following members of his staff over the past couple of months: Defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda, offensive coordinator Anthony Tucker and offensive line coach Micah James. James has been hired as an offensive analyst at the University of Tennessee, Tucker is now the wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator at Indiana University and Banda left for the NFL as he will coach the safeties for the Cleveland Browns.
USU SOFTBALL
A couple of late-inning home runs and a memorable pitching performance from Hailey McLean allowed the Aggies to terminate a four-game losing streak. USU traveled to Utah County on Tuesday and left with a 3-0 victory over Utah Valley.
McLean went five innings in the circle in relief and only allowed two hits, while striking out 10 and walking two. Starter Mia Reynolds also contributed to the shutout and she pitched two innings of scoreless ball. Reynolds gave up two hits, fanned three and plunked one.
Freshman outfielder Jaden Colunga provided the Aggies with the only offense they would need, courtesy of a two-run bomb in the top of the sixth. Shortstop Ariel Fifita added a solo shot the following inning.
The Aggies (8-12) finished with six hits to the Wolverines’ (6-14) four. USU freshman outfielder Kya Pratt has now reached base safely in 15 straight games as she drew a walk against UVU.
USU MEN’S TENNIS
A pair of Aggies were honored by the Mountain West on Wednesday in Bodin Zarkovic and Nuno Pinheiro. Zarkovic was selected as the MW’s Player of the Week, while Pinheiro garnered Freshman of the Week accolades.
USU traveled to California last week and squared off against three teams, and Zarkovic only lost one match. The senior went 4-1, which included singles and doubles victories against UC Riverside and UC Irvine. Zarkovic was is great shape to split sets in his singles match against UC Santa Barbara, which is ranked 33rd nationally, but the match was left unfinished because the Gauchos clinched the team win.
This is the third time the Serbian has been named the conference’s Player of the Week.
Meanwhile, Pinheiro went 4-2 overall last week, with a pair of singles and doubles victories. The native of Portugal teamed up with Stijn Paardekooper to reign supreme in doubles matches against UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara, plus he was triumphant in his singles matches against those same two teams.
This is the second time this season Pinheiro has been tabbed the Freshman of the Week.
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