The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Let's Go Warhawks!

You should be able to turn them back into a contender!

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Tyler Kozlov
March 22nd, 2017

"Breaking news today as Frank Beamer's replacement at Virginia Tech has been signed. Beamer had coached the Hokies since 1987 and in October he announced that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the season. Frank Beamer rode off into the sunset and left the Hokies with a vacancy for the first time in almost three decades. Beamer Ball defined an era, one that has come to an unthinkable end. The Hokies have hired John Papuchis, from SMU to take over the program. Papuchis was head coach at SMU for just.."

The light flicked off as the television went silent. The man watching the television lurched forward, his hand collecting his face as his finger tips massaged at his temple, letting out a rather irritated sigh as the words echoed in his ears. It seemed as though it was yesterday when he had interviewed for the position, and all was well. An administrative staff ready to support it's team and run for a title. Just what he needed, a team with drive and passion. A team that didn't want to be underdogs.

"What's wrong coach?" The soft words echoed throughout the silent office as he raised his eyes to see a female athletic trainer standing before him.

"Oh, it's nothing, just have a headache that's all.."


1 Year Earlier

The calm knock on the door rang through the small office like it was a cavern, his eyes lifting up just in time to see a balding middle aged man standing in a huff in front of his desk, tossing a rather thick file onto the coaches desk, a large stamp across the manilla folder in bold print "REJECTED".

"Have you lost your ****** mind? Do you really think I could approve a 2 million dollar addition to your budget? We are running close to the wire as it is, we have no room for this kind of crap. Your boys are doing just fine from what I've seen."

The coach took a moment to register that all had happened, he had dropped off a request for more funds towards the end of their bowl run. Players had complained about a lack of facilities at the program, the practice field needed to be redone and the team was needing more to accommodate for the success the team had been enjoying in an effort to prolong the efforts of the coaching staff.

"I'm assuming you skipped to the budget and read nothing else than? Our facilities are ancient, broken equipment, our practice field needs fresh sod, and the stadium needs better locker rooms for our players. We have to pull guys out of the game because they can't get proper treatment! How the hell is that helping the bottom line?"

This only seemed to further irritate the man before him who rather abruptly pushed a large finger against the bold faced print once more to prove his point.

"I get it, you got attention from the media and think you can play ball, but it's simple, you can't. You got lucky for a season and believe we should bend over backwards, toss out a budget and scrap everything for your team and yourself. I have a whole athletic program to look after, I cannot throw it all away for your program."

Raising to his feet, the coach stepped to the side of his desk, grasping onto the finished wood, hard enough that his knuckles flushed, his eyes narrowing as he eyed his boss.

"If you raise ticket prices by just ten dollars per game, our boys can definitely contribute with fundraisers to help bring in more money to balance out your little sheet. I laid that out there, we have the capability without stretching your wallet farther. We just need approval, the conditions out there for them are barely sufficient, you want champions, they don't come from busted locker rooms and antique training methods and equipment.."

The athletic director balled his hand into a fist and proceeded to slam it down onto the desk, letting out a grunt of annoyance.

"I told you, no. If I hear anything more of this, I swear you will be out of a job. We are running a tight ship here, I cannot just throw money around. Don't start thinking you aren't replaceable because you are. End of story. I took over this program with everything in the red, we are finally closing the gap on the deficit and you want me toss out that much money? Get real!"

The coach let out a sigh, turning his back to his boss as he stared out the window to the snow laded practice field. His staff was in to focus upon recruiting and work out their regimen for spring practices, not expecting to be in this rather impromptu meeting.

"Now shut up and do your damn job. You make due with what we give you."

Present Day

"Yeah Kari..just a headache.."

Just as the trainer was about to speak again, his phone began to ring loud, lighting up on his desk and with a quick finger gesture to silence her, he picked up the phone, the number from an out of area, his eyes lighting up as the location scrolled onto his phone.

"Hello, this is Coach Kozlov"

"Yes Coach? Do you have a moment, we'd like to talk about an offer of employment to be our head coach. We were really pleased with your interview and we'd love to fly you out to work out this contract and let the press know!"

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Tyler Kozlov
April 2nd, 2017

The cameras were being set up in a neat row on a slight elevated platform behind a grouping of steel seats which would soon be filled with media outlets, a few camera crews began to set up, local stations mostly, although a lone ESPN camera was towed in at the back, as the room gradually began to fill with people.

The expectation among the staff was that this was just another press conference to reiterate his desire to develop Akron into a power, that this would be the norm. Despite all the interviews, the top job was gone and the next two big jobs were Washington and Utah State. Both teams that were struggling.

Something that no one expected.

As more jobs began to fill quickly and coaches began their annual dance around the NCAA locating new places of employment and taking over there, Tyler Kozlov essentially disappeared off the face of the Earth. It was known he had interviewed for three marquee positions, Virginia Tech, Northwestern and Washington. Virginia Tech had been filled early into the search, and Northwestern announced that they signed Bill Blankenship to take over the head reins for the program leaving just Washington as the main contender for his services. Even so Washington hasn't done well and many didn't expect him to accept their offer.

The rumblings of the group of reporters began as a quiet drone of rumors of various subjects and topics, mostly irrelevant to the event at hand. The first three men out on the podium were athletic director Larry Williams, followed by Lance Anderson and A.J. Milwee, a rather smug look on the face of the Athletic director.

Before each seat aside from the athletic director whom seated to the far left was a large piece of parchment, a contract extension laying out the terms for a modest pay raise and an extension of several years to the contract. Something he expected every coach to sign on television today as a sign of solidarity. After all, adding a couple grand to each coach was a cheaper incentive than fixing the problems that plagued the foundations of the program.

Tyler Kozlov was the last to walk out, taking a seat front and center. Seated in front of the Akron Blue backdrop. He was the only coach not dressed in an Akron polo, rather dressed in a dress shirt, he took a silent seat. The athletic director leaned over and grinned tapping the contract in front of him, right on the signature line as he finally took a chance to lean back, as the camera's came on and the athletic director's voice rose up.

"We have called this press conference to address the rumors that have plagued this program for the past two seasons. All three of our coaches were reaching the end of their contracts and I wanted to personally congratulate them on their accomplishments this season as well as over their careers. It is why with great honor that the University of Akron has extended extension which lie before each coach who can sign them today and have them go into effect as of tomorrow. Without further ado let me turn it over to Lance."

The crowd was rather silent at this point, Lance Anderson was one of the surprising hires by the Akron University that managed to poach a top talent coming off a poor year, going from Stanford to Akron was a stark contrast. Even so, he had made it his home, he had been one of the best working coaches that Kozlov had worked with, a consummate professional with a passion to get the best out of his players and make them into men.

"I don't have much to say, aside from that I am grateful for the opportunities afforded to me by the University of Akron and hope for even more success as the team moves forward."

With that he grabbed the pen and proceeded to sign the line and closed the folder with the contract inside of it. A calm smile on his face as he rested back in his chair. Some were surprised that Anderson stayed, after coaching one of the better defenses in the NCAA there had to of been coaching offers out there for him, but none seemed to entice the coach.

"Now is time for AJ Milwee"

The athletic director gestured to the man on the opposite side of the coach, who nodded his head simply and proceeded to sign the contract without much to say, after closing the folder he looked up to the cameras and grinned calmly,

"Go Zips!"

The athletic director proceeded to shift his attention to Kozlov, a smirk on his face as his plan seemingly came into place. Reaffirming the unity of the coaching staff whom already saw two retainers take their places once more at their positions, all that needed a signature was the head coaches extension.

Tyler looked down to the contract as he heard the words of the athletic director sweep over the conference hall.

"And now, for the man you've all been waiting for, Tyler Kozlov."

His thumb grazed the edge of the contract as he glanced up, the reporters had leaned forward in their seats, recorders going, phones out and cameras all pressed towards him.

Glancing over, Tyler offered a faint grin before looking back out.

"Ah, but first, I've been told to take questions, so.."

The group of reporters quickly began to blurt out their first thoughts on the scenarios that played out across the nation.

"What about Washington? I heard that you interviewed there last month and you looked pretty happy about things there, what went wrong?"

"Nothing went wrong with my conversations I've had. In my line of business exploring my options and establishing what best fulfills my needs is paramount to the success of my career. I love Akron and coaching for the program has been a tremendous experience, but at the same time there comes a time when you have to look out beyond your home and see what is available. What opportunities present themselves and how to better myself as a coach and as a man."

The wording quickly drew the attention of a back row reporter that quickly bellowed out.

"So does that mean you are going to Washington?"

"That would be the million dollar question now would it, I have a contract before me and as you all have likely had heard, I've been offered and interviewed for several positions across the land. Some have a few more zeroes than others. Now determining what's important for me and my success is more than an extra zero or a slightly higher digit on this piece of paper it encompasses a whole lot more. The area, the foundation, my staff.. and here I've assembled..or rather took on an incredible group that I am extremely proud to have worked with."

The reporters paused for a moment before one finally asked.

"So where are you coaching next season?"

Tyler let out a faint laugh before shaking his head at the question, finally sitting forward more in his seat, the athletic director growing somewhat pale as he watched his coach. Tyler put his hand down on the piece of paper before him before letting out the words that everyone in the room wanted to hear.

"The team that I will be coaching for next season is.."

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

What!? What!? You cant end like that! I need to know!

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Tyler Kozlov

His eyes opened as the group of reporters before him remain lurched in, his eyes adjusting to the bright lights of the room, it was jarring transition from what seemed like an eternity of his eyes closing to just being blinded by flashes of cameras and the already bright lights of the room which barred down on him. Still seated with two coaches on each side of him, the crowd waited in silence before a loud voice boomed from his side calling to order the contingent of reporters.

"Let's wrap it up, we only have a few more questions before we have to call this conference, these three men have a lot of work ahead and I want to give them every opportunity to do their jobs at the best opportunity that they can."

The voice quieted as a few reporters raised their hands immediately, noting an arm pointing out to the crowd from his side, he glanced forward, his hands resting in an arch on the table before him as he leaned forward his eyes fixating on the crowd before him as he awaited the question.

"Will the offense feature more up-tempo play this year? What are your expectations?"

There was a moment of pause as the coach tilted his head a little before letting out,

"I hate to spoil too much, but I tend to put a lot of this information into our media guides. It isn't even time for Spring training let alone putting together a proper two deep. I plan to tailor the offense with the help of my coordinator to the talent that exists on that side of the ball. If I feel an up-tempo attack is what will benefit our program to the greatest degree than I suppose that will be what I utilize, now won't it?"

The crowd didn't seem largely amused by his answer as a few reporters lowered their hands, letting their questions goto rest, it was obvious that every question wasn't about to be answered, nor would they find everything they were looking for.

Finally he tilted his hand to one of the last remaining reporters whom seemed interested in an answer, the athletic director reminding the group that this would be the final question.

"You have had tremendous success on the recruiting trail, what can you attribute that to?"

"It's really quite simple. People want to play for a winner, someone they know will give them the effort that they are putting in and more. They want to invest themselves into a place that is willing to invest into them, it's a reciprocal effort with both sides looking to get better and that's the main principle of recruiting, showcasing how you both can make eachother work better. It's not just offering them the package but showing them how it all relates and especially so to their interests."

The group grew quiet as they awaited the athletic directors closing speech and sure enough, the man stood up and stood behind his coach, his hands resting on his shoulders as he leaned over a little bit with a warm smile to the crowd.

"With that, I'll conclude this press conference. Thank you for your attendance and thank you for welcoming Tyler Kozlov, the new head coach of the Utah State Aggies as we look to claim our first ever Big 12 title."

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Conference Realignment for the upcoming season

There wasn't much realignment last season but once more the conferences suddenly were hit by a new ruling from the NCAA, one that requires every non-service school to play in a conference unless obtaining a waiver claiming hardship and working on transitioning to a new conference. No team was eligible for the waiver this offseason and as such Notre Dame and UAB has new conferences while the Conference USA and Mountain West lose Air Force, Army and Navy to the new rules as the three programs will now be independents.

The ruling was made to improve competition between the three programs and at the same time ensuring that their obligations to their service is the top factor in their time with the program. It was definitely an interesting move but one that will have some impactful changes. Navy won the Conference USA last year, Army competed and Air Force has hung around the middle of the pack of the Mountain West routinely.

The ACC will be the first conference of import and with little surprise the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be joining the conference as a full-time member. They have had a partial affiliation with the conference but with the new ruling made the leap to join the conference permanently. A welcome change that saw the conference jettison three teams in it's efforts to improve the product it puts out on the field. Virginia, Syracuse and Maryland all will be leaving the conference effective immediately as they trickle down to the mid-major conferences in hopes of rebuilding their respective programs.

Looking to the American conference, they will be the lone conference with 13 representatives as the NCAA and the league approved the movement of teams to strengthen the Northern division which was notably weaker than it's Southern counterpart. The North gained Purdue, Wake Forest (which came from the South) and Syracuse. Gaining 2 ex-ACC programs and 1 ex-B1G program will be a substantial boon for this conference and especially this division. The South wasn't short changed though, gaining Virginia. Virginia has struggled mightily in the ACC and was given the boot with their acquisition of the Fighting Irish, the ACC didn't feel keeping Virginia latched on was a necessity.

The Big 12 remained untouched and the B1G sent away one team again this season, this time it was the Purdue Boilermakers who were sent to the American conference. The Boilermakers have been a non-factor for a long time and their lone recent claim to fame has been Drew Brees. Otherwise this is a stagnant program. The B1G gained Maryland which should be a decent acquisition for the conference. Maryland has had moderate success, but the B1G has been incredibly competitive at the top, and there could be a lot of growing pains this season for the Terrapins.

The Conference USA saw some changes as well as members shifted around the various conferences but there should be steady improvement to be accounted for their new comers in Western Kentucky and Temple, Western Kentucky won the Sunbelt last season while Temple finished disappointingly a year ago in the American North. Temple should figure to do pretty well in the Conference USA while Western Kentucky fans can expect some growing pains in the inaugural season.

The Mountain West saw some changes with losing the Air Force Falcons and ended up losing the Boise State Broncos in a conference swap, the Mountain West picked up a great team and a team seeking to put itself back on the map. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane had a tremendous season last year but finished disappointingly, they hope to continue their success in a more talented conference, while Washington State can hope that the relegation will help improve their program in the long run and provide a pathway to a return to the Pacific 12.

Of course, the move that had been long expected had finally come to fruition. Boise State will call the Pacific 12 their new home, after the conference's expulsion of the less than decent Washington State Cougars, the Broncos climb up the ranks, outpacing a BYU team that wanted to remain in the Mountain West to pick up an AQ spot.

Finally, looking to the Sunbelt, the conference picked up just one team in the UAB Blazers. After losing the Hilltoppers to the Conference USA, the conference needed another team and brought on the Blazers "off than on" again football program. The Blazers have suffered in the independent bid, further disappearing off the radar as the team capsized without much funding. With a new coach and a new conference, their hopes are starting to come back to fruition.

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State? That's an interesting choice. It'd be cool to see how Kozlov does in Mormon land. Good luck!

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State? That's an interesting choice. It'd be cool to see how Kozlov does in Mormon land. Good luck!

It'll definitely be interesting, I'm taking over a pretty bad team that's in a really strong conference (B12), which will be another rebuild, but Kozlov loves those rebuild projects, especially since he got passed over for the VT job!

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State Media Guide

Part 1: Schedule and projections
Part 2: Meet the Team
Part 3: Rivalries
Part 4: The Big 12
Part 5: Traditions
Part 6: Meet the Coaches

Week 1

vs Utah Utes (P12)
Spread: +5.5
Kozlov's Pick: Opening the season with a bang we take on our rivals and while I know that expectations are incredibly hampered this season, I've always willed my boys to fight and fight is what they will continue to do so. Don't expect a flat performance in my debut, I plan to show our faithful that their faith in me is well guided and while we may endure bumps on the road, this is a team that I plan to take to a title game. Utah isn't all that great and I feel we start our season off with a bang and a victory. USU by 3

Week 2

@ Maryland Terrapins (B1G)
Spread: +5.5
Kozlov's Pick: These games aren't going to get easier and this is just another game that we are actually within a score of competing in and while we may not have talent to beat the best of the Big 12 yet, we are going to compete against teams that we can. Maryland of the B1G is definitely a beatable team, they have talent and could be a force next season but even so they are beatable with the squad we have and anything other than a tightly contested game would be a failure. I do believe we can claim a victory here to improve to 2-0 on the season. USU by 6
Week 3 Bye

Week 4

@ Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC)
Spread: +30
Kozlov's Pick: The Tide went 5-7 last year in a bad season that saw Nick Saban go from hero to the hot seat real fast. They are presently a four plus touchdown favorite heading in and as much as I'd love to lighten our odds, this will be a tough one for us and I do believe that they may be too much for us, but at the same time it depends if last year's Tide comes to play or a revitalized Tide.

Week 5 Bye

Week 6

vs Kansas Jayhawks (B12)
Spread: +3
Kozlov's Pick: This is my introduction to the Big 12, I've never coached against this conference and our first game will be a bottom feeder in Kansas. The Jayhawks actually had success the first two years of my career, but last year they flopped and expectations aren't very high for this season. We are going to pick up a crucial victory here to get us on our winning ways and our third win of the season against Kansas. Anything less would be a disappointment. USU by 7

Week 7

@ Colorado State Rams (B12)
Spread: +4.5
Kozlov's Pick: [i]Colorado State joined the Big 12 the same time the Aggies did but the Rams have been competitive while sadly this Aggies program has won two games in two years. They might've had more success than us but jumping out to a big victory here would be a true testament to the make up of this team, I do project this game to be really close as do the experts but I do see us taking this one to get out to a 4-1 record on the season as we get into the meat in our Big 12 schedule. USU by 3.

Week 8

@ Baylor Bears (B12)
Spread: +12
Kozlov's Pick: Baylor has been dominating this conference in recent history and while they struggled a little down the stretch last season, the Bears are expected to once more be a strong team in the conference. Their halfback Johnny Jefferson is a hell of a talent and their wideout KD Cannon is a NFL star, joined by Davion Hall who is already a NFL talent as well and you have a rough game. I'd love to count our chances but our secondary is young and would need to come together fast to prevent this one from getting too ugly. Baylor by 17

Week 9

vs #4 Oklahoma Sooners (B12)
Spread: +30
Kozlov's Pick: Ouch.. Where do I begin on this game? The Sooners are coming off a playoff championship loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes a year ago and this team is very hungry. Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine and KJ Young form one of if not the best QB/HB/WR tandem in all of college football, their lone weakness is at defensive tackle and even than, it's masked so well by the rest of the defense that even just attacking that weakness will only yield so much results. Sooners match the spread, win by 30.

Week 10

@ Oklahoma State Cowboys (B12)
Spread: +20
Kozlov's Pick: Mason Rudolph can put his name on the list of two or three quarterbacks that can make a real case for being one of the best in the conference. His game is terrific, a dual threat quarterback with solid top receiving options and a great halfback in Akrum Wadley will prove to be a tough duo for anyone to beat. Tight end Dawson Bassett is a gifted athlete at tight end and will pose matchup troubles. The defense is really good across the board but there is no superstars. No weaknesses either, just really good players at every spot on the field, the biggest weakness will be depth, there isn't much of it for this team. Oklahoma State by 24

Week 11

vs Kansas State Wildcats (B12)
Spread: +15.5
Kozlov's Pick: This Wildcat's squad is talented yes but there are holes that set them apart from the rest of the top of the Big 12. Their big weakness on the offensive end is the left guard whom is a true freshman this year and will need to mature a lot to not be a weakness. There isn't much depth and the ability to stop the outside rush will be a paramount key for this program and whether they do great or fall towards the bottom of the Big 12, if there is an upset on our schedule, this would be it our speed and ability to turn the corner will be key. USU by 1

Week 12

@ West Virginia Mountaineers (B12)
Spread: +8.5
Kozlov's Pick: This is a hard team to gauge, their quarterback/halfback tandem is elite, but their offensive line would've been average in the MAC, let alone playing in the Big 12. They also are just average on defense minus the injection of two stars in inside linebacker Al Rasheed Benton and safety Dravion Henry, there's some holes on the defensive end as well, their strong safety position is incredibly weak for the Big 12 and will need to mature. I'd love to call this a victory but their stars will likely will their way to a win for the Mountaineers. WVU by 7

Week 13

vs Texas Christian Horned Frogs (B12)
Spread: +15.5
Kozlov's Pick: This team is a year removed from a national title and a 14-0 record. Their struggles in their 8-5 season is their lowest point in recent history but this is a team that should be ready to post a similar return to form this season albeit in a stronger division than the opposite and may very well return to a 8-5 record. They come into this game two score favorites and for good reason. this is a team with no glaring holes at any position and has a few stars, their quarterback Sawyer and their defensive tackle Bryson Henderson are both stars and with a good supporting cast expect good things from the Frogs and a tough game for us. TCU by 14.

Week 14

vs Iowa State Cyclones (B12)
Spread: +10.5
Kozlov's Pick: The Cyclones are getting a degree of press this year due to their extremely talented two deep at the halfback position with Mike Warren and Chris James both projecting as NFL picks, their offense coupled with a good offensive line has been leading the hype for this program but the big questions marks lie on the defensive end, the line has a weakness at the right side which as the whole defense is. Alton Meeks and Kamari Cotton-Moya are studs on defense at ILB and FS respectively, but there is no depth either, if either goes out this team will be picked apart on defense by the Big 12, and I feel that this is a good opportunity to close out with a victory. USU by 3

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State Media Guide

Part 1: Schedule and projections
Part 2: Meet the Team
Part 3: Rivalries
Part 4: The Big 12
Part 5: Traditions
Part 6: Meet the Coaches

The Offense Skill Positions


Quarterbacks
Damion Hobbs (RS-SR) (284-639) 3575 PaYds 23 TD 24 INT 306 Carries 1253 RuYds 9 TD 87 OVR
George King (RS-SO) 6'0 211 73 OVR
Theo Peterson (RS-SO) 6'3 208 70 OVR

Damion Hobbs is one of the more talented quarterbacks that Kozlov has had an opportunity to work with in his young collegiate career. Hobbs is a dynamic talent that can run and pass, with a preference to the ground game that will likely see the offense rely more on a spread option style than the pass oriented spread that Kozlov had previously employed with the Zips. He has been a talent at working with what his players give him and was fairly successful with that style offense when Tommy Woodson ran it in Akron. This team will live and die by the ground game, the aerial attack is decent but it isn't going to turn many heads in the Big 12.


Halfbacks
LaJuan Hunt (SR) 356 Carries 1697 RuYds 19 TD 4 Rec 57 ReYds 1 TD 87 OVR
Kennedy Williams (RS-SR) 119 Carries 473 RuYds 3 TD 22 Rec 207 ReYds 85 OVR
Justen Harvey (RS-JR) 27 Carries 129 RuYds 1 TD 82 OVR
B.J. Lee (RS-FR) 5'8 190 LBs 65 OVR

The Halfback group is a talented group at least in the three deep with second year freshman B.J. Lee still needed more time to mature in this group. This group features no back greater than 5'9 and utilize the small backs to spread the field for this group. With a talented three deep rotation, expect Kozlov to utilize all three and rotate as often as possible to ensure that everyone is fresh and will always have a good talent on the field, none are elite but Hunt will help carry this offense this season.

Fullbacks
Keith Smith (FR) 5'11 245 65 OVR
Isaac Minor (RS-JR) 6 Carries 4 RuYds 3 Rec 31 ReYds 55 OVR
Fullbacks aren't commonly utilized in the Kozlov offense and occasionally find their way as lead blockers or in the event the halfbacks need breathers, a ram to punch a yard or two through the defense. Keith Smith is the lone true freshman starter among the "skilled" positions. He won't see the field much more than a lead blocker, but he should be a decent enough one at that.


Wide Receivers
Cedric Wright (RS-SO) 31 Rec 304 ReYds 3 TD 80 OVR
Jesse Gipson (RS-SO) 9 Rec 142 ReYds 1 TD 80 OVR
Damoun Patterson (SR) 74 Rec 820 ReYds 6 TD 80 OVR
Jonathan Mitchell (SO) 2 Rec 38 ReYds 79 OVR
Antonio Moses (RS-FR) 6'0 178 58 OVR
Clarence Brown (RS-FR) 6'3 191 51 OVR
Bobby Robertson (FR) 6'1 189 51 OVR

The Aggies had extra scholarships to spare and offered three wideouts the left over scholarships, the walk ons will likely get relegated to practice squad duties as Kozlov recruits but this top heavy unit has some room to be excited and fourth stringer Jonathan Mitchell is an absolutely blazer on the field. Expect a lot of small receiver sets to keep the unit fresh as the depth is non-existent. Damoun Patterson brings the veteran experience, but he has less yardage than Kozlov's receiver Jeff Parker last season, in his whole career. Tempers here are reserved but this is a talented young group of receivers that could come on big as their head towards their senior year. This group could be devastating in two years, or even next year.

Tight Ends
Marcus Mosely (RS-JR) 25 Rec 291 ReYds 2 TD 85 OVR
Jason Blair (RS-SR) 1 Rec 10 ReYds 74 OVR
Terrance Jackson (FR) 6'5 228 54 OVR
Terrance Jackson will take a redshirt year as a one star signing from the successor. Marcus Mosely is presently the third highest on the team for career receptions and yardage. Moseley should see some extra playtime as he is a good receiver option and will help take the pressure off the depth devoid receiving corp and Jason Blair is also a decent option, two tight end sets may come to fruition this season.

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State Media Guide

Part 1: Schedule and projections
Part 2: Meet the Team
Part 3: Rivalries
Part 4: The Big 12
Part 5: Traditions
Part 6: Meet the Coaches

The Trenches



Left Tackles
Tyshon Mosely (RS-JR) 6'5 309 LBS 77 OVR
Justin Lester (FR) 6'6 300 LBS 71 OVR
Marvin O'Neal (RS-FR) 6'2 273 LBS 53 OVR

Left Guards
Fred Beck (SO) 6'6 310 LBS 84 OVR
Tyler Burton (RS-FR) 6'5 293 LBS 64 OVR

The left side of the field sees youngster Fred Beck spearheading the line on this end, Beck is a huge talent, and will potentially be an NFL pick in the near future, but in the present he is one of the better lineman on the team and although he isn't overly experienced, expect great things from him. While Tyshon Mosley isn't a huge talent, he won't struggle against the bottom of the Big 12, but when the caliber of the competition improves expect him to be a weakness to be attacked.

Center
Earl Brown (FR) 6'3 309 LBS 65 OVR
Jamal Davis (RS-SO) 6'3 319 LBS 58 OVR

This will be the glaring hole on the offensive line, hit hard by graduation, this team didn't have much of a contingency plan in place and as such will have to start Earl Brown at least two years before he is truly ready to man the center of the line. Top defensive tackles will have field days with him and while he is a good enough talent to start, Kozlov likely would've enjoyed an opportunity to let him learn from the sidelines and work on conditioning in his early years before moving him to the front lines.

Right Guards
Brandon Taukeiaho (RS-SR) 6'4 326 LBS 89 OVR
Brandon Parks (RS-JR) 6'1 315 LBS 78 OVR
Jeff Thomas (FR) 6'7 299 LBS 56 OVR

Right Tackles
Logan Rice (SR) 6'6 236 LBS 76 OVR
Hakim Clarke (RS-SO)[/b] 6'6 307 LBS 68 OVR

The Right side has a star in Brandon Taukeiaho manning that side and he is a potential NFL pick. He is extremely strong, among the strongest in college football and has excellent speed for a lineman, expect small gains to be expanded greatly by his talent. Logan Rice brings forth solid strength but average speed at the lineman position will hamper his ability somewhat, jointly with his small size, larger defensive ends will be difficult for him to handle singlehandedly.

Left Ends
Andrew Chambers (SO) 43 Tackles 5 FL 0.5 Sacks 79 OVR
Mark Stephens (FR) 6'2 228 66 OVR
Lorenzo Pruitt (RS-FR) 6'3 236 65 OVR
Andy Tidwell (FR) 6'3 236 LBS 64 OVR

Right Ends
Adewale Adeoye (SR) 34 Tackles 1 For loss 78 OVR
Malcom Thomas (RS-SO) 6'1 268 LBS 70 OVR
Jerome Roberts (RS-FR) 6'3 273 LBS 65 OVR
David Sears (FR) 6'0 232 LBS 57 OVR

These defensive ends wont scare many teams in the Big 12. Andrew Chambers is another year from his progression to being a talent in the Big 12 while Adeoye is a slightly below to average player at best at this point in his career, neither has accounted for more than half a sack, a number that Kozlov will hope to grow substantially in this upcoming season. Sealing off the outside will be difficult against the better teams in the Big 12 with strong tackles.

Defensive Tackles
Chase Armstrong (RS-SO) 30 Tackles 1 INT 72 OVR
Jaymond Bolden (RS-SO) 2 Tackles 70 OVR
Reggie Young (RS-FR) 6'2 273 68 OVR
Joe Moore (FR) 6'1 312 63 OVR
Tom Freund (FR) 6'3 309 60 OVR

It's safe to write off this defensive line as a weakness, Armstrong much like Chambers is still a while off from being a good competitor in the Big 12, and he will not be able to get off any double teams in the center of the trenches. Armstrong at 285 is undersized for a nose guard in Kozlov's defense and will be expected to do more than may be capable, Bolden may usurp the starting position given his better physicals (6'3 319) than Armstrong. The bottom two tackles will take a redshirt year with Reggie Young serving as defensive line depth.

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State Media Guide

Part 1: Schedule and projections
Part 2: Meet the Team
Part 3: Rivalries
Part 4: The Big 12
Part 5: Traditions
Part 6: Meet the Coaches

The Defense and Special Teams



Left Outside Linebackers
Kevin Peters (SO) 97 Tackles 17 For loss 2.5 Sacks 1 FF FR 81 OVR
Jonathan Christensen (JR) 6'0 234 LBS 68 OVR

Inside Linebackers
Ian Toglai (SR) 65 Tackles 11 For Loss 2 Sacks 3 INT 1 FF 80 OVR
Chase Christiansen (RS-JR) 48 Tackles 11 For loss 1.5 Sacks 1 INT 78 OVR
Shawn Simmons (RS-FR) 6'2 236 LBS 73 OVR
Dustin Wright (RS-FR) 6'1 223 LBS 65 OVR

Right Outside Linebackers
Alex Huerta (RS-SR) 60 Tackles 23 For loss 5.5 Sacks 1 INT 1 FF 84 OVR
Dion Hall (RS-SO) 6'4 255 LBS 72 OVR
Zach Hunter (FR) 5'11 222 LBS 60 OVR

The leader of this defense lies at the outside linebacker position, with Huerta looking to be the leader of this defense. Huerta is a talented player that can hope to wreck havoc from the outside, joining him it was Kevin Peters at the opposite end. Peters is a talented youngster that is looking to blossom into a stud in the Big 12, he is a good talent now but still has room to go, with decent speed, but good burst and very strong for a linebacker, he will take the reins over next season and in the middle, Ian Toglai is in his final year at Utah State and will be a solid option up the middle but with a weak interior lineman expect him to see a lot of action near the line of scrimmage. There isn't much depth and Kozlov hasn't announced if he will run with a 3-4 or stay with the 3-3-5 just yet.



Cornerbacks
Jalen Davis (SR) 49 Tackles .5 Sacks 2 INT 83 OVR
Daniel Stewart (RS-JR) 5'9 179 LBS 75 OVR
Nate Carter (RS-FR) 6'0 167 LBS 71 OVR
Aaron Miller (FR) 6'0 198 LBS 68 OVR
Clint Anderson (RS-FR) 6'1 186 LBS 64 OVR
Ricky Lumpkin (RS-FR) 6'0 191 LBS 63 OVR

Free Safeties
Jontrell Rocquemore (RS-JR) 21 Tackles 2 For Loss 81 OVR
Aaron Wade (RS-JR) 6 Tackles 1 INT 80 OVR
Daniel Clark (RS-JR) 6'1 227 LBS 62 OVR

Strong Safeties
Keenan Harris (RS-SO) 6'3 209 LBS 75 OVR
Andrew Wynn (FR) 6'0 207 LBS 72 OVR
Jeff Fields (RS-FR) 6'0 193 LBS 55 OVR

Jalen Davis will lead a quick secondary that while not as talented as their Big 12 counterparts will be able to wreck havoc to a similar level. Why? Each player has excellent speed at the top of their position and that means excellent opportunities to make up for their good but not great skillset against superior opponents. Kozlov loves opportunistic defenses and this unit breaths that. It's unclear what unit Kozlov will roll out but if it's a 3-4, expect Aaron Wade to slide to the strong safety this season and have Keenan Harris used in relief.

Kicker
Chuck Smith (JR) 17/28 (60%) 51 LNG 81 OVR

Punter
Tony Jackson (FR) 6'0 207 65 OVR

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State Media Guide

Part 1: Schedule and projections
Part 2: Meet the Team
Part 3: Rivalries
Part 4: The Big 12
Part 5: Traditions
Part 6: Meet the Coaches


The Old Wagon Wheel with Brigham Young
(35-47-3)

The instate rivals fought eachother for this trophy since 1948. The rivalry extended before than but that was the year the Wheel was created as the trophy for the programs. The Wheel saw a lot of action through the years, with theft from the losing school common place of the trophy, although that has been largely condemned in recent years. These teams first met in 1922, with Utah State destroying Utah State 42-3. Things have changed and ultimately it was Brigham Young taking the lead, the rivalry has died down substantially since the Aggies left the Mountain West and annual meetings are common. The two teams don't meet this season.


The Beehive Boot with Utah Utes
(26-67-4)

The Beehive Boot started as a joint competition between the programs of Utah, Utah State and Weber State, but with the FBS looking to focus it's competition on it's own level, Weber State has largely been factored out of this. Utah has dominated this game through the years and expected by many to steamroll the Aggies once again this season. While Coach Kozlov preaches differently, this historic rivalry is a reference to the state's nickname as the Beehive State.


Bridgers Battle with the Wyoming Cowboys
(36-24-4)

This rivalry only gained steam recently, while the two programs have seen a lot of action between the two schools, it wasn't until the 2013 season that it was officially coined a rivalry. The name comes from a mountain man that lived between the Wyoming and Utah mountain ranges named Jim Bridger. The winner receivers the "Bridger Rifle", a Rocky Mountain Hawken Rifle, which historians believe is the rifle that Bridger used historically. The Cowboys and Aggies don't meet this season but talks are for future contests.

[K0ZZ]

Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

Utah State Media Guide

Part 1: Schedule and projections
Part 2: Meet the Team
Part 3: Rivalries
Part 4: The Big 12
Part 5: Traditions
Part 6: Meet the Coaches