Hale Motu’apuaka. Photo by Clint Allen
LOGAN – As spring ball begins for Utah State football, a lot of new faces will be seen around the practice field and in scrimmages. But for now, there’s time to review the players whose faces should be most recognized (or maybe the jerseys given how hard it is to see someone’s face through a helmet).
Here are the most experienced players on Utah State’s roster, ranked by how many Division I snaps they’ve played, the criteria to make this list being having played 1,000 snaps (Snap data has been taken from Pro Football Focus). Eight Aggies qualify for the list.
1. Hale Motu’apuaka (DT)
- 1,771 snaps (1,511 on defense, 260 on special teams)
- 36 appearances (28 starts)
- Career Stats – 82 tackles (32 solo, 50 assisted), 16.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks
The Honolulu product is in his fifth season, having gotten his first snaps all the way back in 2018, his redshirt season (appeared in only two games to preserve the redshirt). He saw spot snaps in 2019 and 2020 but became a stalwart on the defensive line in Utah State’s 2021 conference championship season. Over the last two years Motu’apuaka has recorded 61 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He’ll be a leader on and off the field for not only the defensive line, but the entire defensive unit as a whole.
2. Michael Anyanwu (CB)
- 1,641 snaps (1,250 on defense, 391 on special teams)
- 28 appearances (21 starts)
- Career Stats – 95 tackles (34 solo, 13 assisted), 2.0 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 12 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered
Anyanwu is another player who was on the 2018 roster, though he didn’t step foot on the field for what became his redshirt season. Since then, however, he’s appeared in at least five games per season and been the full-time starter at corner each of the last two seasons. Since 2021, he’s recorded 91 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, one interception and 12 passes defended. Anyanwu was graded by PFF as the second-best coverage corner on the team last year behind only Andre Grayson.
3. Wade Meacham (OL)
- 1,192 snaps (1,046 on offense, 146 on special teams)
- 36 appearances (13 starts)
Meacham made his breakthrough last year, becoming the starter at left guard after playing limited snaps for several years. He’s the only full-time starter on the offensive line coming back, but not the only O-lineman with experience as we’ll soon see just a couple of names down the list.
4. Anthony Switzer (OLB)
- 1,179 snaps (903 on defense, 276 on special teams)
- 24 appearances (15 starts)
- Career Stats – 91 tackles (58 solo, 33 assisted), 4.0 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 4 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered
Switzer is a bit unique on this list because not one of his nearly 1,200 snaps have come in a Utah State uniform. He was a highly-regarded addition to the defense last offseason, but suffered a season-ending injury. Now he’ll have his chance to make the impact everyone had hoped to see last year.
5. Cole Motes (OL)
- 1,083 snaps (1,070 on offense, 13 on special teams)
- 21 appearances (12 starts)
Motes has been a reserve tackle for multiple years, servicing as a backup that would often spell Jacob South at right tackles during games. He’s started a fair amount of games but has never been a full-time starter. That should change this season and so far it seems to as he’s taken the first-team reps at right tackles so far.
6. Falepule Alo (OL)
- 1,055 snaps (1,045 on offense, 10 special teams)
- 22 appearances (7 starts)
Much like Motes, Alo has been a reserve player on the O-line but unlike Motes all of Alo’s snaps have been on the interior offensive line. Alo has played left guard, right guard and center for the Aggies. He’ll likely take over the center spot from the graduated Chandler Dolphin. Alo could fill in at either guard spot, but given he has the most experience playing center among guys on the team, he’s likely not to move to either side of the interior O-line.
7. Dominic Tatum (CB)
- 1,037 snaps (836 on defense, 201 on special teams)
- 23 appearances (9 starts)
- Career Stats – 70 tackles (43 solo, 27 assisted), 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 6 passes defended
Most of Tatum’s snaps to this point in his career were at safety. But last year as the weeks wore on his snaps came more and more at cornerback. And with the departure of Andre Grayson and since the Aggies are relatively stacked at safety, moving Tatum to corner became an obvious choice for Anderson and his staff to make.
8. Malone Mataele (S)
- 1,030 snaps (902 on defense, 128 on special teams)
- 23 appearances (9 starts)
- Career Stats – 43 tackles (30 solo, 13 assisted) 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 5 passes defended, 1 fumbles recovered
Mataele joins Switzer as players on this list without any snaps at Utah State although for Mataele it’s because he hasn’t even had a chance yet. Switzer suffered an injury while Mataele has just joined the Aggies. His experience in the Pac-12 will be a major boon to the Aggies this season and help replace the loss of Hunter Reynolds who had previously been on the the most experienced players on the Aggie defense.