Welcome to the eleventh post in our twelve-part series reviewing each team’s signing class to date. These articles aim to provide a snapshot look at each team and lay out possible next steps once the transfer portal opens. Teams will be examined in alphabetical order. Today will look at the Aggies.
The Road So Far:
Number who signed in December: 17
Number who will enroll early: 5
Number of states represented:
7247 Composite Rankings (subject to change): 93rd
MWCConnection December Ranking: 7th
Positional Strengths: Tight
End, Linebacker
Notable signees: Jude Nelson, Brody Flores
Overall thoughts:
The Aggies have stepped up their recruiting efforts in two ways over the last two classes. For starters, they are signing bigger high school classes with Coach Mendenhall at the helm. Secondly, they are investing in in-state talent, an effort that began prior to the coaching change, but it’s nice to see it’s continued. That being said, while this class adds quality players, a better context to view this cycle is the early stages of this new philosophy and one that will be better judged by future classes.
As mentioned above, Utah was a big recruiting area for Utah State this time around. They also dipped into familiar states like California and Texas, securing some talented players in the process. But they didn’t just go to familiar territories; they also opted for lesser-recruited states like Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and Colorado, and for new ones like Virginia. Taking two players who flipped from Colorado State following their coaching change gave this class a boost as well.
The Aggies come in at the bottom half of our recruiting rankings, but a top-100 class per 247 is a sign of good things happening for the program. The roster is still in the middle of a multi-year rebuild, but investing in high school players is something that the previous coach prioritized less over the years. Now comes the development phase of the plan.
The Road Ahead:
Expected Level of Transfer Additions: High
Top Position Targets Remaining: Quarterback, Wide Receiver
Overall thoughts:
That all being said, expect the Aggies to be active in the transfer portal, just as they have been the past few seasons. They’ve already lost seven or so players to the portal, and will probably lose more when it officially opens. Needless to say, there will be key players to replace, and open spots to add new talent.
The biggest spot that needs to be filled will be the starting quarterback. Utah State was led by Bryson Barnes, who turned in an incredible 2025 season, and the offense flowed through him. The reload on skill players also seems necessary, especially at wide receiver, as they have lost their best one to the portal. In addition to all of that, their defense was lacking during the 2025 season, and upgrades at pretty much any spot on that side of the ball would be welcome before next season.
Expect the Aggies to add quite a few plug-and-play players this offseason. There are more than enough gaps to fill, but fewer than last year when Coach Mendenhall took over. If he was able to turn the program into a bowl team in one season, hopes remain high that the talent he and the other coaches can add this year will help the program take another step in 2026.
Previous Posts: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV
