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LOGAN — Jason Shelley's time at Utah State University has come to an end.
The graduate transfer from Utah has been dismissed from the Aggies' football team for a "violation of team rules," interim head coach Frank Maile announced Sunday night, after just four games of the 2020 season.
Shelley, a 5-foot-11, 190-pounder from Frisco, Texas, started each of the Aggies' first four games of the season, completing 51.5% of his passes for 420 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions for a Utah State squad that ranks near the bottom of the Mountain West in several offensive categories. The Aggies are 0-4 before Thursday night's road game at rival Wyoming.
Statistically, Shelley had been one of the worst quarterbacks in the country, ranking near the bottom of the FBS in just about every individual passing metric.
In Utah State's most recent defeat, a 35-16 loss to Fresno State, Shelley was 9-of-24 for 144 yards. The offense produced just one touchdown and that came on an 86-yard run from Jaylen Warren. In the second half, Shelley was visibly frustrated on the sideline as the offense failed to have any type of success.
"Because of the situation we were in, Jason was gonna be the guy to finish the game off," Maile said following the game. "That's always something we take into consideration — switching out the quarterback —but due to the situation, we're in right now. We stuck with Jason Shelley."
Andrew Peasley, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore from La Grande, Oregon, has been Shelley's backup all season, appeared in each game heading into the Fresno State. Peasley, though, was not available on Saturday — meaning former Orem High standout Cooper Legas, a redshirt freshman was serving as the backup quarterback. Legas has yet to play in a collegiate game. That was likely the "situation" Maile was referring to. The Aggies stuck with Shelley because they were lacking other options.
With Sunday's news, they'll be forced to make due if Peasley is unavailable again for Thursday's game at Wyoming. Legas will likely start if Peasley can't go.
A junior, Shelley will be eligible to play two more seasons, thanks to the NCAA's recent ruling to award all Division I student-athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The junior transferred to Utah State with two seasons of eligibility from Utah, where he redshirted in 2017 and played in 19 games from 2018-19, including five starts. He was named the Aggies' starting quarterback on Oct. 19 ahead of the team's season opener, beating out Peasley in what then-coach Gary Andersen called a "back-and-forth battle." The dismissal comes after a week after Andersen, Shelley's one-time assistant coach at Utah, was fired by the Aggies.
The Aggies play at Wyoming on Thursday, Nov. 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.
