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LOGAN — One of the Aggies' most anticipated offensive weapons this season has not disappointed.
Terrell Vaughn, a transfer last season from Ventura Junior College in California, has created a lot of production for the Aggies this season. Through the first four games, the slot receiver is tied for first in the nation in touchdown receptions (6) and is second in the nation in receptions (38).
"It's pretty neat to play with a guy like that," teammate Micah Davis said, while also complimenting Vaughn's intellect on the football field. Jalen Royals, who plays alongside Davis and Vaughn, said he learns from Vaughn every day.
The Aggies have completed 101 passes over the course of the four games, meaning Vaughn's 38 receptions have accounted for nearly 38% of all the Aggies' completions this season. Royals has the second-most receptions on the team with 19, which is half of Vaughn's.
Vaughn's comparatively high number of targets was not always intentional, according to Aggies wide receiver coach and co-offensive coordinator Kyle Cefalo. But Vaughn has become a proven playmaker for the Aggies, and now the coaching staff works to get the ball into his hands. While much of it remains organic, Vaughn's ability to make something happen changes the game.
"Terrell is that guy that did it last year, and now he's done it all offseason and he's doing it now," Cefalo said. "The quarterbacks have a lot of confidence in him too. … They know if they get it near him, he's going to make the play for them."
Vaughn said after his performance against James Madison Saturday — 10 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns — that he has promised his quarterbacks that if they get the ball to him, he's "got their back no matter what." That was evident when he caught a touchdown pass over two James Madison defenders in the back of the end zone Saturday.
Part of Vaughn's success, however, has come from the progression and development of the Utah State wide receiver unit as a whole.
Royals explained that Vaughn's playmaking ability forces defenders to focus in on him during the game, which leaves other receivers open down the field. Sometimes those defenders overcompensate for the wideout threat and leave Vaughn open in the slot, creating a symbiotic relationship.
Utah State head coach Blake Anderson said the Aggies felt a little "handcuffed" at the wide receiver position last year because of their lack of depth; now, after adding transfers Davis and Colby Bowman over the offseason, in addition to the growth from Royals, Anderson feels his team has more versatility.
Both Royals and Davis have already had productive seasons and have accounted for a combined 29 receptions and 432 yards. Anderson praised the two, saying Davis has made some of the best catches they've had at Utah State "in a very long time," while adding that Bowman is "starting to show up."
Now, with McCae Hillstead at the helm of the offense at quarterback — he managed a season-high 402 passing yards last week — the Aggies' receivers may have a chance to exceed the production they have already seen in the first four games of the season.
The group's next test comes at the University of Connecticut Saturday (10 a.m. MDT, CBSSN).
