Aggies safeties have been a pleasant surprise this season

LOGAN — Where would the Aggies' defense be without their safeties?

As a group that came into the season with relatively low expectations as a position unit, the safeties have impressed so far. Certainly, Ike Larsen came into 2023 with a lot of preseason hype, but the group, as a whole, was relatively unproven.

Simeon Harris, a sophomore, transferred from Colorado, where he recorded 20 total tackles and no other stats; sophomore Devin Dye transferred from a junior college in California; and Anthony Switzer added some experience as a junior that has played since 2019, but he was still relatively unproven.

Switzer's first three years were played at Arkansas State. Last year, his first at Utah State, he was injured for the entirety of the season. Even Larsen had relatively few years of experience under his belt.

But this season, the safeties stepped up to the challenge on a defense that had previously struggled to have an impact on the game.

If Switzer is included as a safety (more on that in a minute), four of the top six leaders in tackling for Utah State are safeties. While it might be believed the defensive line and linebacker units, who have been greatly struck by attrition this season, might need to step up, it attests to the fact that the Aggies' safeties have been pretty impressive.

Larsen leads the unit and is third on the team in total tackles with 36, in addition to his three passes defended, an interception, a forced fumble, two blocked kicks, and one defensive touchdown.

"The crazy part is he's only just a sophomore, he's scratching the surface … the sky's the limit, I think, for him," said safeties coach Ethan Morriss, who is in his first year as a coach.

Larsen, as seen last week against Connecticut with his game-winning block on a PAT, brings something "special" to the table, according to Morriss.

His play on special teams also showed just how versatile the safeties group can be, who virtually all play in that aspect of the game, as well.

"Basically, every one of them has started on multiple special teams (units). We ask a lot of that group to be really versatile," head coach Blake Anderson said. Morriss agreed with Anderson, saying that Dye, Larsen and Harris can play two to three different positions on defense.

One of the greatest examples of the position group's versatility, though, is the midseason position switch for Switzer from safety to linebacker.

"We're trying to get the best players on the field, at all times," Larsen said. "So (Switzer) moving to linebacker, I mean, it just helped our defense a lot more."

The switch came before the mid-september game against James Madison. Switzer said he's only had a number of hours to practice the position before playing in the game, but that switch has allowed other safeties, like Dye, to see more playing time. Dye has had an interception in each of the last two games.

Anderson said that what the safeties are able to do in terms of coverage is "extremely impactful," and though they are put under great stress from their team and coaches, they are "playing better each week."

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