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LOGAN — For the first time, Kent Myers knows that it's his time.
At this time last year, Myers was getting snaps at wide receiver. After all, Chuckie Keeton would be the Aggies' starting quarterback again, and they might as well use Myers' athleticism somewhere, right? And Myers played receiver in high school before switching to quarterback.
Well, for the second consecutive season, Myers had to step up back into the starting quarterback role. And for the second consecutive season, Myers played well. Myers put up a 151.6 quarterback rating last season, throwing for 1,593 yards and throwing for 16 touchdowns while only throwing three interceptions. Like Keeton, he proved a versatile dual threat as well. Myers ran for 354 yards, scoring three touchdowns using his feet.
Myers is a generally conservative quarterback. With a 200-312 career passing rate, his .629 completion percentage ranks second all-time in school history. Scout.com wrote nice things about his game, saying "Myers' strengths are his ability to extend a play with his feet and being able to throw on the run, as well as his confident and fierce competitive nature."
But as head coach Matt Wells pointed out, sometimes the consistency wasn't there. For example, in the conference opener, Myers ran for a USU-record 191 yards and a touchdown. During the Aggies' upset of the Boise State Broncos, Myers went 17-24, throwing three touchdowns and running for one. But during the next week's loss against San Diego State, Myers only completed eight passes on 19 attempts, running for just 22 yards. It's that up and down that needs to be ironed out for Utah State to see sustained success in the Mountain West this season.
But coming into his junior year, Myers says he's more ready than ever. He told the Deseret News, "This is my third year running this offense. I'm a senior, it feels like." He knows that the Aggies have undergone some significant turnover coming into 2016, and his unexpected turns as starting quarterback mean he's, surprisingly, a natural leader.
Myers, barring a complete surprise in the Aggies' fall camp, will be the starter at quarterback this season. And that security could make all the difference. If Myers can find consistent confidence in his role and take that next step, the Aggies could find themselves starting every snap with one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the conference.
