Utah State Aggies
2020 NFL Draft Prospects
Gerold Bright, RB
Career Snapshot: First-year starter who was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West, carried 182 times for 921 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 35 passes for 230 yards and one TD as a senior in 2019. Rushed 141 times for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns and made 22 catches for 232 yards and three TDs as a junior.
Positives: Quick ball carrier with the ability to create yardage. Runs with good lean, bounces around piles and quickly gets through the running lanes. Consistently runs north and south, displays a burst of speed and runs behind his pads. Plays faster than his 40 time. Terrific pass catcher who nicely adjusts to the errant throw and snatches the ball away from his frame.
Negatives: Does not possess great vision and often runs right into piles or defenders. Lacks size and gets easily brought down at the point of attack.
Analysis: Bright is a creative running back and was effective both as a ball carrier and as a receiver. He projects as a third-down back at the next level, but he lacks great upside.
Dominik Eberle, PK
Career Snapshot: Three-year starter who earned First Team All-Mountain West honors as a senior and as a sophomore. Made 21 of 24 field goals and all 45 extra points and kicked 37 touchbacks on 75 kickoffs in 2019. Named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West, made 22 of 28 field goals and all 75 extra points and led the conference with 69 touchbacks on 108 kickoffs as a junior. Made 18 of 24 field goals and all 47 extra points and booted 38 touchbacks on 73 kickoffs in 2017.
Positives: Accurate field-goal kicker who holds six school records at Utah State. Gets lift on kicks, displays himself as a solid bad-weather kicker and shows a strong field-goal leg. Knocks field goals through the pipes consistently from long distance. Gets solid hang time on kickoffs.
Negatives: Stronger field-goal kicker than kickoff man. Cannot consistently drive his kickoffs through the opponent’s end zone. Field goals tend to travel a bit left and right rather than down the middle.
Analysis: Eberle was a consistent kicker at Utah State and has shown himself to be accurate enough to get consideration in camp this summer.
Tipa Galea’i, OLB
Career Snapshot: Transfer from TCU who started and earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors in both of his seasons at Utah State. Made 55 tackles (nine for loss) with five sacks as a senior in 2019. Made 64 tackles (14 for loss) with 10.5 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and three pass breakups as a junior.
Positives: Athletic pass rusher who could be used out of a three-point stance or standing over tackle. Flexible, plays with great pad level and knee bend and keeps his feet moving. Explosive, rarely off his feet and easily bends off the edge. Consistently gets leverage on opponents, quickly changes direction and pursues from the back side with speed. Plays to his 40 time. Strong for his size and can be tough to stop. Covers a lot of area on the field.
Negatives: Off-field issues resulted in a departure from TCU. Lacks great bulk and gets easily outpositioned from the action. Average instincts.
Analysis: Galea’i is an athletic pass rusher who is best suited as a 3-4 outside linebacker and can occasionally line up at defensive end on passing downs. He offers upside, but he may not be able to develop into more than a pass-rush specialist who is solely sent up the field.
Fua Leilua, DT
Career Snapshot: Transfer from Oklahoma State who started both his seasons at Utah State. Named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West and made 38 tackles (5.5 for loss) with 1.5 sacks as a junior in 2018. Missed most of the 2019 season after he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Positives: Explosive three-technique tackle who plays with a tough, aggressive attitude. Bends his knees, plays with terrific pad level and goes hard. Fires off the snap with a quick first step and quickly closes to the action.
Negatives: Easily knocked from his angle of attack and taken from the action by the initial block despite his size. Played in just a single game last season after he suffered a Lisfranc injury.
Analysis: Leilua is a nice-sized defensive tackle with surprising athleticism, and he could get consideration at the three-technique spot if he’s able to return from injury.
Jordan Love, QB
Career Snapshot: Three-year starter who earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors and completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns with six interceptions as a sophomore in 2018. Named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West and completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,402 yards and 20 touchdowns with 17 interceptions as a junior. Arrested for marijuana possession in December 2019.
Positives: Athletic passer with a strong arm who displays bigtime NFL potential. Patient, goes through progressions and passes the ball to secondary targets. Throws the ball with an over-the-top delivery, airs out deep passes and gets throws through tight windows. Flashes the ability to precisely place passes into receivers’ hands and keep the ball away from defenders. Effectively sets up screen throws and puts touch on passes when necessary. Athletic and easily picks up yardage with his legs. Runs only as a last resort.
Negatives: Slow to set up in the pocket and does not react well to pressure. Makes poor choices and puts the ball up for grabs on occasion. Must improve his ball security. Inconsistent with his accuracy. Passes can be all over the place at times.
Analysis: Love looked like a franchise quarterback after the 2018 season, but he watched his game take a step back last year. He pressed and tried to take too much on his shoulders throughout the 2019 season, which ended up in disaster. Love had a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl, tested well at the combine and comes with great upside, but he will need to be properly coached and developed.
Siaosi Mariner, WR
Positives: Surehanded receiver who comes off a tremendous senior campaign. Quickly releases off the line, sells routes and comes back to the ball. On the same page as his quarterback, extends his hands and snatches the ball away from his frame. Displays solid hand-eye coordination.
Negatives: One-speed wideout who lacks a second gear. Minimally productive until last season.
Analysis: Mariner is a solid possession receiver with a good feel for the game who could make a roster as a fifth wideout.
Caleb Repp, TE
Career Snapshot: Transfer from Utah who started his lone season at Utah State. Named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West and caught 36 passes for 455 yards and four touchdowns as a senior in 2019. Started six games as a true freshman with the Utes.
Positives: College tight end who will also get consideration at receiver in the NFL. Agile, displays good route discipline and quickly gets in and out of breaks. Uses his frame to shield away defenders, nicely adjusts to the errant throw and extends to make the reception away from his frame. Displays terrific short-area quickness and has a burst. Stays square and gives effort as a blocker.
Negatives: More of a ‘tweener, as he lacks tight-end size and receiver speed. Must learn to block with better leverage. Possesses average strength at the point of attack.
Analysis: Repp played multiple positions before he found success at tight end last season. He’s a solid football player who lacks the speed for receiver, but he could find a home as a move tight end in the NFL.
David Woodward, OLB
Career Snapshot: Two-year starter who earned Third Team All-America honors, led the Mountain West with 134 tackles and added 12.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles as a sophomore in 2018. Earned First Team All-Mountain West honors and made 93 tackles (five for loss) with two sacks in seven starts as a junior before an injury sidelined him the rest of the season.
Positives: Tough, instinctive linebacker with average upside. Quick to read and diagnose, remains disciplined with assignments and does not bite on ball fakes. Gets depth on pass drops, flies around the action and works to make positive plays. Flows well laterally, stacks well against the run and wraps up tackling. Intense and gives great effort. Quick to the action and nicely redirects to the ball carrier.
Negatives: Does not show a great closing burst of speed. Minimally effective in pursuit. Cannot cut off the corners from ball carriers. Tested poorly at the combine.
Analysis: Woodward is a tough, instinctive linebacker with average size and athleticism. He’s a two-down defender who can also play in zone coverage.
Wyoming Cowboys
2020 NFL Draft Prospects
Cassh Maluia, OLB
Career Snapshot: Three-year starter who was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West and made 61 tackles (seven for loss) with two interceptions as a senior in 2019. Made 74 tackles (3.5 for loss) with one interception and three pass breakups as a sophomore. Suspended one game in 2018 after an offseason arrest for driving under the influence.
Positives: Intense defender who chases around the field and sells out to make plays. Flows well laterally, uses his hands to protect himself and plays fierce, nasty football. Violent hitter who goes after opponents. Forceful up the field on the blitz and gets depth on pass drops.
Negatives: Gets caught up the field and in the trash. Stiff and possesses average quickness and speed. Struggles in coverage.
Analysis: Maluia was a solid college linebacker who lacks the size and speed for the next level. His intensity is infectious and could help him catch on as a special-teams player.
Logan Wilson, ILB
Career Snapshot: Four-year starter who earned First Team All-Mountain West honors and made 105 tackles (8.5 for loss) with four interceptions and seven pass breakups as a senior in 2019. Named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and made 94 tackles (7.5 for loss) with three sacks, three interceptions and four pass breakups in 2016. Totaled over 400 tackles, 35 tackles for loss and 10 interceptions during his Wyoming career.
Positives: Smart, intense defender with a three-down game. Patient, instinctive and quickly reads and diagnoses the action. Breaks down well, displays good change-of-direction skills and attacks ball carriers. Possesses a nice build, effectively plays the run and wraps up tackling. Plays heads-up football and always looks to get involved in the action. Sells out to make plays and sacrifices his body to make the stop. Unfolds plays before they happen. Rarely off his feet, takes good angles and covers a good amount of area on the field.
Negatives: Really better up the field or sideline to sideline than in reverse. Stiff.
Analysis: Wilson is a hard-charging linebacker who stands out against the run and shows some ability in zone coverage. He offers scheme versatility and could eventually develop into a starter at the next level.