Utah State Depth Chart Preview: Receivers

Utah State’s Fall camp is in full swing as the Aggies prepare for the 2025 season with their season opener against UTEP less than a month out. There are still some questions about the depth chart, especially at receiver and at offensive line, but there are other position groups where the starters are clearer. So, who are the predicted starters and who are the backups that could make a difference and potentially see the field? Let’s get into it!

This article in the series will cover the receiver room.

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Receivers

X Starter: Corey Thompson Jr. (Senior): Corey Thompson Jr. spent two years at UNLV from 2023-2024, appearing in 21 games (7 starts) and catching eight passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. In 2024, Corey Thompson Jr. appeared in 13 games with three starts, catching four passes for 60 yards. Part of the reason that Corey Thompson Jr. was not able to build on his numbers was because of the several skilled receivers that were on the roster for UNLV. While currently battling a shoulder injury, Corey Thompson Jr. should be near a starting role if he can get healthy.

Z Starter: Demick Starling (Senior): This is the third school for Demick Starling, who was at Virginia from 2020-2023, Western Kentucky for 2024, and now Utah State for 2025. At Virginia, Starling appeared in 28 games with four starts and caught 11 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, also contributing on kickoff with 306 yards. At Western Kentucky, Demick Starling appeared in eight games and caught three passes for 56 yards and no touchdowns. Utah State is the third school for Demick Starling and the last opportunity he has to make a name for himself.

H Starter: Brady Boyd (Senior): Brady Boyd has also been to three different schools in Minnesota, Texas Tech, and Utah State. At Minnesota (2021), Boyd appeared in nine games and caught two passes for 18 yards. At Texas Tech (2022-2024), Boyd appeared in 26 games and had three starts, catching 19 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown. During the 2024 season, Boyd played in 11 games and had one catch for seven yards. This is a Utah State receivers room that lost a lot of production, so there is room for Brady Boyd to step up and make some plays.

Tight End Starter: Broc Lane (Graduate Student): Broc Lane has been with the Aggies since the COVID season in 2020. During his first season, he appeared in six games had finished the 2020 season with two receptions for nine yards. Broc Lane redshirted the 2021 season due to injury but returned for his redshirt freshman season in 2022, where he played in nine games and finished the season with six receptions and a touchdown. During his sophomore season in 2023, Broc Lane started 10 of the 11 games he played in and finished the year with 21 receptions for 208 yards and a touchdown. Last season as a junior, Broc Lane started six of the seven games he played in before missing the rest of the season due to injury. He finished the season with 19 catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns. If he can stay healthy, Broc Lane will have a major impact on this team.

Tight End Backup #1: Josh Sterzer (Graduate Student): Josh Sterzer, like Broc Lane, came to Utah State during the 2020 season, appearing in two games. In 2021, Sterzer played in 13 games and had four receptions for 21 yards. During his sophomore season in 2022, Josh Sterzer started 11 of his 12 games that he played in, and throughout the season, he had 11 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. Josh Sterzer redshirted the 2023 season, playing in the final five games of the season due to injury. During his redshirt junior season in 2024, Josh Sterzer appeared in 11 games with six starts and finished the year with 20 receptions for 202 yards and four touchdowns.

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Tight End Backup #2: Chase Tuatagaloa (Junior): Chase Tuatagaloa came to Utah State in 2022, redshirting the season and not appearing in any games. During his redshirt freshman season in 2023, Tuatagaloa appeared in five games and did not record any stats. During his sophomore season in 2024, Tuatagaloa appeared in six games, mostly on special teams, and did not record any stats. A three-star recruit out of Utah (247Sports), Tuatagaloa played for Orem (Utah) High School in 2019 and played for Bingham High School before transferring to Orem. Chase Tuatagaloa played quarterback in high school, and while he may not see much playing time this season, he could be an important player in the position group next season.

Who are some of the other players in competition?

Carlos Orr-Gillespie (Redshirt Freshman): Carlos Orr-Gillespie is a three-star recruit who went to high school at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School in Etowah, Tennessee. During his senior season, he accumulated 730 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, surpassing his junior year total of 1,035 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Carlos Orr-Gillespie redshirted the 2024 season and is preparing to contribute to the receiver room.

Braden Pegan (Junior): Braden Pegan spent the last few seasons at UCLA (2022-2024) and appeared in 13 games with one start. With the Bruins, Pegan caught one pass for seven yards against Cal in 2023, and Pegan also started in the LA Bowl against Boise State. Pegan had a lot of success in high school, grabbing 72 receptions for 971 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Kahanu Davis (Redshirt Senior): Kahanu Davis came to Utah State in 2023 as a redshirt junior and had two receptions for 14 yards against Iowa in his only start of the year. During the 2024 season, Davis appeared in eight games as the team’s punt returner as he returned 12 punts for 96 yards. At Southwestern College, Kahanu Davis caught 25 passes for 498 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore and played quarterback during the last four games of his freshman year in addition to rushing for 71 yards on 33 carries and had 11 receptions for 85 yards. Davis brings experience that could be useful this season.

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Jackson Olsen (Sophomore): Jackson Olsen, a three-star recruit out of the state of Utah, caught 25 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns before injury his senior season. During his junior season, Olsen had 63 receptions for 1,125 yards and 23 touchdowns and returned four kickoffs for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Olsen could turn into a key returner on special teams for Utah State as well. Jackson Olsen redshirted the 2023 season with the Aggies and, in 2024, made his debut against Hawaii and also played against San Diego State, recording no statistics.

Ty Olsen (True Freshman): Ty Olsen, according to 247Sports, is a three-star recruit out of San Diego who spent his senior season at Lincoln High School and caught 53 passes for 903 yards and 12 touchdowns. Before Lincoln High School, Olsen played at Del Norte High School for three years and, as a junior, had 74 catches for 1,262 yards and 15 touchdowns. As a sophomore, Olsen caught 74 passes for 1,296 yards and 16 touchdowns, and as a freshman, he caught 38 passes for 658 yards and eight touchdowns. Ty Olsen had a very successful high school career and will look to make an immediate impact for the Aggies.

Cade Baker (Redshirt Sophomore): Cade Baker comes out of Lone Peak High in Highland, Utah, and spent his redshirt freshman season at Saddleback College in California, appearing in two games before injury kept him out for the rest of the year. Before injury, Baker caught five passes for 53 yards and one touchdown in 2024. Cade Baker did not play during the 2023 season, redshirting at Golden West College in California and Utah after serving his two-year LDS mission.