Utah State QB Listed in Mountain West Preseason Top 5 Ranking

Spencer Petras comes into the 2024 season with 37 games on his resume as a signal caller.

With a career completion percentage of 56.7 and 825 attempts to his name, Petras has tossed 24 touchdowns to 19 interceptions throughout 5,199 yards.

The Utah State quarterback and newly named captain is grizzled and battle tested appearing in a conference championship and a Citrus Bowl.

So it only makes sense that the Aggies gunslinger would crack the preseason ranking of top 5 quarterbacks in the Mountain West Conference.

All the stats, accolades, appearances may have happened with the Iowa Hawkeyes and in the Big Ten conference, but the hype is still clearly there.

If you didn’t skim the whole video, the Mountain West media’s preseason top 5 QB’s looked like this:

1. Mikey Keene, Fresno State

2. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State

3. Brayden Schager, Hawai’i

4. Evan Svobada, Wyoming

5. Spencer Petras, Utah State

Spencer Petras is the only newcomer on the list as all 4 other quarterbacks were leading their respective programs by the end of 2023 and have taken regular season snaps with their programs.

The voice of Utah State, Scott Garrard, was cited in the video speaking highly of Petras and his role in Logan.

“What he brings to this team is a lot of experience, a lot of Moxy.”

“This guy can make all the throws.”

“Was in a system in Iowa that didn’t really push the ball down the field, its gonna be a complete opposite situation at Utah State.”

Garrard also alludes to how much opportunity Petras is set to receive, saying “he’s gonna have 30-35 attempts per game”.

At Iowa in 2022, Petras averaged 23.4 pass attempts a game, and only threw more than 30 or more attempts three times that year.

Petras being new to the mountains is a curious and optimistic case to follow.

After winning the starting job in spring over last year’s signal callers, Cooper Legas and McCae Hillstead, Petras will be given every chance to impress in Logan and all eyes are on him.

Regardless of excitement and anticipation for USU, The aura of uncertainty still gently looms as it does with most new scenarios.

Maybe it comes from him missing the entirety of the 2023 season with a banged up throwing arm, or the sudden unexpected forced departure of Blake Anderson who was crucial to securing Petras In the transfer portal.

Whatever the reasoning for slight hesitancy, Utah State has faith in Petras, the Mountain West themselves ranks him in the preseason top 5, and Petras himself was named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 comeback player of the year award.

Having a year off from the game has likely given Petras a new outlook and new insight on the game itself, and many in and outside of Cache Valley are hopeful it results in a big time year.

The ranking comes a day after teammate and defensive leader, Ike Larsen, was tabbed as the 2^nd best Safety and pass catcher Jalen Royals came in at #3 in the Mountain West for the preseason top 5 at their positions.