Utah State football: Aggies land Cache Valley duo

Gary Andersen's mission to put the "state" back in Utah State has begun.

In addition to securing a verbal commitment from Logan High quarterback Jeff Manning, Andersen also got a promise from Sky View defensive lineman Eric Berntson to join the Aggies.

Berntson's high school coach, Craig Anhder, told the Deseret News his all-state defensive end is impressed with the enthusiasm Andersen brings to USU and wants to be a part of that.

"First of all," Anhder said, "coach Andersen brings a lot of excitement to the program. Eric has been an Aggie fan pretty much all his life, and he's excited about the direction he sees things going."

At Sky View, Berntson was named the Region 5 defensive player of the year after recording 94 tackles and 19.5 sacks. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder also plays basketball for the Bobcats.

Manning is the latest in a long line of prolific passers from Logan High. Ranked as the No. 46 high school quarterback in the nation by scout.com, Manning passed for 3,180 yards and 42 touchdowns for the Grizzlies as a senior. He also rushed for 821 yards and another 12 touchdowns.

His career totals of 5,460 passing yards, 71 passing touchdowns, 1,311 rushing yards and 22 scores on the ground leave him as one of the top high school quarterbacks in state history.

He also has an understanding of the spread offense Andersen hopes to use at USU. The 6-foot-4 passer said he intends to serve an LDS mission before enrolling at Utah State. He should suit up for the Aggies prior to the 2011 season.

In addition to the two Cache Valley products, Andersen has received verbal commitments from the Salt Lake Valley as well.

Jordan High center Tyler Larsen pledged to join the Aggies, Beetdiggers coach Alex Jacobson told the Deseret News.

"He's a great kid and a perfect fit for Utah State," Jacobson said of the 6-4, 270-pound center who made the transition to that position after two years playing elsewhere on the line. "This is a great opportunity for him."

Joining Larsen will be West Jordan defensive lineman DJ Tialavea. The 6-5, 270-pounder was a four-year starter for the Jaguars, and his high school coach said the new USU coaching wasted no time in recruiting him.

"The old staff had been in contact with him for a while," West Jordan coach Mike Morgan said. Newly hired USU assistant coach Chad Kauha'aha'a "made contact with him, I think, maybe within a day of getting the job. They were really aggressive."

Tialavea, Morgan said, will make a great addition to Andersen's team.