E.J. Reid Signs With St. Louis Rams

Former Utah State football player E.J. Reid has signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams after participating in their rookie minicamp over the weekend.

Reid, a 6-2, 320-pound defensive tackle from Kahuku, Hawaii, played at Utah State from 2004-06.  After being away from football for two years, Reid went to the University of Mary in Bismark, N.D., to finish his eligibility, earning all-Northern Sun accolades in 2009 with the Marauders. After playing defensive end for Mary, Reid is expected to play defensive tackle for the Rams.  Reid is expected to next participate in the Rams organized team activities (OTAs) scheduled for May 18.

With St. Louis, Reid will re-unite with former Utah State assistant coach Tom McMahon, currently the Rams special teams coordinator.  McMahon spent 11 seasons with the Aggies, including serving as Reid’s position coach in 2004-05.

McMahon spent 11 total years at Utah State, including eight as a full-time assistant.  Joining the USU staff as a graduate assistant in 1995, coaching defensive ends, McMahon was promoted to full time assistant, coaching linebackers and special teams from 1998-2000 before being named defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator from 2001-05.  McMahon left Utah State in 2005 to join the University of Louisville staff.  After coaching on the Louisville staff for one season, McMahon was with the Atlanta Falcons as assistant special teams coach from 2007-08 before joining the Rams.

McMahon’s nephew, Mike McMahon, is currently the defensive coordinator at University of Mary and also a former USU assistant coach, serving as defensive graduate assistant from 2006-07.  Mike McMahon sent his uncle a tape of Reid, prompting the Rams’ interest in the defensive lineman.

Last season at Mary, Reid posted 31 tackles (13 solo, 18 assists) and was second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and ranking third with two sacks, and added one interception.  Reid earned second-team all-NSIC North honors.

At Utah State, Reid made 54 career tackles with 29 in 2006 after posting 25 stops in 2005.  Reid made 14 career starts in 22 games as a defensive lineman, after switching from offensive lineman as a freshman in 2004, starting in four games, two at right tackle and two at right guard.  He posted 6.5 tackles for loss, including one sack, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

Full Article

Wyoming Wants a Piece of Cougars, & Their Recruiting Turf

Aside from their once-a-year meetings on the field, football coaches at Wyoming and BYU don't usually see a lot of each other. But that figures to change, now that former Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen has taken over the Wyoming program.

No, Christensen doesn't necessarily want to become best friends with BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall and his staff. The reason is because Wyoming has made it clear under Christensen that it intends to recruit the state of Utah more heavily, and that it is going after players of Pacific Island descent like never before.

"We are going to recruit the state of Utah probably more so than [Wyoming coaches] have in the past," Christensen acknowledged. "We have expanded our recruiting base drastically over the last year. We are willing to recruit everywhere and anywhere we can find a kid that fits our system and that can help us win."

The Cowboys (4-4) will have no Utahns on their roster when they take on the Cougars (6-2) Saturday (noon, the Mtn.) at War Memorial Stadium, but that will change in future meetings, coaches from both sides agree.

Jordan High lineman Billy Vavau, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound senior, committed to Wyoming earlier this season, and last year the Cowboys signed Cottonwood's Alo Moli, a defensive back who is currently on an LDS Church mission.

In the past, Wyoming coaches (and other Western States coaches) have avoided recruiting Utah not because the high school talent level is found lacking, but because the state has three Football Bowl Subdivision programs (BYU, Utah, Utah State) and two FCS programs (Weber State, Southern Utah), and beating all five programs for a local is difficult.

But when Christensen took over, one of his first hires was outside linebackers coach Mike Fanoga, a native of American Samoa who has strong ties to Pacific Islander communities in Hawaii, California, Texas, Utah and Las Vegas.

Mendenhall has noticed the difference.

"They are going after Polynesian kids," Mendenhall said. "... The comment was made [to a BYU assistant coach] that Wyoming wants to recruit the Polynesian kids that BYU is recruiting or [players] that they can beat BYU with on the field. So clearly, they are after an improved program, a conference championship, and to play at a very high level. To do that, they probably think they have to improve their recruiting base or talent level."

Mendenhall and BYU recruiting coordinator Paul Tidwell both said they have a lot of respect for Fanoga and his reputation as both a coach and a recruiter. Wyoming's media guide lists Arizona, Hawaii and Utah as Fanoga's recruiting areas.

"I am sure that's one of the reasons for [Christensen] hiring him, because of his Polynesian ancestry," Tidwell said. "But it is also because he is dang good defensive line coach."

Tidwell said Wyoming isn't the only school just now discovering Utah high school talent and Polynesian talent.

Polynesians "are good athletes, and I think we are going to see more and more of them playing Division I football," Tidwell said.

BYU running back Harvey Unga, a Polynesian, said he is "thrilled" to see more schools recruiting players from the Pacific islands.

"I am happy that a lot more Polynesian kids are getting opportunities to go play at different colleges, to get out there and show what they can do," he said. "To go to college and get an education is awesome, as they will find out. So I am proud of those guys."

Full Article

Aggies Get One More Commit

Less than 24 hours after securing a verbal commitment from Jordan quarterback Alex Hart, Utah State’s football team received another pledge.

Pleasant Grove tight end/defensive end Jason Fanaika verbally committed to the Aggies on Tuesday night.

“I just felt more comfortable there with everything that’s happening and coach (Gary) Andersen turning their program around,” Fanaika said. “I like the offensive coordinator (Dave Baldwin), he’s a really good guy.”

Andersen and his staff now have seven in-state recruits already committed for the 2010 signing class.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Fanaika is following in his teammate’s footsteps. This past summer, Pleasant Grove offensive lineman Bryce Walker verbally committed to Andersen and the Aggies.

“He’s a big reason why I committed,” Fanaika said of Walker. “... He’s been going up to all the home games and he’s been telling me that it’s looking good up there and the program looks more aggressive, like everything’s been turned around.

“He told me the atmosphere is so different than anywhere he’s been, so I want to go up there and try to help the team get to the promised land like coach Andersen has been talking about.”

Similar to what he’s doing at Pleasant Grove — on both sides of the ball.

Fanaika has caught 15 passes for 238 yards and five touchdowns for the 7-1 Vikings. Defensively, he’s recorded 14 tackles and four sacks.

Pleasant Grove, which won its first seven games before falling to Lone Peak last week, concludes the regular season Friday against Alta.

“We’re doing good,” Fanaika said. “Our coaches are doing a good job, our team’s just been getting the job done. We’ve got a big game this week.”

Fanaika, whose cousin went to USU, was also offered by Utah. He had been talking to BYU, as well.

Fanaika, who is a member of the LDS Church, said he’s undecided on serving a mission.

Full Article