As a reader and fan of college sports, you may know as a reader that the summer can often be devoid of content, especially in May, June, and the first half of July until Media Days. Each year, the writing staff at the Mountain West Connection does a weekly summer series to help fill those gaps in content. Last year featured our 25th Anniversary teams, in accordance with the 25th anniversary of the Mountain West conference. This year, we will unveil our Mount Rushmore Series.

It is common for people on social media to debate which players on the “Mount Rushmore” for a certain school. For those not familiar with the term, the idea that it is a list of the four most prominent players of all time for a program.

This summer, our team of writers will take up the challenge of identifying who is on their school’s Mount Rushmore. Each post will feature a Mount Rushmore for football and another one for basketball, because why not? Writers will have to explain why they are choosing those players and make difficult choices between tremendous single seasons vs careers, old-time legends or modern stars.

Look for a new post every week from May 29 through August.

This week: Utah State

Football Mount Rushmore

1. Merlin Olsen, Defensive Tackle (1959-1961)

The number one person for football on this list is the one with a field named after him, legendary defensive tackle Merlin Olsen. Olsen was a three-time All-American and played for the Aggies from 1959-1961. During his time at Utah State, Olsen won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s outstanding interior lineman in 1961 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. Olsen played 15 seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and was named to the Pro Bowl 14 times, which at the time was an NFL record. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1962 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Olsen was the first Utah State player to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft and during his time in the NFL won the Bert Bell Award as the NFL Player of the Year.

During his senior season at Utah State, Olsen led the Aggies’ defense that gave up an average of 50.8 rushing yards per game, leading the nation, and Utah State finished 10th in the AP poll for the only time in school history. Olsen also set a legacy off the field, serving as the president of the Honor Society and graduating with a 3.67 GPA and a Bachelor’s degree in finance in 1962.

2. Bobby Wagner, Linebacker (2008-2011)

Bobby Wagner had a significant career with Utah State from 2008 – 2011 and was an immediate impact player for the Aggies. In 2008, Bobby Wagner played in 11 games and registered 51 total tackles. During this season, he also registered two tackles for loss and two pass deflections. During his Sophomore season in 2009, Wagner doubled the number of tackles that he made in 2008, making 114 total tackles and registering seven tackles per loss and two interceptions. In 2010, Bobby Wagner made even more tackles, 133 total, and made eight tackles for loss. Wagner also made his first sack of his career, making half a sack. In 2011, his senior season with Utah State, Bobby Wagner put up incredible numbers, making 147 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss, while registering four sacks at linebacker. In addition, Bobby Wagner had two interceptions for an average of 9.5 yards.

In his career at Utah State, Bobby Wagner earned several notable honors including first team all conference honoree (3 times), tying the school record for career tackles (446) and was also named as the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 along with being recognized as the Most Valuable Player in the 2012 Senior Bowl. Wagner would be picked in the 2nd round as the 47th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks. In the NFL, Wagner has also made several accomplishments, being named to the All-Rookie team in 2012 and being invited to the Pro Bowl 10 times, in addition to being named first-team All-Pro 6 times and second-team All-Pro 5 times. In his NFL career, Bobby Wagner has made 1,838 tackles, 35 sacks, 72 pass deflections, 13 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, and four defensive touchdowns and has set a legacy for Utah State football. He is still an active NFL player for the Washington Commanders.

3. Jordan Love, Quarterback (2017-2019)

The only quarterback to make it onto the top four football players on this list, it was a close call between Chuckie Keeton and Jordan Love. The reason that Jordan Love stands at #3 is because he beat Keeton’s record and is a starting quarterback in the NFL for the Packers. Throughout his career, Love was also able to stay on the field more than Keeton, as Love managed to stay healthier. Jordan Love began his freshman year at Utah State in 201,7 and throughout his Utah State career, Love played 38 games for the Aggies.

In 2017, Jordan Love attempted 235 passes and completed 129 passes (54.9%), passing for 1631 yards and eight touchdowns to six interceptions, averaging 135.9 yards a game. In 2018, as a sophomore, Love had a breakout season. In 13 games, Jordan Love led Utah State to an 11-2 (7-1) record, and the Aggies fell one game short of the Mountain West Championship gam,e which would have been against Fresno State. During the 2018 season, Jordan Love completed 267 of his 417 attempted passes (64%) and passed for 3567 yards and 32 touchdowns to six interceptions, averaging 158.3 yards per game. This was one of the more successful seasons that Utah State has seen in school history, and it included wins over Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, and a win over North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl in addition to a close season-opening loss to Michigan State, 38-31.

In 2019, Jordan Love’s junior season, Utah State went 7-6 and struggled to find standout receivers that could help carry the load. Entering the Boise State game near the end of the year, Utah State was 6-4 (5-1) and had a chance to stay near the top of the conference standings. Utah State exited the Boise State game with a 56-21 loss, where the Utah State leading receiver had just 44 yards while Jordan Love passed for 229 yards. After the completion of his junior season, Jordan Love entered the NFL Draft and was selected as the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

During the 2019 season, Jordan Love earned All-Mountain West honors and was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week five times, and holds the single-season record for most passing yards (3567) and also threw the most touchdowns in a single season for the Aggies (32). In his career, Love had 9,003 offensive yards and has the most 300-yard passing games in school history with 12. As a now successful NFL quarterback, Jordan Love has cemented a very strong legacy for Utah State football.

4. Robert Turbin, Running Back (2007 – 2011)

Robert Turbin played for Utah State from 2007 and 2011. In the 2007 season, in which he redshirted, Turbin rushed for 17 yards on three attempts in one game. In his freshman season, Robert Turbin played in 12 games and rushed for 485 yards and eight touchdowns on 106 attempts. Turbin also caught 20 passes for 256 yards and caught two touchdown passes.

In his sophomore season in 2009, Robert Turbin rushed for 1296 yards and 13 touchdowns on 207 carries through 12 games. That season Utah State went 4-8 (3-5) and had wins over Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, and Idaho. In this season, Robert Turbin rushed for over 100 yards seven times and was a significant piece of the Utah State offense, also catching 30 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns, establishing 1714 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns.

Robert Turbin missed the entire 2010 season due to a knee injury but returned for a junior season in 2011. This was one of the best seasons that a Utah State running back has ever put up and will go down as one of the single best seasons from a Utah State player. Turbin rushed for 1517 yards on 249 attempts through 13 games and rushed for 19 touchdowns, which stands as a school record. Turbin also caught 17 passes for 171 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 10.1 yards per catch. In the 2011 season, Turbin earned Offensive Player of the Year honors and helped to lead Utah State to their first winning season since 1997. That season, Utah State managed to beat Wyoming, Hawaii, San Jose State, Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico State, finishing 7-6 (5-2) overall.

Robert Turbin finished his career at Utah State with 3,315 rushing yards on 565 carries (5.9 yards per carry) and tied the school record with 40 rushing touchdowns. Overall, he is one of just five players in school history to rush for 3,000 yards. Turbin also set the school record with 51 career touchdowns and the then-school record with 308 points scored, while his 16-career 100-yard rushing games are tied for the third-most at USU. He was elected into the Utah State Hall of Fame in 2022 and was selected as the 111th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, spending eight years in the NFL and appearing in two Super Bowls.

Basketball Mount Rushmore

1. Wayne Estes, Forward/Center (1962-1965)

Wayne Estes is widely considered to be one of the best Utah State basketball players of all time. From 1963-1965 Estes was an All-American basketball player and ranks as the fourth leading scorer in program history with 2,001 points and also ranks fourth in rebounding for the program with 893 over his career. One of the reasons that Estes is widely considered to be one of the best Utah State basketball players of all time is because of the school records that he holds, which include career points per game (26.7), free throws made in a career (469), consecutive 10-point games (64), points in a season (821) points per a game in a season (33.7), overall points in a game (52), and rebounds in a game (28).

In his sophomore season (1962-1963), Estes played in 27 games and averaged 20 points a game with a field goal percentage of 47.9%. Easton would also average 9.5 rebounds per game and have a free-throw percentage of 83.8%. That season, Utah State would go 19-7 and lose in the NCAA Tournament to Arizona State. Interesting trivia fact: There were only 25 teams selected for the NCAA tournament in 1963. The NCAA did not expand its selection to 64 teams until 1985. The NCAA Tournament started in 1939, and only eight teams were selected to participate until 1951, the first time that the tournament expanded to 16 teams.

In his junior season (1963-1964), Wayne Estes played in 29 games and averaged 28.3 points per game with a field goal percentage of 47.9% and an average of 13 rebounds per game. Three-point field goals (1986-1987), blocked shots (1985-1986), and steals (1985-1986) had not yet been introduced to the game of college basketball when Estes was playing. During the 1963-1964 season, Wayne Estes and Utah State would finish 19-8 overall and grab a win in the NCAA Tournament over Arizona State, 92-90, avenging the loss that they had suffered the year previous. After taking down the Sun Devils, Utah State would lose to San Francisco (64-58) and Seattle (88-78) to close their season.

In his senior year (1964-1965), Wayne Eastes averaged 33.7 points per game, shooting 48.6% from the field and 87.8% from the free throw line. Utah State finished the 1964-1965 season at 12-12 and would lose their final game of the season to Montana State in a close 71-69 game. This game came after a three-game win streak against Seattle, Montana State, and Portland. Throughout the season, Utah State suffered a seven-game losing streak that lasted from January 9th until February 8th. On February 8th, 1965, Utah State beat Denver 91-62 at home. After the game, Eastes and some friends were walking past a car accident that had occurred near campus on February 8th, and Wayne Eastes brushed against a power line and was tragically electrocuted. He likely would have been a high draft pick in the 1965 NBA Draft and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1967, the only Utah State Aggie to ever do so, leaving a tremendous amount of impact and legacy on the court.

2. Guard Jaycee Carroll, Guard (2004 – 2008)

Jaycee Carroll is one of the most impactful players in Utah State basketball history. Carroll became the all-time leading scorer for Utah State in his senior season, scoring 2,522 overall points in four seasons with the Aggies. Carroll also set records in field goals made, field goals attempted, 3-point field goals made, and 3-point field goals attempted.

During his senior year in high school, Jaycee Carroll averaged 39.4 points per game and averaging 9.1 rebounds per game, and 3.6 steals per game at Evanston High School in Wyoming. During this season, Caroll led Evanston to a fifth-place finish in the state tournament and was named the Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and a senior.

In this freshman year with Utah State, Jaycee Carroll became the first freshman in Utah State history to earn second-team all-Big West honors as he finished the year shooting 47.6% from three-point range. During this season, Carroll played in 32 games and started in 31, averaging 30.4 minutes per game. Carroll averaged 14.7 points per game and scored 18 points against ninth-ranked Arizona in the NCAA Tournament. In that game, he made five three-pointers is the most that a Utah State player has made in an NCAA Tournament game.

During his sophomore season from 2005 – 2006, Jaycee Carroll earned second-team all-conference honors for the second season in a row and finished first in the WAC Conference and 12th in the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 45.1%. On the season, Carroll shot 46.5 percent and scored 16.3 points per game, and led the team in free-throw percentage, shooting at 78.9 percent. During the season, Jaycee Carroll made 93 three-point field goals during the season, which ranks second all-time in Utah State history, and scored in double figures 28 times during the season. During this season, Carroll managed to grab 3 defensive rebounds per game and averaged 2.6 assists per game. In his sophomore season, Jaycee Carroll scored in double figures 28 times and had six 20-point games and two 30-point games, including a career high 32-point game against New Mexico State. That season, Utah State would once again make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, this time against Washington, and Carroll would score 21 points and have eight assists and seven rebounds as the Aggies lost to the Huskies 75-61. Throughout the season, Carroll scored 521 points in another successful season for the Aggies.

In his junior season at Utah State, Jaycee Carroll earned honorable mention All-American honors from the Associated Press and was first-team all-conference honors and finished 10th in the nation in scoring, with 21.3 points per game. In addition to these accomplishments, Carroll led the WAC and ranked 12th in the nation in free-throw shooting, averaging 88.8 percent. Carroll led the team in three-point shooting (43.2%), overall shooting (52.7%), and rebounding (6.3 per game), and scored 746 overall points, second all-time in school history. Jaycee Carroll scored in double figures in 34 of Utah State’s 35 games that season and had a stretch of 31 games of double-digit points, including scoring 20 or more points 21 times, 30 points twice, and 40 points once. During the WAC Tournament, Carroll averaged 24.7 points and 7.3 rebounds as he led the Aggies to a championship gam,e but Utah State would eventually lose to New Mexico State in a heartbreaker. The Aggies finished the 2006-2007 season came to a close with a 23-12 record and a first-round loss to Michigan in the NIT Tournament. Throughout the season, Carroll made 256 field goals and 151 free throws.

During his senior season, Jaycee Carroll became the only player in Utah State men’s basketball history to earn back-to-back All-America honors. This was also the season that Jaycee Carroll set the record for all-time scoring leader, making a three-pointer against Idaho to reach 2,127 career points on his first attempt of the game. During the 2008-2009 season, Carroll had career bests in points per game (22.4), steals (33 total), three-point percentage (49.8%), free throw percentage (91.9%), and minutes per game (37.3). This was also the season when Carroll was named WAC player of the year, as he was able to meet very high expectations. The shooting percentage from three-point range led the nation, and his 91.9 percent from free-throw shooting ranked second in the country. Carroll passed 20 or more points in 24 different games and passed 30 points six times. Carroll led the team in rebounds on 12 different occasions and averaged 22 points and 4 rebounds in the WAC Tournament. The Aggies would face Boise State in the conference semifinals and would fall to Boise State 88-78, who would become the eventual WAC Champions, beating New Mexico State in three overtimes. Through Carroll’s career came to a close without another appearance in the NCAA Tournament, his impact on the program was unquestionable.

3. Sam Merrill, Guard (2016-2020)

Sam Merrill came to Utah State in 2016 from Bountiful (Utah) High School and earned three varsity letters, leading Bountiful to a state title as Merrill averaged 15.8 points per game, 7.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game while scoring 20 or more points six times. Merrill was named 4A MVP his senior year and led his team to a semi-finals game in the state 4A tournament in his junior year. Utah State was the only offer that Merrill had coming out of high school, and he went on a two-year mission to Nicaragua before beginning his freshman year at Utah State in 2016.

During his freshman season with the Aggies, Sam Merrill appeared in 30 games and started each of the final 18 games of the season. Merrill led the team in assists with 98 assists and scored in the double-digits 14 times, including scoring a season-high 22-points against San Jose State. Merrill led the team in 3-point percentage (45.1%) shot 45% from the field, and made 36 of his 41 free-throw attempts (87.8%). In addition to his scoring success, Merrill also had success in leading the team in steals with 33 and avearegd 3.1 rebounds per game. During his freshman season, Utah State would finish 14-17 (7-11) and would finish 8th place in the conference, losing to Nevada in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Tournament. In all, Merrill averaged 9.4 points per game and 3.3 assists per game. The game loss against Nevada was Utah State’s final game of the 2016-2017 season.

During his sophomore year from 2017-2018, Sam Merrill was named to the third-team all-Mountain West. During the 2017-2018 season, Merrill was the only player to appear in 34 games, and he scored 555 points to rank 24th all-time in Utah State history. Throughout the season, Merrill averaged 16.3 points per game and had a field goal percentage of 50.4% and averaged 35.4 minutes a game. Merrill had a free throw percentage of 84.9% and recorded 29 games of double-digit points, scoring 20 or more points eight times, including a career high 33 points at New Mexico. Sam Merrill posted 107 assists and had five or more assists in eight different games during the season. Sam Merrill would finish the year with 111 rebounds and seven blocks. Utah State would finish the year 17-17 with a loss to New Mexico in the Mountain West Tournament. At the end of the season, Merrill was named a Joe E. & Elma Whitesides Scholar Athlete and was named academic all-Mountain West.

In his junior season from 2018-2019, Sam Merrill was outstanding, winning Mountain West Player of the Year and the Mountain West Tournament MVP. Merrill was named first-team all-Mountain West, third-team All-American by Stadium, and had AP honorable mention. Sam Merrill averaged 20.9 points per game and had 4.2 assists per game. Throughout the season, Sam Merrill totaled 731 points and scored in double digits in every game but one, scoring 20 or more 18 times and 30 or more four different times, finishing with a new career high 38 points to lead the Aggies to a conference championship over San Diego State to make their record 28-6 before heading into the NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, the Aggies would once again face off against Washington, a rematch of the 2006 game. The game ended in similar results, where the Huskies would take down the Aggies 78-61. Sam Merrill was tied with the team lead for steals with 37, and finished the season with 10 blocks. Merrill also significantly improved on his free-throw numbers from the previous season, shooting 90.9 percent and making 189 of 208 free-throws. One of the areas that Sam Merrill did not do as well in was three-point percentage, where Sam Merrill made 37.6% of his threes, which was a downgrade from 98 three-pointers to 86 three-pointers. Though the three-point percentage decreased, Sam Merrill undoubtedly had one of the best seasons in recent Utah State basketball memory.

During his senior season run from 2019 – 2020, Sam Merrill was named first-team all-Mountain West and was once again named the MVP of the Mountain West Tournament, leading Utah State to their second straight Mountain West Championship. During this championship run, Merrill averaged 27.7 points a game, 4.3 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, and 1.3 steals per game during the Mountain West Tournament. Sam Merrill played in and started all 32 games and totaled 629 points on the year. Sam Merrill averaged 19.7 points per game on the season and shot 46.1% from the field and 89.3% from the free-throw line. On the season, Sam Merrill also averaged 4.1 total rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game. Merrill would also finish third on the team with 28 steals and added three blocks on the year as well. The Aggies, as a conference champion, would have made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2020 had it not been for COVID-19 and led by Sam Merrill, the Aggies would have had a chance to get their first win in the NCAA Tournament since a first round victory over Ohio State in overtime in 2001, a first round victory for the Aggies. Since that 2019-2020 season, Utah State has appeared in three straight NCAA tournaments and four overall tournaments since 2020. The Aggies were able to get their first win in the NCAA Tournament since 2001 when they took down TCU in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

While Sam Merrill was unable to get Utah State a big victory in the NCAA Tournament, he was a significant leader for the Aggies and a very well-recognized name around college basketball. Sam Merrill, as mentioned previously, had a chance to lead Utah State in the 2020 NCAA Tournament, and with Merrill on a hot streak during the Mountian West Tournament, the Aggies would have had the opportunity to have a huge win. Nevertheless, Sam Merrill established himself in Utah State history with a very successful career.

4. Greg Grant, Forward (1982-1986)

Forward Greg Grant is widely considered to be one of the best players in the history of Utah State men’s basketball history and played for the Aggies from 1982 – 1986. In the 1982 – 1983 season, Grant’s freshman season with the Aggies, Grant played in and started 29 games, averaging 32 minutes per game, 15.9 points per game, and a field goal percentage of 56.1%. Grant also averaged 1.5 steals per game, 2.4 assists per game, and a free-throw percentage of 71.9%. The team, led by head coach Rod Tueller, went 20-9 and finished third-place in their conference. The Aggies would go on to face Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and would lose 64-59.

In his sophomore season (1983-1984), Grant played in and started 30 games, averaging 17.4 points per game and shooting 54.3% from the field. During this season, Greg Grant averaged 2.9 assists per game and 1.9 steals per game. Utah State would finish the season at 19-11 and would lose in the NIT Tournament to Louisiana, 94-92.

In his junior season (1984-1985), Greg Grant started all 28 of the games that he played in and averaged 19.4 points a game with a field goal percentage of 53.6%. Throughout the season, Grant had 2.7 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game in addition to adding 1.3 blocks per game. Grant was named first-team all-Big West after a successful season. While Grant had a successful season, the Aggies as a team finished 16-11 overall and did not make any postseason tournaments.

In his senior season (1985-1986), Greg Grant again started all 28 games that he played in. During this season, Greg Grant averaged 22.6 points per game and shot 50% from the field. Grant also averaged 2.7 assists per game, 2.4 steals per game, and one block per game while also shooting 74.2% from the free-throw line. For his efforts and success, Greg Grant earned the Big West Conference Player of the Year honor as his points per game and steals per game led the league. As a team, Utah State would finish the season at 12-16, losing in the conference tournament to New Mexico State, 74-71. Utah State would not be invited to a postseason tournament, so Greg Grant’s time with the Aggies came to an end.

Throughout his career, Greg Grant earned Big West Conference Player of the Week honors six times and was the all-time leading scorer for the Aggies for 22 years, attaining 2,127 points in his career. Though Grant is now second place in all-time scoring, he still ranks first in all-time steals for the Aggies (226), second in Aggies history in rebounding (1,003), second in Utah State history in field goals made (852) and field goals attempted (1,604), and seventh in program history in all-time assists (308). After his time with Utah State, Greg Grant was drafted in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and was inducted into the Utah State Hall of Fame in 2009.

Conclusion

While there are many other players that are considered to be great players for Utah State such as the Vigil brothers, Kevin Curtis, Deven Thompkins, Chris Cooley, for football and Steven Ashworth, Jalen Moore, Neemias Queta, Tai Wesley, and Great Osobor for basketball, the focus on this article is to focus on all-time great players that left a leasting legacy on the program that they played for. The players listed as part of the Utah State Mount Rushmore for football and basketball set Utah State records and often served as strong leaders during their time with the program. These are players who always stood out among others and those you could count on for strong performances, game in and game out. While other individual players have made very big impacts for Utah State, the players listed on the Mount Rushmore for football and basketball have a good chance of landing in the Utah State Hall of Fame if they have not yet entered the Hall of Fame. Part of the fun of this series is that the players over the years can change as new players come in and make impacts on the field. Stay tuned for other writers around the Mountain West as they dive into the Mount Rushmores of other teams.