USU athlete becomes 3rd football player arrested on sexual assault charges in 3 years

LOGAN, Utah (KUTV) — A Utah State University football player who was arrested for an alleged rape is one of three players arrested since 2021 for sexual assault at the school.

The latest arrest comes just two years after the university was accused of giving preferential treatment to male athletes accused of sexual assault.

That allegation was made amid controversy about a recorded meeting with Logan police and the football team, in which Chief Gary Jensen was heard saying, “we want you guys to play ball. That’s what we want. We want you guys to play good ball. That’s what we want. And we will work with you to the best of our ability.”

Details of the meeting were first made public in a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleged USU retaliated against her after failing to properly investigate a report that she was raped by a football player in 2019.

USU’s former police chief, Earl Morris, resigned in 2021 after the lawsuit was filed. He had reportedly warned the players about having sex with women who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they may feel guilty after and claim the sex was not consensual.

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In regards to that, he was heard making comments which included, "we’re going to take care of you no matter what."

“If you’re not used to a Mormon community, folks, I’m here to tell you, the Latter-day Saints community — young ladies, they may have sex with you. I don’t know if they’re going to have guilt afterwards, but they’re going to go talk to their minister, their bishop, priest, whatever you want to call it,” Morris said as some players laughed.

“He’s going to say, was it consensual?" he continued. "I can tell you that oftentimes it’s easier to say, no, no, no, that wasn’t consensual. And then what happens? Now there’s an investigation.”

USU head football coach Blake Anderson — who is still coaching at the school since taking on the role in 2020 — apologized after the audio recording came to light and he was heard saying it has “never been more glamorized to be a victim” of sexual assault.

Anderson later said he was trying to emphasize the importance of doing the right thing.

"In the course of that conversation, I used a phrase regarding victims of wrongdoing to magnify that message to our team, but after reading my comments in the transcript that was released, I realize my choice of words was hurtful," Anderson said in a statement released by the university late Friday morning. "I regret the words I used, and I apologize to anyone who has bravely come forward with allegations of wrongdoing."

Three people who played football for the school have been arrested for sexual assault since the lawsuit was filed in 2021 — one every year.

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Ismael "Izzy" Kalani Vaifo'ou, 22, was arrested in 2021 for suspicion of forcible sexual abuse, burglary, criminal trespass, and intoxication.

Vaifo'ou was reportedly intoxicated when he entered women's dorm rooms while they were sleeping. Court documents said he admitted to getting into bed with one woman and touching her inappropriately.

Following his arrest, Vaifo'ou — who was a defensive end sophomore at the time — was suspended from the football team.

In 2022, former USU football player Jamaal Anthony Evans, 23, plead guilty to one count of rape and one count of forcible sodomy that had occurred in 2018.

In a probable cause statement, the victim was seen going upstairs with Evans at a party before she was found "completely nude and incoherent."

It took place one year before USU police were investigating multiple allegations sexual assault, including one rape, that occurred at an annual school-sponsored dance. It was not specified whether anyone in that incident was an athlete at the school.

There were 20 reported rapes on USU’s campus between 2016 and 2018, according to public records available in the university’s annual safety report.

From 2019 to 2021, which is the most recently available data, there were 24 reported rapes by students at the Logan campus.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of rape or sexual assault, resources are available to help. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

The Utah-based Rape Recovery Center can be reached at 801-467-7273. A list of other rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence resources can be found online here.