LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football had eight players named to the Athlon Sports 2020 preseason all-Mountain West teams, it was announced Wednesday by the publication, highlighted by the first-team selection of senior kick returner Savon Scarver.
 
Offensively, senior Jordan Nathan made the third team as an all-purpose player, while junior offensive lineman Alfred Edwards and sophomore offensive lineman Karter Shaw were both tabbed to the fourth team.
 
Nathan also made the list as a specialist, landing on the fourth team as a punt returner.
 
Defensively, senior safety Shaq Bond made the second team and senior nickelback Troy Lefeged Jr. made the third team. Senior linebacker Kevin Meitzenheimer and senior defensive end Justus Te'i both landed on the fourth team.
 
Scarver earned first-team all-Mountain West honors in 2019 as a returner as he was first in the MW and second nationally in kickoff returns for touchdown with two (0.17 pg), and first in the league and 11th in the nation in kickoff return yards (27.9 ypr).
 
Nathan finished the 2019 season ranked second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards as he caught 56 passes for 581 yards with one touchdown. He also carried the ball seven times for 40 yards with one touchdown, returned 11 punts for 93 yards and had two kickoff returns for four yards.
 
Edwards started all 12 games he played in at left tackle last season, finishing the year playing in 764 offensive snaps. He recorded seven knockdowns during the season, including a season-best three against Nevada.
 
Shaw started all 13 games at right guard last year and finished the season playing in 889 snaps, including a season-high 89 against Colorado State. He posted a team-best 39 knockdowns, including a season-high eight against BYU.
 
Bond earned honorable mention all-MW honors in 2019 as he finished the season fourth on the team with 83 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He led the team with three interceptions and ranked third with his eight passes defended, including five pass breakups.
 
Lefeged started all 13 games a year ago and led the Aggies with 104 tackles. He also tied for second on the team with 2.0 sacks and tied for fourth with 6.0 tackles for loss. The native of Montgomery Village, Md., also recorded three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four pass breakups.
 
Meitzenheimer finished third on the team in 2019 with 89 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, to go along with one interception, one forced fumble and one pass breakup.
 
Te'i matched his jersey number with 51 tackles last season, including 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry, to go along with a team-best three fumble recoveries to rank first in the MW and sixth in the nation (0.23 pg).
 
Utah State went 7-6 overall in 2019, including a 6-2 mark in the MW to finish third in the Mountain Division. It was just the 26th time in school history that USU has won at least seven games, while its six league wins are tied for the sixth-most in school history. USU also played in its 14th bowl game in school history in 2019, including its eighth in the past nine seasons.
 
The Aggies are slated to open the 2020 campaign by hosting Pac-12 foe Washington State on Thursday, Sept. 3, on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball or on Facebook at Utah State Football, as well as on Instagram at instagram.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
Athlon Sports 2020 Preseason All-Mountain West Teams
First-Team Offense
QB – Hank Bachmeier, Boise State
RB – Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming
RB – Charles Williams, UNLV
AP – Khalil Shakir, Boise State
WR – Warren Jackson, Colorado State
WR – Tre Walker, San José State
TE – Trey McBride, Colorado State
C – Keegan Cryder, Wyoming
OL – Nolan Laufenberg, Air Force
OL – Parker Ferguson, Air Force
OL – Ilm Manning, Hawai'i
OL – John Ojukwu, Boise State
           
First-Team Defense
DL – Dom Peterson, Nevada
DL – Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
DL – Scale Igiehon, Boise State
DL – Keshawn Banks, San Diego State
LB – Demonte Meeks, Air Force
LB – Justin Rice, Fresno State
LB – Riley Whimpey, Boise State
CB – Jalen Walker, Boise State
CB – Darren Hall, San Diego State
S – Kekaula Kaniho, Boise State
S – Tariq Thompson, San Diego State
           
First-Team Specialists
K – Brandon Talton, Nevada
P – Ryan Stonehouse, Colorado State
KR – Savon Scarver, Utah State
PR – Avery Williams, Boise State
 
Second-Team Offense
QB – Donald Hammond, Air Force
RB – George Holani, Boise State
R – Kadin Remsburg, Air Force
AP – Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
WR – Romeo Doubs, Nevada
WR – Jared Smart, Hawai'i
TE – Marcus Williams, New Mexico
C – Kyle Stapley, New Mexico
OL – Syrus Tuitele, Fresno State
OL – Jackson Snyder, San José State
OL – Solo Vaipulu, Hawaii
OL – Logan Harris, Wyoming
OL – Julio Garcia, UNLV
       
Second-Team Defense
DL – Jordan Jackson, Air Force
DL – Manny Jones, Colorado State
DL – Garrett Crall, Wyoming
DL – Solomon Byrd, Wyoming
LB – Jacobi Hearn, New Mexico
LB – Chad Muma, Wyoming
LB – Dequan Jackson, Colorado State
LB – Demetri Washington, Boise State
CB – Cortez Davis, Hawai'i
CB – Avery Williams, Boise State
S – Dwayne Johnson, San Diego State
S – Shaq Bond, Utah State
 
Second-Team Specialists
 
K – Matt Araiza, San Diego State
P – Tyson Dyer, New Mexico
KR – Elijah Lilly, New Mexico
PR – Dante Wright, Colorado State
 
Third-Team Offense
QB – Chevan Cordeiro, Hawai'i
RB – Miles Reed, Hawai'i
RB – Toa Taua, Nevada
AP – Jordan Nathan, Utah State
WR – Randal Grimes, UNLV
WR – Dante Wright, Colorado State
WR – Elijah Cooks, Nevada
TE – John Bates, Boise State
C – Taaga Tuulima, Hawai'i
OL – Nate Brown, Nevada
OL – Teton Saltes, New Mexico
OL – William Dunkle, San Diego State
OL – Zachary Thomas, San Diego State
 
Third-Team Defense
DL – Kevin Atkins, Fresno State
DL – Cade Hall, San José State
DL – Ravontae Holt, Wyoming
DL – Ellison Hubbard, Colorado State
LB – Troy Lefeged Jr., Utah State
LB – Lawson Hall, Nevada
LB – Kyle Harmon, San José State
LB – Arron Mosby, Fresno State
CB – Milton Bugg, Air Force
CB – EJ Muhammad, Nevada
S – Jay Lenard, San José State
S – Keyon Blankenbaker, Wyoming
 
Third-Team Specialists
K – Matt Mercurio, San José State
P – Joel Velazquez, Boise State
KR – Jordan Byrd, San Diego State
PR – Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
 
Fourth-Team Offense
QB – Carson Strong, Nevada
RB – Timothy Jackson, Air Force
RB – Bryson Carroll, New Mexico
WR – Bailey Gaither, San José State
WR – CT Thomas, Boise State
WR – Kobe Smith, San Diego State
TE – Daniel Bellinger, San Diego State
OL – Alfred Edwards, Utah State
OL – Gene Pryor, Hawaii
OL – Barry Wesley, Colorado State
OL – Karter Shaw, Utah State
OL – Jake Stetz, Boise State
OL – Matt Smith, Fresno State
 
Fourth-Team Defense
DL – Justus Te'i, Utah State
DL – Kwami Jones, Fresno State
DL – Blessman Ta'ala, Hawai'i
DL – Jackson Cravens, Boise State
LB – Kevin Meitzenheimer, Utah State
LB – Ezekiel Noa, Boise State
LB – Lakota Wills, Air Force
CB – Donte Martin, New Mexico
CB – Rashad Ajayi, Colorado State
S – Kai Kaneshiro, Hawai'i
S – Tyson Williams, Nevada
S – Rome Weber, Wyoming
        
Fourth-Team Specialists
K – Andrew Shelley, New Mexico
P – Stan Gaudion, Hawai'i
KR  – Tyleek Collins, UNLV
PR – Jordan Nathan, Utah State
 
-USU-