LAS VEGAS – Utah State football was picked to finish eighth in the 2023 Mountain West preseason polls, it was announced Wednesday at the league's annual Media Summit held at the Circa Resort and Casino, while sophomore safety Ike Larsen was named to the preseason all-conference team.
Boise State was picked to win the Mountain West as the Broncos garnered 28 first-place votes and earned a total of 433 points. Air Force earned two first-place votes and 364 points for second place, followed by Fresno State with five first-place votes and 351 points. San Diego State received one first-place vote and 338 points, followed by San José State (293), Wyoming (281), Colorado State (201) and Utah State (194). UNLV received one first-place vote and 177 points for ninth place, while Hawai'i (102), Nevada (92) and New Mexico (60) rounded out the order of finish.
Larsen, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound safety from Smithfield, Utah (Sky View HS), was named a College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-American and a second-team all-Mountain West selection last year as he played in 11 games with four starts.
He finished the 2023 campaign with 33 tackles (19-solo, 14-assist), which included 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss, to go along with a team-best four interceptions and a team-high three blocked kicks, while adding two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. In fact, his three blocked punts during the season are the most in school history.
Larsen ended the season tied for first in the nation with three blocked kicks (0.27 pg), and was third in the MW and 22nd in the nation with four interceptions (0.36 pg). He was also the only player in the nation that had four interceptions, three blocked kicks and a defensive touchdown last season.
Overall, Larsen was the highest-rated defensive back in the MW and No. 7 nationally with an overall grade of 89.9 percent, according to ProFootballFocus, and was the best pass coverage defensive back in the MW with a grade of 87.2 percent. For the season, he allowed just nine receptions for 56 yards on 22 targets with no touchdowns and four interceptions, and quarterbacks had a rating of 9.1 when throwing at him.
Larsen was also named the MW Defensive Player of the Week and the MW Freshman of the Week following his performance at Hawai'i as he had six tackles, which included a career-high-tying 1.0 sacks and a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss, to go along with a career-best two interceptions, as he returned one 36 yards for his first-career touchdown. Larsen was also named the MW Freshman of the Week following his performance at No. 1 Alabama as he recorded a then-career high seven tackles, to go along with an interception and quarterback hurry.
Utah State returns nine starters (O-4, D-5) as part of 35 letterwinners (O-19, D-13, S-3) from last year's team that posted a 6-7 record, tied for second in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 5-3 mark, and concluded its season by playing in its 10th bowl game in the past 12 years against Memphis (L, 38-10) in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
Along with 35 returning lettermen, Utah State welcomes back 14 redshirts (O-7, D-6, S-1) and four other returners (O-2, D-2) that were members of the program in 2022, while adding 53 newcomers (O-25, D-26, S-2), which includes 10 four-year transfers, 20 junior college players and 23 high school newcomers.
Highlighting Utah State's returners in 2023 are four players that have earned previous all-conference honors in Larsen, senior P Stephen Kotsanlee, senior ILB MJ Tafisi Jr. and senior WR Terrell Vaughn. Tafisi and Vaughn both garnered honorable mention all-MW honors last season, while Kotsanlee was named honorable mention all-MW following the 2020 campaign.
Other starters returning for Utah State in 2023 include graduate senior CB Michael Anyanwu, graduate senior OL Wade Meacham, graduate senior QB Cooper Legas, senior DT Hale Motu'apuaka, senior TE Josh Sterzer and senior DT Poukesi Vakauta. In addition to the players mentioned above, Utah State returns four more players with at least four career starts in senior OL Falepule Alo, graduate junior QB Levi Williams, junior OL Cole Motes and sophomore ILB Max Alford.
Among the group of new players are 10 four-year transfers in graduate senior OL Ralph Frias III (Arizona State), senior RB Sione Finau (BYU), graduate junior WR Colby Bowman (Stanford), junior QB Zeke Payne (New Mexico Highlands), sophomore CB Al Ashford III (Wisconsin), sophomore ILB Gavin Barthiel (Washington State), sophomore S Simeon Harris (Colorado), redshirt freshman DT Sir Mells (Oregon), redshirt freshman WR Grant Page (Colorado) and redshirt freshman ILB Logan Pili (BYU).
Utah State opens the 2023 season at Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 2, while its home opener is the fol-lowing weekend against Idaho State on Saturday, Sept. 9. USU begins Mountain West play at Air Force on Saturday, Sept. 16.
For Aggie football ticket information, fans can contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office over the phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy their tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online by clicking on the "Buy Tickets" tab at www.UtahStateAggies.com.
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.
2023 Mountain West Football Predicted Order of Finish
Rank Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Boise State (28) - 433
2. Air Force (2) - 364
3. Fresno State (5) - 351
4. San Diego State (1) - 338
5. San José State - 293
6. Wyoming - 281
7. Colorado State - 201
8. UTAH STATE - 194
9. UNLV (1) - 177
10 Hawai'i - 102
11. Nevada - 92
12. New Mexico - 60
2023 Mountain West Football Preseason All-Conference Team
Offense
QB Chevan Cordeiro, Sr., San José State
WR Tory Horton, Sr., Colorado State
WR Justin Lockhart, Jr., San José State
RB John Lee Eldridge III, Sr., Air Force
RB George Holani, Sr., Boise State
OL Thor Paglialong, Sr., Air Force
OL Cade Beresford, Sr., Boise State
OL Mose Vavao, Sr., Fresno State
OL Cade Bennett, Jr., San Diego State
OL Frank Crum, Sr., Wyoming
TE Mark Redman Sr., San Diego State
Defense
DL Payton Zdroik, Jr., Air Force
DL Mohamed Kamara, Sr., Colorado State
DL Devo Bridges, Sr., Fresno State
DL Jordan Bertagnole, Jr., Wyoming
DL DeVonne Harris, Jr., Wyoming
LB DJ Schramm, Sr., Boise State
LB Cody Moon Jr., San Diego State
LB Eastln Gibbs, Jr., Wyoming
DB Trey Taylor, Sr., Air Force
DB Jack Howell, Jr., Colorado State
DB Cam Stone, Sr., Hawai'i
DB Ike Larsen, So., Utah State
Specialists
P Jack Browning, Sr., San Diego State
PK John Hoyland, Jr., Wyoming
PR Tory Horton, Sr., Colorado State
KOR Christian Washington, So., New Mexico
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Cheven Cordeiro Sr., QB, San José State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Easton Gibbs, Jr., LB, Wyoming
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year: Jack Browning, Sr., PK/P, San Diego State
