LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football had 10 players garner All-Mountain West honors, including three first-team and two second-team selections, as the league office announced its postseason football awards Tuesday. In all, USU had four offensive and six defensive players recognized.
The 10 honorees for Utah State are its most since the 2019 team also had 10 players recognized by the Mountain West.
Aggie Players Honored
Utah State had three players named first-team All-Mountain West in graduate linebacker John Miller, senior cornerback Noah Avinger and junior wide receiver Braden Pegan. Graduate quarterback Bryson Barnes and graduate running back Miles Davis were both voted onto the second team. Five more Aggies were named honorable mention All-MW in graduate wide receiver Brady Boyd, graduate defensive tackle Gabriel Iniguez Jr., senior safety Ike Larsen, junior safety Brevin Hamblin and junior linebacker Bronson Olevao Jr.
Mountain West Awards
UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson and New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck were named Co-Defensive Players of the Year. Hawai'i kicker Kansei Matsuzawa was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Year and Hawai'i quarterback Micah Alejado was named Freshman of the Year. New Mexico's Jason Eck was named the MW Coach of the Year.
John Miller – ILB • 6-1 • 225 • Gr. • Tualatin, Ore. (Tualatin HS/Oregon State)
Miller joins a long list of Aggie linebackers who have earned first-team all-conference honors and is the seventh linebacker to be named first-team All-Mountain West along with MJ Tafisi Jr. (2023), David Woodward (2019), Kyler Fackrell (2015), Nick Vigil (2014, 2015), Zach Vigil (2014) and Jake Doughty (2013).
Miller, who is in his second season with Utah State, has started all 12 games this year and leads the team with 109 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, while adding three pass breakups and one forced fumble. Miller has six double-digit tackle games this year, which leads the team and is tied for the third-most in the MW. He had a career-high 16 tackles against Air Force, 14 tackles against Boise State, and 11 tackles against UNLV, which included a career-high 2.0 sacks and a season-high 2.5 tackles for loss.
Miller has played 847 snaps on the season, the most by any linebacker in the MW. He ranks second in the MW and 28th in the nation in sacks (0.63 pg), and third in the MW and 21st in the nation in tackles (9.0 pg). He has the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade among linebackers in the conference at 81.4.
Noah Avinger – CB • 6-0 • 190 • Sr. • Cerritos, Calif. (Servite HS/New Mexico)
Avinger is the fourth Aggie defensive back to earn first-team All-Mountain West honors along with Ike Larsen (2023), Jalen Davis (2017) and Nevin Lawson (2013). Avinger, who is in his first season with Utah State, earned honorable mention All-MW honors last season at New Mexico.
Avinger has started all 12 games this season with six at safety and six at cornerback. He is third on the team with 84 tackles, which includes 1.0 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, and has three double-digit tackle outings to tie for the second-most on the squad. He leads the team with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups and has one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. On the season, Avinger ranks eighth in the MW and 89th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one (0.08 pg), and 10th in the MW and 49th in the nation in interceptions with three (0.25 pg).
Avinger has played 897 snaps on the season, the most by any defensive back in the MW, and has the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among secondary players in the conference at 83.0.
Braden Pegan – WR • 6-3 • 210 • Jr. • San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (San Juan Hills HS/UCLA)
Pegan is just the third Aggie receiver to earn first-team All-Mountain West honors along with Jalen Royals (2023) and Deven Thompkins (2021).
Pegan, who is in his first season at Utah State, has started 11 of the 12 games he has played in and leads the team with 60 receptions for 926 yards. His five touchdown receptions are the second-most on the team. Pegan has three 100-yard receiving games this year, which is tied for the fourth-most in the MW. His best game of the season was against Air Force as he caught a then-career-high seven receptions for a career-best 147 yards and a career-high two touchdowns.
On the season, Pegan ranks third in the MW and 28th in the nation in receiving (77.2 ypg), fourth in the MW and 55th in the nation in receptions (5.00 pg), eighth in the MW and 81st in the nation in yards per reception (15.43), and eighth in the MW and 94th in the nation in receiving touchdowns with five (0.42 pg).
Bryson Barnes – QB • 6-2 • 210 • Gr. • Milford, Utah (Milford HS/Utah)
Barnes is just the second Aggie quarterback to earn second-team All-Mountain West honors along with Jordan Love in 2018. The last first-team all-conference quarterback for USU was Chuckie Keeton in the Western Athletic Conference in 2012.
Barnes, who is in his second season with Utah State, has started all 12 games this year and is 202-of-335 passing for 2,687 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. His four thrown interceptions are the fewest by a starting Aggie quarterback since 2011. Barnes leads the team in rushing with 733 yards on 176 carries and set the school record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season with nine.
Barnes set career-highs in every offensive category this year and his 3,420 yards of total offense is the fifth-most in a single season in school history. He has posted three 100-yard rushing games this year, the most by an Aggie quarterback in a single season and career, and he is one of just six MW quarterbacks all-time with multiple games of at least 250 passing yards and 100 rushing yards.
Barnes is the only player in school history to throw three touchdown passes and rush for two touchdowns in the same game, a feat he accomplished against McNeese, and is one of two players in program history with three rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in the same game, which he did against Air Force as he was named the MW Offensive Player of the Week.
On the season, Barnes ranks second in the MW and 23rd in the nation in total touchdowns with 28 (2.33 pg), first in the MW and 19th in the nation in yards per completion (13.30), second in the MW and 25th in the nation in points responsible for at 14.3 per game, second in the MW and 36th in the nation in yards per pass attempt (8.02), second in the MW and 50th in the nation in passing efficiency (143.0), third in the MW and 43rd in the nation in passing touchdowns with 18 (1.50 pg), fourth in the MW and 21st in the nation in total offense (285.0 ypg), fourth in the MW and 53rd in the nation in passing (223.9 ypg), fifth in the MW and 53rd in the nation in rushing touchdowns with nine (0.75 pg), sixth in the MW and 75th in the nation in completions per game (16.83), sixth in the MW and 94th in the nation in rushing (61.1 ypg), and seventh in the MW and 91st in the nation in completion percentage (.603).
Miles Davis – RB • 5-11 • 215 • Gr. • Las Vegas, Nev. (Las Vegas HS/BYU)
Davis is just the fourth Aggie running back to earn second-team All-Mountain West honors along with Rahsul Faison (2024), Calvin Tyler Jr. (2022) and Darwin Thompson (2018). The last first-team all-conference running back for USU was Kerwynn Williams in the Western Athletic Conference in 2012.
Davis, who is in his first season with Utah State, has started 10 of the 12 games he has played in this season and leads Utah State with 958 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. He is second on the team in rushing as he has gained 724 yards on 126 carries (5.7 ypr) and eight touchdowns. He has 25 receptions for 166 yards (6.6 ypr) and three touchdowns and has returned four kickoffs for 68 yards. Davis had a career-high 184 all-purpose yards in the season opener against UTEP as he rushed for 88 yards on seven carries with one touchdown, caught a career-high six passes for a career-best 61 yards, and returned two kickoffs for 35 yards.
Davis has three 100-yard rushing games on the season, which is tied for the most on the team and the sixth-most in the MW. He rushed for a season-high 118 yards on 13 carries and one touchdown against McNeese and had a career-best two rushing touchdowns against Nevada.
On the season, Davis ranks third in the MW and 30th in the nation in rushing yards per carry (5.75), sixth in the MW and 71st in the nation in rushing touchdowns with eight (0.67 pg), and eighth in the MW and 99th in the nation in rushing (60.3 ypg).
Brady Boyd – WR • 6-1 • 195 • Gr. • Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll HS/Texas Tech)
Boyd, who is in his first season with Utah State, has started 11 of the 12 games he has played in this season. He leads the team with seven receiving touchdowns and ranks second with 42 receptions for 644 yards. Boyd's best game of the year was against Nevada as he caught five passes for a career-high 117 yards and a career-high two touchdowns. He had two touchdown receptions against McNeese and caught a career-high six passes for 87 yards at No. 19 Texas A&M.
On the season, Boyd ranks third in the MW and 30th in the nation in receiving touchdowns with seven (0.58 pg), ninth in the MW and 88th in the nation in yards per reception (15.33), and 10th in the MW in receiving (53.7 ypg).
Gabriel Iniguez Jr. – DT • 6-1 • 290 • Gr. • Pittsburg, Calif. (Pittsburg HS/New Mexico State)
Iniguez was named honorable mention All-Mountain West for the second time in as many years in the Aggie program.
During the 2025 season, Iniguez has started all 12 games and has 35 tackles, which includes 1.0 sacks, to go along with four quarterback hurries. He had a season-high six tackles against Air Force and recorded multiple tackles in 10 of his 12 games this year.
Ike Larsen – S • 5-11 • 195 • Sr. • Smithfield, Utah (Sky View HS)
Larsen, who is in his fifth season in the program, is receiving All-Mountain West honors for the third time in his career as he was a first team selection as a sophomore in 2023 and a second team pick as a redshirt freshman in 2022.
Larsen started the final seven games of the season and recorded at least five tackles in every outing. He has 49 tackles this year, including 2.0 tackles for loss, to go along with five pass breakups. Larsen tied his career-high with 11 tackles against Boise State and tied his career-high with two pass breakups against San José State.
Brevin Hamblin – S • 6-5 • 200 • Jr. • Syracuse, Utah (Syracuse HS/Utah Tech)
Hamblin, who is in his first season with Utah State, has started 11 of the 12 games he has played in. Hamblin ranks second on the team with 102 tackles, which includes 1.5 sacks and 2.0 tackles for loss. He leads the team with two forced fumbles and is tied for the team lead with one fumble recovery, while ranking second on the team with six pass breakups and one interception.
Hamblin scored USU's only defensive touchdown of the season as he had a 38-yard pick-six against Nevada as he was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week following that performance. He has three double-digit tackle outings this year, which is tied for the second-most on the team, including a season-high 14 stops against Boise State, and 11 tackles against New Mexico and UNLV. Hamblin had a career-high three pass breakups against Air Force.
On the season, Hamblin ranks seventh in the MW and 36th in the nation in tackles (8.5 pg), and eighth in the MW and 89th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one (0.08 pg).
Bronson Olevao Jr. – ILB • 6-1 • 215 • Jr. • Salt Lake City, Utah (Highland HS)
Olevao, who is in his fourth year with the program, has started all 12 games he has played in this year. Olevao ranks fourth on the team with 83 tackles and is second with 7.5 tackles for loss and tied for second with 4.0 sacks. He is second with two interceptions and tied for first with one fumble recovery.
Olevao has two double-digit tackle outings this year as he recorded a career-high 14 stops against San José State and had 10 tackles against UNLV. He intercepted passes in back-to-back road games against UNLV and Fresno State.
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