LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football sophomore Carson Tujague has been named a nominee for the 2026 Burlsworth Trophy. Tujague is one of 65 players in the nation nominated for the award.

Tujague, a 6-foot-3 280-pound defensive tackle from Crozet, Virginia, has amassed 31 tackles so far this season and ranks third on the team both with 4.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks. He has added a fumble recovery and leads the team with four quarterback hurries. Tujague's five pass breakups are also a team-high and are tied for the second-most nationally among defensive linemen. Prior to the season, Tujague was named a Pac-12 Preseason Impact Player and was selected to the Pro Football Network Preseason Pac-12 First Team and to the Pac-12 Preseason Second Team by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. Tujague recorded 72 tackles last year in his first season for the Aggies, the most by a defensive tackle in school history for a single season and the second-most ever by an Aggie defensive lineman.

The Burlsworth Trophy honors the most outstanding player in college football who began his career as a walk-on. The award is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, the former University of Arkansas walk-on who defied the odds to become a first-team All-American offensive lineman and the 63rd overall selection in the 1999 NFL Draft. To be eligible for the Burlsworth Trophy, a player must have begun his college football career at an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program without financial assistance of any kind from the university's athletic department.

Up Next
Utah State football (3-5, 2-2 Pac-12) remains at home for its lone back-to-back home stand of the 2026 season to face off against Fresno State on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. (MT). The game will be broadcast on USA Network.

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Tickets can be purchased through the USU Online Ticket Office.

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Fans can follow the Aggie football program with behind-the-scenes content and coverage on social media through X, Instagram and Facebook, along with visiting www.utahstateaggies.com.
 
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