Senior kick returner Savon Scarver and eight other Utah State football players will collect at least some recognition this season, even if they never take the field.
Scarver was named a first-team preseason all-Mountain West Conference selection Monday by Phil Steele Magazine. Scarver was just the third USU player to be named a consensus All-American when he claimed that honor in 2018. In 2019, he led the MWC and was second nationally in kickoff returns for touchdown with two. He was also first in the conference and 11th in the nation in kickoff return yards with 613 yards on 22 returns (27.9 ypr).
Joining Scarver, Aggies senior safeties Shaq Bond and Troy Lefeged Jr received second- and third-team nods, respectively. Senior center Demytrick Ali’ifua also made the third team. Fourth-team honors went to senior linebacker Kevin Meitzenheimer and senior defensive end Justus Te’i on defense and senior running back Jaylen Warren, junior wide receiver Deven Thompkins and sophomore offensive lineman Andy Koch on offense.
San Diego State, Boise State and Hawai’i shared most of the top honors. The Warriors had a conference-high three players named first-team offense. The Aztecs placed four on the first team for defense, followed by three from the Broncos.
Phil Steele Magazine 2020 Preseason All-Mountain West Teams
First-Team Offense
QB – Hank Bachmeier, Boise State
RB – Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming
RB – Charles Williams, UNLV
WR – Warren Jackson, Colorado State
WR – Jared Smart, Hawaii
WR – Tre Walker, San Jose State
TE – Trey McBride, Colorado State
C – Keegan Cryder, Wyoming
OL – Teton Saltes, New Mexico
OL – Ilm Manning, Hawaii
OL – Nolan Laufenberg, Air Force
OL – Gene Pryor, Hawaii
First-Team Defense
DL – Keshawn Banks, San Diego State
DL – Dom Peterson, Nevada
DL – Manny Jones, Colorado State
DL – Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
LB – Riley Whimpey, Boise State
LB – Demonte Meeks, Air Force
LB – Justin Rice, Fresno State
LB – Darius Muasau, Hawaii
DB – Tariq Thompson, San Diego State
DB – Kekaula Kaniho, Boise State
DB – Jalen Walker, Boise State
CB – Darren Hall, San Diego State
First-Team Specialists
K – Matt Araiza, San Diego State
P – Ryan Stonehouse, Colorado State
KR – Savon Scarver, Utah State
PR – Avery Williams, Boise State
LS – Turner Bernard, San Diego State
Second-Team Offense
QB – Patrick O’Brien, Colorado State
RB – Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
RB – George Holani, Boise State
WR – Bailey Ganther, San Jose State
WR – Elijah Cooks, Nevada
WR – Khalil Shakir, Boise State
TE – John Bates, Boise State
C – Taaga Tuulima, Hawaii
OL – John Ojukwu, Boise State
OL – Elijah Johnson, Colorado State
OL – Syrus Tuitele, Fresno State
OL – Jack Snyder, San Jose State
Second-Team Defense
DL – Solomon Byrd, Wyoming
DL – Jordan Jackson, Air Force
DL – Scale Igiehon, Boise State
DL – Kevin Atkins, Fresno State
LB – Arron Mosby, Fresno State
LB – Chad Muma, Wyoming
LB – Brock Miller, Boise State
LB – Dequan Jackson, Colorado State
DB – Cortez Davis, Hawaii
DB – Jay Lenard, San Diego State
DB – Shaq Bond, Utah State
DB – Milton Bugg, Air Force
Second-Team Specialists
K – Brandon Talton, Nevada
P – Tyson Dyer, New Mexico
KR – Melquise Stovall, Hawaii
PR – Dante Wright, Colorado State
LS – Ross Reiter, Colorado State
Third-Team Offense
QB – Chevan Cordeiro, Hawaii
RB – Miles Reed, Hawaii
RB – Kadin Remsberg, Air Force
WR – Nate Craig-Myers, Colorado State
WR – Melquise Stovall, Hawaii
WR – Dante Wright, Colorado State
TE – Marcus Williams, New Mexico
C – Demytrick Ali’ifua, Utah State
OL – Parker Ferguson, Air Force
OL – Nate Brown, Nevada
OL – Julio Garcia, UNLV
OL – Logan Harris, Wyoming
Third-Team Defense
DL – Jonah Laulu, Hawaii
DL – Garrett Crall, Wyoming
DL – Scott Patchan, Colorado State
DL – Demitri Washington, Boise State
LB – Jeremiah Pritchard, Hawaii
LB – Jacobi Hearn, New Mexico
LB – Kyle Harmon, San Jose State
LB – Caden McDonald, San Diego State
DB – Troy Lefeged Jr., Utah State
DB – Logan Stewart, Colorado State
DB – Dwayne Johnson, San Diego State
DB – Tyson Williams, Nevada
Third-Team Specialists
K – Matt Mercurio, San Jose State
P – Tanner Kuljian, San Diego State
KR – Jordan Byrd, San Diego State
PR – Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
LS – Jacob Westberry, Fresno State
Fourth-Team Offense
QB – Donald Hammond, Air Force
RB – Toa Taua, Nevada
RB – Jaylen Warren, Utah State
WR – Romeo Dobbs, Nevada
WR – Deven Thompkins, Utah State
WR – Randal Grimes, UNLV
TE – Daniel Bellinger, San Diego State
C – Kyle Stapley, New Mexico
OL – Kyle Hoppe, San Jose State
OL – Andy Koch, Utah State
OL – Solo Vaipulu, Hawaii
OL – William Dunkle, San Diego State
Fourth-Team Defense
DL – Kwami Jones, Fresno State
DL – Cade Hall, San Jose State
DL – Justus Te’i, Utah State
DL – Leonard Payne, Fresno State
LB – Lawson Hall, Nevada
LB – Farrell Hester, UNLV
LB – Kevin Meitzenheimer, Utah State
LB – Penei Pavihi, Hawaii
DB – Michael LoVett, New Mexico
DB – Khoury Bethley, Hawaii
DB – Rome Weber, Wyoming
DB – Avery Williams, Boise State
Fourth-Team Specialists
K – Daniel Gutierrez, UNLV
P – Stan Gaudion, Hawaii
KR – Tyleek Collins, UNLV
PR – Romeo Dobbs, Nevada
LS – Conner Kirkegaard, Air Force
