Utah State wide receiver Savon Scarver (11) stiff-arms San Jose State linebacker Elijah Wood (14) as he scores a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
LOGAN, Utah – Utah State had three of its former football players sign NFL free agent contracts Saturday night following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft. Savon Scarver signed with the Chicago Bears, while Deven Thompkins signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Derek Wright signed with the Carolina Panthers.
Scarver, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound wide receiver/kickoff returner from Las Vegas, Nevada (Centennial HS), was a consensus All-American as a sophomore in 2018. He was also a first-team all-Mountain West performer in 2018 and 2019, a second-team all-MW player in 2021 and an honorable mention all-MW player in 2020.
For his career, Scarver tied the NCAA and Mountain West record with seven-career kickoff returns for touchdown, which is also a school record. He finished his career second all-time in school history in kickoff return yards and third all-time in kickoff return average as he returned 107 kicks for 2,935 yards (27.4 ypr). He is also second all-time in MW history in kickoff returns and kickoff return yards, and 16th all-time in kickoff return yards and 28th all-time in kickoff return average in NCAA history.
As a wide receiver, Scarver played in 56 career games with 11 starts and caught 55 passes for 747 yards (13.6. ypr) and five touchdowns.
Thompkins, a 5-8, 155-pound wide receiver from Fort Myers, Florida (Dunbar HS), was named an Associated Press Third-Team All-American and earned first-team all-Mountain West honors this past season, along with being a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, as he finished the year with 102 receptions for 1,704 yards (16.7 ypr/121.7 ypg) and 10 touchdowns. Overall, he ranked second in the nation in receiving yards and was 12th in the nation with 1,961 all-purpose yards (140.7 ypg).
In 2021, Thompkins set single-season school records in receptions (102), receiving yards (1,704) and games with at least 170 receiving yards (5), He also tied the school record for consecutive 100-yard receiving games (6) and 100-yard receiving games in a season (9), along with tying for the seventh-most touchdown catches in a season (10). Thompkins also had a career-high 215 receiving yards against New Mexico State (11/6/21), which is tied for the ninth-most in school history.
For his career, Thompkins ranks third all-time at Utah State in receptions (171) and receiving yards (2,519), and fourth in 100-yard receiving games (9).
Wright, a 6-1, 195-pound wide receiver from Sterling, Utah (Manti HS/Snow College), earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors following his senior season as he had 48 receptions for 789 yards (16.44 ypr/59.36 ypg) and a team-best 11 touchdowns, which are tied for the second-most in a single season in school history.
For his career, Wright caught 66 passes for 1,013 yards (15.3 ypg) with 13 touchdowns and ranks 36th all-time in school history in receiving yards.
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