LAS VEGAS — In the 2023 football preseason poll for predicted order of finish in the Mountain West conference, Utah State were picked to finish eighth out of 12 teams in the conference.
Boise State were picked to win the conference followed by Air Force in second with Fresno State and San Diego State in third and fourth. The Broncos received 28 first-place votes with the Bulldogs picking up five.
This is the first season since Utah State joined the Mountain West that preseason voting has been done 1-12 instead of being broken down by division. Last year the Aggies were chosen to finish third in what was the Mountain division, receiving three first-place votes (based on overall points earned across both divisions, the Aggies were expected to finish round fifth).
Historically, the Aggies have rarely finished as low as eighth in the overall conference standings. Just twice in 10 seasons as a member has USU finished worse than seventh — 2020 and 2016 where the Aggies finished 11th both times.
Utah State has been picked to finish eighth in three of the last four seasons (2020, 2021 and 2023).
Mountain West Preseason Poll (first place votes in parenthesis)
- Boise State (28) – 433
- Air Force (2) – 364
- Fresno State (5) – 351
- San Diego State (1) – 338
- San Jose State – 293
- Wyoming – 281
- Colorado State – 201
- Utah State – 194
- UNLV (1) – 177
- Hawai’i – 102
- Nevada – 92
- New Mexico – 60
The Mountain West also released its preseason all-conference team. Sophomore safety Ike Larsen was the only Aggie to be on the list. USU wide receiver Terrell Vaughn has been a common first-team selection on other preseason All-Mountain West teams, but was looked over in favor of Colorado State’s Tory Horton and San Jose State’s Justin Lockhart. The preseason offensive player of the year is SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, the defensive player of the year pick is Wyoming linebacker Easton Gibbs with the special teams player of the year being San Diego State kicker/punter Jack Browning.
#𝗠𝗪𝗙𝗕 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗟𝗟-𝗠𝗪 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘 pic.twitter.com/r8vvX1Lh7a
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) July 19, 2023
#𝗠𝗪𝗙𝗕 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗟𝗟-𝗠𝗪 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘 pic.twitter.com/tPA32PRHMf
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) July 19, 2023
