Utah State offensive line. Photo by Robert K. Scott
LOGAN – Four Utah State football players were honored by the Mountain West as selections on the All-Mountain West teams. Offensive lineman Alfred Edwards was named to the first team while wide receiver Brian Cobbs, running back Calvin Tyler Jr, and defensive back Ike Larsen were named to the second team. Defensive back Hunter Reynolds was picked as an Honorable Mention All-American by Pro Football Focus.
The four players on All-MW team exceeds the number last year’s conference championship team had. Last year the Aggies only had three players honored (Deven Thompkins, Savon Scarver and Justin Rice). All four USU players picked to this year’s team are first-time selections to an All-Conference team. Edwards has come close prior to this year, being an honorable All-MW selection in 2021.
Edwards started in all 11 games he appeared in and was fourth among offensive players in total snaps and second among offensive lineman (behind Chandler Dolphin). He is the fourth USU O-lineman to be named first-team All-Mountain West, joining Tyler Larsen (2013), Kevin Whimpey (2014) and Quin Ficklin (2018).
With Cobbs being named to the second team, it’s the first time since joining the Mountain West that USU has had back-to-back all-conference receivers (with Thompkins being honored last year). The graduate transfer caught 70 passes this year (third in the conference) for 844 yards (fourth in the MW) for four touchdowns. The 70 receptions is tied for ninth-most all time with Mike Lee’s 1993 campaign. Cobbs is the seventh player in Aggie history to catch at least 70 passes and have at least 800 yards receiving.
With 1,043 rushing yards this year, Tyler Jr. became the 16th player in USU history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single season and first since Darwin Thompson in 2018. He also crossed 2,000 career years including 1,927 yards at Utah State. His six 100-yard rushing games this year are the most by an Aggie in a season since Joey Demartino in 2013. Tyler is also the first running back since Emmett White to have multiple 30-carry games as an Aggie and is second in the conference in rush attempts (237).
Larsen is the Aggies’ most decorated player this year, earning three player of the week honors throughout the season. He was named Freshman of the Week after USU’s loss to Alabama and later Freshman and Defensive Player of the Week in the same week after the Aggies road win over Hawaii. Larsen has four interceptions this year, tied for second in the conference. He also had 36 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two passes defended. One of Larsen’s interceptions was returned for a touchdown which turned out to be the difference in USU’s win at Hawaii. Larsen also blocked three punts this year, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Five additional Aggies were named Honorable Mention All-Conference players. Offensive lineman Chandler Dolphin, defensive end Daniel Grzesiak, linebacker MJ Tafisi, wide receiver Terrell Vaughn and Reynolds.
Reynolds is the third Aggie to be named to one of PFF’s All-America teams, joining David Woodward (first team in 2018) and Dominik Eberle (HM in 2019). It’s the fourth time in the last five seasons that a Utah State player has received some sort of All-American honors from a publication (Jalen Davis, 2017; Woodward and Savon Scarver, 2018; Eberle, 2019; Thompkins 2021).
On the year, Reynolds had 88 total tackles – 10th in the conference – and also had 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, seven passes defended and one fumble recovery which he returned 55 yards for a touchdown.
