Utah State football has one player on the 2025 preseason All-Mountain West football team — Cache Valley’s Ike Larsen

Safety Ike Larsen garnered his third straight preseason all-conference honor.

Utah State safety Ike Larsen (6) motions to teammates on defense during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 in Logan, Utah.
Utah State safety Ike Larsen (6) motions to teammates on defense during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 in Logan, Utah. | Tyler Tate

There are a lot of unknowns about Utah State football right now.

With a largely remade roster, a new coaching staff and a concerted effort by Bronco Mendenhall to keep things under wraps in order to prevent tampering and with that the loss of key players, not much is known about the Aggies ahead of the 2025 season.

After four seasons at Utah State, a lot it known about safety Ike Larsen, though. The Cache Valley product has been a star for the Aggies since his redshirt freshman season in 2022.

With a team full of unknowns, Larsen is, unsurprisingly, the Aggies’ lone representative on the 2025 preseason All-Mountain West football team.

Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen — an American Fork High School product — was tabbed as the MWC offensive player of the year, while San Diego State edge rush Trey White was picked as the preseason defensive player of the year.

In total, 35% of the preseason all-conference team was Boise State players (10 of 28). San Diego State and San Jose State were also well represented (three players apiece).

2025 Mountain West Football preseason all-conference team

Offensive Player of the Year: Maddux Madsen, Jr., QB, Boise State

Defensive Player of the Year: Trey White, Jr., EDGE, San Diego State

Special Teams Player of the Year: Gabe Plascencia, Sr., PK, San Diego State

Offense

  • QB         Maddux Madsen                      Jr.          Boise State
  • WR        Latrell Caples                           Gr.         Boise State
  • WR        Pofele Ashlock                         Jr.          Hawai‘i
  • WR        Nick Cenacle                            Sr.         Hawai‘i
  • RB         Scottre Humphrey                   Jr.          New Mexico
  • RB         Jai’Den Thomas**                    Jr.          UNLV
  • OL          Kage Casey*                             Jr.          Boise State
  • OL          Mason Randolph                     Sr.         Boise State
  • OL          Peseti Lapuaho                        Sr.         San José State
  • OL          Caden Barnett                         Sr.         Wyoming
  • OL          Jack Walsh**                            Sr.         Wyoming
  • TE          Matt Lauter*                             Sr.         Boise State

Defense

  • DL          Braxton Fely**                          Sr.         Boise State
  • DL          Jayden Virgin-Morgan*           Jr.          Boise State
  • DL          Trey White*                              Jr.          San Diego State
  • DL          Gafa Faga                                 Sr.         San José State
  • LB          Marco Notarainni*                   Sr.         Boise State
  • LB          Tano Letuli                               Jr.          San Diego State
  • LB          Jordan Pollard*                        Sr.         San José State
  • LB          Marsel McDuffie                      Sr.         UNLV
  • DB         Ty Benefield                             Jr.          Boise State
  • DB         A’Marion McCoy                      Gr.         Boise State
  • DB         Al’zillion Hamilton                   Sr.         Fresno State
  • DB         Ike Larsen                                 Sr.         Utah State

Specialists

  • P            Luke Freer**                             Sr.         Air Force
  • PK         Gabe Plascencia**                   Sr.         San Diego State
  • PR         Marcus Bellon                          Sr.         Nevada
  • KR         Abraham Williams                   Sr.         New Mexico

* - member of the 2024 All-Mountain West first team

** - member of the 2024 All-Mountain West second team

For Larsen, preseason all-conference honors are more of the same. It is his third consecutive season being named to the team.

Last season, Larsen finished second on Utah State with 80 total tackles (55 solo), including 1.5 tackles for loss. He also registered a team-high nine pass breakups and added an interception. He finished the season with three double-digit tackle games.

Boise State wide receiver Cameron Bates (80) battles for yards against Utah State safety Ike Larsen (6) after a reception in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won 62-30. (AP Photo/Steve Conner) | Steve Conner

Category: General Sports