Alfred Edwards Leads Nine Aggies Receiving All-Conference Honors

Dec 2, 2022, 4:01 PM

(Photo courtesy of Utah State Athletics)

KSL Sports

LOGAN, Utah – After an improbable 6-6 season, nine Utah State players earned All-Mountain West recognition for their 2022 regular season play.

The Aggies closed out their regular season with a 42-23 at Boise State to finish the regular season at .500.

#𝙈𝙒𝙁𝘽 𝘼𝙇𝙇-𝙈𝙒 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏-𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀 pic.twitter.com/ggw2T4I4ga

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) November 29, 2022

USU is bowl-eligible for the second consecutive season and 10th time in the past 12 years. The Aggies played in five-straight bowls, winning three, from 2011-2015. After missing out on bowl season in 2016, the Aggies played in three straight bowls from 2017-2019. Utah State played in just six bowl games in their first 119 years of play.

All-Mountain West First Team

Graduate senior left tackle Alfred Edwards was the only Aggie to receive first team recognition. Edwards is also the only Aggie to be receive all-conference recognition for a second time after he received honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition last season.

Congrats to @AEdwards723 on being named 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭!

➡️ https://t.co/oHiFPrxoTo #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/XRaFZueAG1

— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022

Just the fourth USU offensive lineman to to earn Mountain West league honors since 2013, Edwards joins Tyler Larsen (2013), Kevin Whimpey (2014) and Quin Ficklin (2018).

Edwards started all 11 games he appeared in this season, playing 800 snaps, second most on the team. Overall, he had an 84 percent performance grade this season with a season high of 94 percent in a win over Air Force.

All-Mountain West Second Team

A pair of graduate seniors and a red-shirt freshman make up Utah State’s three Mountain West second team selections

Congrats to @cobbs_brian, @BlessedAthleteC, and @IkeLarsen19 on being named 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭!

➡️ https://t.co/oHiFPrxoTo #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/MubOmJIiRA

— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022

Brian Cobbs

A transfer from the University of Maryland, Cobbs has been a revelation for the Aggies. Cobbs set career highs in catches (10) and yards (136) in one game. He led Utah State with 70 receptions for 844 yards. His four touchdowns are tied with Justin McGriff for second on the team, behind Terrell Vaughn’s five scores.

#𝙈𝙒𝙁𝘽 𝘼𝙇𝙇-𝙈𝙒 𝙎𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙉𝘿-𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀 pic.twitter.com/NrzzgcS3ta

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) November 29, 2022

Just the fourth USU wide receiver to earn first or second-team Mountain West recognition, Cobbs joins Deven Thompkins (2021), Hunter Sharp (2015) and Siaosi Mariner (2019).

Cobbs finished the regular season third in the Mountain West and 32nd in the country with 5.8 receptions per game.

Calvin Tyler Jr.

In his second year in Logan, Tyler Jr. led the Aggies with 1,043 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 237 carries, appearing to get stronger as the season rolled along.

He became just the 16th player to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season in program history. His six 100-yard rushing games are the most for an Aggie since 2013.

2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ yard Career ✅

Congrats to @BlessedAthleteC on this career rushing milestone! pic.twitter.com/jerLJzfY0Q

— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 28, 2022

Tyler Jr.’s 86.9 rush yards per game is fifth in the Mountain West and good for 36th in the country.

Ike Larsen

Appearing in 11 games and starting four, Larsen had a breakout season for the Aggies at the safety position.

His four interceptions and three blocked punts led the team in both categories. Larsen is also the only player in the country to have four picks, three blocked kicks and a defensive touchdown.

Larsen was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week twice during the 2022 season. The first came when he posted a career-high seven tackles while blocking a punt and intercepting a pass against then-No. 1 Alabama.

All-Mountain West Honorable Mention

Hunter Reynolds

One of just three Aggies to start all 12 games on defense, Reynolds had the unenviable task of keeping an Aggie defense that had been decimated by injury together.

Reynolds was also named as a PFF Honorable Mention All-American.

Congrats to @hunt_xxvii on being named @PFF Honorable Mention All-American!

➡️ https://t.co/oIZ2oRC9Up #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/28J8Lce8Gd

— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 30, 2022

As a graduate-senior, Reynolds experience on the back end of the defense was invaluable. He joined Larsen as one of two Aggies to score a defensive touchdown this season.

Reynolds name is all over the stat sheet this season as he finished second on the team in tackles (88), interceptions (3), pass break-ups (7), and double-digit tackle games with three.

Daniel Grzesiak

A graduate-junior, Grzesiak joins Reynolds as one of three defensive players to start all 12 games for Utah State in 2022.

Congrats to @DG_RunItUp, @hunt_xxvii and @tfs1luv on being named 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 on defense!

➡️ https://t.co/oHiFPrglRo #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/CN1udpbDxe

— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022

His 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss lead Utah State. Grzesiak finished with 48 tackles and was second on the team with eight quarterback hurries. His three sacks and 3.5 TFL’s against Colorado State marked career highs.

MJ Tafisi

Tafisi, a junior inside linebacker, was a tackling machine for USU early this season. The Alta High School product started the first eight games of the season before an injury forced him to miss the last four games.

Despite those missed games, Tafisi’s nine tackles for a loss was second on the team and his 69 total tackles was enough to finish as the third leading tackler.

Tafisi led USU with five double-digit tackle games.

Terrell Vaughn

Listed as a ‘slight’ 5-7, 170 pounds, Terrell Vaughn relies on his speed, quickness and shiftiness in space to be productive. Vaughn started nine of 12 games, finishing with seven total touchdowns and a team high five receiving scores.

UTAH STATE!! Cooper Legas ➡️ Terrell Vaughn for the 75 yard TD! pic.twitter.com/OW6Xd1KKKE

— 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱𝟳 (@FTBeard7) November 25, 2022

After a slow start to the season in which Vaughn caught just two passes in his first two games, he has certainly appeared to find his role in the Aggie offense. Vaughn would go on to catch at least four balls in nine of the Aggies final ten games.

In the final regular season game against Boise State, Vaughn exploded for a career-high 148 yards and eight catches.

Chandler Dolphin

Dolphin, along with Edwards, was a steadying force on the offensive line. Starting all 12 games at center, Dolphin played a team-high 904 snaps and did not allow a sack.

Congrats to @darealChowda and @Terrell_Vaughn6 on being named 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 on offense!

➡️ https://t.co/oHiFPrglRo #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/EwuAPjF8wO

— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022

Dolphin played a season-high 89 snaps in a loss against BYU and graded out at a season-high 98% in a win over New Mexico.

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