Courtesy of Utah State
LOGAN, Utah — Utah State football junior Ike Larsen has been selected as one of three College Football’s Comeback Player of the Year Award winners as selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) and Associated Press in association with the Fiesta Bowl Organization.
Larsen, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound safety from Smithfield, Utah (Sky View HS), ranked second on the team with 80 total tackles and 55 solo tackles. Larsen also led the Aggies with nine pass breakups on the year and added one interception and one tackle-for-loss.
Larsen has become an outspoken champion of mental health after overcoming his own challenges during his Aggie career. In 2021 as his family was deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Larsen battled through depression and suicidal thoughts, ultimately seeking help through therapy and other learned coping tools to remain a steadfast anchor for those around him.
Larsen was originally added to the watch list for the Comeback Player of the Year as one of 10 players added midseason in addition to 48 players selected in the preseason. Larsen, along with two other award winners, will be honored and recognized at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl via a scoreboard message and PA announcement during a timeout of the game.
Prior to the season, Larsen was also named to watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award (awarded annually to the top defensive player in the nation), the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List (awarded annually to the best defensive back in the nation) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List (awarded annually the best defensive player in the nation).
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