LOGAN — The accolades keep rolling in for Utah State football standout Savon Scarver.
Thursday, a day after being named to the Mountain West preseason All-Conference team as a kick returner, Scarver was named the MWC preseason Special Teams Player of the Year.
The honor marks the first time a Utah State player has ever been named the Mountain West Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year, and is only the fourth time a USU player has been one of the conference’s preseason players of the year.
Former Aggie quarterbacks Jordan Love — now with the Green Bay Packers — and Chuckie Keeton — an offensive graduate assistant at Texas Tech — were each voted as the MW Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Love in 2019, Keeton in 2014. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell — currently with the New York Giants — meanwhile, was tabbed the MW Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.
In addition to Scarver, Colorado State wide receiver Warren Jackson and Fresno State linebacker Justin Rice were voted as the MW Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.
A consensus All-American and winner of the Johnny “The Jet” Award in 2018, Scarver has received his fair share of recognition ahead of the upcoming season. He was named to the 2020 College Football America (CFA) Yearbook Group of Five Preseason Starting Lineup (CFA’s version of a Group of Five conference All-America Team), the MW Preseason All-Conference Team, the Phil Steele Magazine Preseason All-MW first team and the Athlon Sports Preseason All-MW first team.
For his career, Scarver has returned five kickoffs for touchdowns (100, 100, 100, 99 and 96 yards), tied for the ninth-most in NCAA history and the second-most in MW history.
All of those returns can be seen below.
Utah State vs. New Mexico State — Dec. 29, 2017
Utah State vs. New Mexico State — Sept. 8, 2018
Utah State vs. Wyoming — Oct. 20, 2018
Utah State vs. Colorado State — Sept. 28, 2019
Utah State vs. Nevada — Oct. 20, 2019