Way Too Early NFL Draft Preview For Utah State’s Ike Larsen
Apr 26, 2024, 10:23 PM
LOGAN, Utah— Since stepping on campus in 2021, Utah State safety Ike Larsen has been one of the best athletes in the locker room. From blocked kicks and pick-sixes to being an emotional leader on the defense, Larsen has been everything Aggie Faithful could have hoped for when he committed to the program.
The redshirt junior-to-be had offers to leave USU following his sophomore campaign, but he chose loyalty over potentially a larger payday. Could years of investment, hard work, and development pay off with an NFL draft selection in 2025?
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Sorry to keep yall waitin…. @USUFootball @BlueACollective pic.twitter.com/EGms7HfOKC
— Ike Larsen (@IkeLarsen19) December 2, 2023
Larsen’s announcement came after a season in which he was named a College Football Network Honorable Mention All-American and earned first-team all-Mountain West honors.
The 5’10, 195-pound safety ended the year with a second on the team with 103 tackles (4.5 TFLs), becoming the 65th player in program history to record a 100-tackle season. He had five double-digit tackle games. Larsen led the Aggies with four INTs and two blocked kicks, adding six pass breakups and a forced fumble.
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IKE LARSEN! THAT IS ALL!!
⚡️@IkeLarsen19 pic.twitter.com/gwI1xuxJwc
— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 30, 2023
Larsen has shown a knack for the dramatic in his time at USU.
His block of a game-tying extra point against UConn secured a 34-33 Utah State win and earned his first MW Special Teams Player of the Week honor. One week later, Larsen was named MW Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven tackles and two interceptions against Colorado State.
One month later, Larsen earned the third Defensive Player of the Week award of his career when his interception in the second overtime against San Diego State sealed an Aggie victory. The former Bobcat finished with eight tackles in the game.
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Larsen’s two blocked kicks in 2023 led the MW and was fourth in the country. He holds the school record with five blocked kicks in his career (4 punts, 1 PAT).
Larsen has 136 tackles (7.5 TFLs), eight interceptions, and one forced fumble across 26 games played for the Aggies.
About Ike Larsen
A prep standout at nearby Sky View High School, Larsen joined the Aggies with quite the high school resume.
Following his senior season, 247Sports.com rated Larsen the 24th-best recruit in Utah. MaxPreps.com named him first-team all-state as a defensive back after he registered 55 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He also blocked nine kicks on special teams and returned two INTs for touchdowns.
Ike Larsen breaks down his pick six vs Hawaii pic.twitter.com/r5jpp5uGpn
— Scott Garrard (@ScottyGZone) November 13, 2022
Larsen’s athleticism showed nearly every time he touched the football on offense. He caught 24 passes for 565 yards and five scores while carrying the ball 19 times for 197 yards and four TDs.
Larsen earned second-team all-state recognition following his junior season at Logan High. He ended the season with 35 catches for 548 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, he added 62 tackles, picked off seven passes, and broke up seven others. He finished the year with ten touchdowns, scoring on offense, defense, and special teams.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.
