LOGAN, Utah, July 11, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah State is picked to finish seventh in the Mountain West Conference this season amid a sudden shakeup of its football program.
Defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling has taken over as interim head coach following the July 2 termination of head coach Blake Anderson over alleged noncompliance with Title IX policies.
Jerry Bovee also was terminated from his role as Utah State’s associate vice president and deputy athletic director, as was Austin Albrecht, who served as director of player development and the community for the football team.
Dreiling, one of six assistants added to Anderson’s coaching staff in February, is one of seven new head coaches in the Mountain West in 2024.
Dreiling was hired to serve as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator and coach defensive ends. He spent the past two seasons as DC for New Mexico State and helped those Aggies post a 17-11 record and play in consecutive bowl games, as well as the 2023 Conference USA championship game.
Boise State was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West, according to poll of media who cover the conference. The Broncos are led by Spencer Danielson, who coached BSU’s final four games of the 2023 campaign in an interim role before being named head coach after the season.
The other Mountain West coaching newcomers this season are Jeff Choate (Nevada), Sean Lewis (San Diego State), Bronco Mendenhall (New Mexico), Ken Niumatalolo (San Jose State) and Jay Sawvel (Wyoming). It’s a return to the Mountain West for Mendenhall, who coached then-conference member BYU from 2005 to 2010.
Boise State earned 38 of 46 first-place votes for 543 total points to lead the preseason poll for the 14th consecutive season.
UNLV, led by reigning Mountain West Coach of the Year Barry Odom, was picked second in the preseason poll with 471 points and four first-place votes, followed by Fresno State with 460 points and the remaining four first-place votes.
Utah State landed a pair of players on the 2024 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team: junior safety Ike Larsen and senior wide receiver Jalen Royals.
It was the second consecutive preseason all-conference selection for Larsen, a former Sky View High School star who was named to the 2023 All-Mountain West First Team.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound safety ranked second in tackles (103 total, 58 solo) for the Aggies last season, led the team with four interceptions and two blocked kicks, while adding 4.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Royals, a 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver from Powder Springs, Georgia, earned All-Mountain West First Team honors last season. He finished with 71 receptions for 1,080 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns.
2024 Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll
- Boise State, 543 (38 first-place votes)
- UNLV, 471 (4)
- Fresno State, 460 (4)
- Air Force, 384
- Colorado State, 337
- Wyoming, 296
- Utah State, 285
- San Diego State, 251
- Hawaii, 214
- San Jose State 185
- New Mexico, 85
- Nevada, 77
2024 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team
Offense
- QB: Mikey Keene, Fresno State
- WR: Tory Horton, Colorado State
- WR: Ricky White III, Sr., UNLV
- WR: Jalen Royals, Utah State
- RB: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- RB: Malik Sherrod, Fresno State
- OL: Kage Casey, Boise State
- OL: Jacob Gardner, Colorado State
- OL: Mose Vavao, Fresno State
- OL: Tiger Shanks, UNLV
- OL: Jack Walsh, Wyoming
- TE: John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
Defense
- DL: Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
- DL: Devo Bridges, Fresno State
- DL: Soane Toia, San Jose State
- DL: Jordan Bertagnole, Wyoming
- LB: Andrew Simpson, Boise State
- LB: Chase Wilson, Colorado State
- LB: Jordan Pollard, San Jose State
- LB: Jackson Woodard, UNLV
- DB: A’Marion McCoy, Boise State
- DB: Jack Howell, Colorado State
- DB: Cameron Oliver, UNLV
- DB: Ike Larsen, Utah State
Specialists
- P: James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State
- PK: Jonah Dalmas, Boise State
- PR: Jacob De Jesus, UNLV
- KR: Jacob De Jesus, UNLV
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Ahmed Hassanein, DL, Boise State
Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Jackson Woodard, LB, UNLV
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year: Jacob De Jesus, PR/KR, UNLV
