Utah State’s Savon Scarver named Sporting News Preseason All-American

Savon Scarver catches the ball at the 99 yard line and drives it across the field for a Utah State touchdown at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah on Sept. 08, 2018. This was the first home football game of the season for Utah State. Utah State University won the game 60 to 13. (Megan Nielsen)

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State’s Savon Scarver has been named a Sporting News’ preseason second-team All-American as a special teams returner it was announced Wednesday.

Scarver, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior from Las Vegas, Nev. (Centennial HS), was named just the third consensus All-American in school history as a returner/all-purpose player and just the 16th in Mountain West history last season as he earned first-team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF), Football Writers Association of American (FWAA) and Phil Steele’s Magazine, and second-team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as he returned 22 kickoffs for 742 yards (33.7 ypr) and two touchdowns. His 742 return yards on kickoffs are the most by an Aggie since 2011, while his kickoff return average of 33.7 yards ranks second all-time in school history. In 2018, Scarver led the nation in kickoff returns (33.7 ypr) and tied for second in the nation with his two kickoff returns for touchdowns (0.15 pg). In fact, his two kickoff returns for touchdowns (100 yards vs. New Mexico State, 99 yards vs. Wyoming) are the second-most in a single-season in school history, and he is one of just two players in school history to have multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns in a single-season. Scarver was also named the winner of the 2018 Johnny “The Jet” Award as the nation’s top return specialist.

Heading into his junior campaign, Scarver has three career kickoff returns for touchdowns, which ranks second all-time in school history, while his career kickoff return average of 28.5 yards ranks as the third-best in school history as he has returned 48 kickoffs for 1,367 yards in his career.

Scarver has also been named a preseason first-team All-American by Phil Steele’s Magazine, a preseason second-team All-American by Athlon Sports and first-team all-Mountain West by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele’s Magazine as a kick returner this summer.

Utah State returns nine starters (O-2, D-7) as part of 32 letterwinners (O-13, D-17, S-2), including two All-Americans and eight players that earned various all-Mountain West honors, from last year’s team that ended the season ranked 21st in the final Amway Coaches poll and 22nd in the final AP poll as it tied the school record for wins and best record with an 11-2 mark following its 52-13 win against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl.

Utah State will open the 2019 season on Friday, Aug. 30, at Wake Forest and begins its home season the following weekend against Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 7. Mountain West play begins for USU two weekends later at San Diego State on Saturday, Sept. 21.

For Aggie football ticket information, fans can contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office over the phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy their tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online by clicking on the “Buy Tickets” tab at www.UtahStateAggies.com.

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