Utah State football junior Ike Larsen has been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List it was announced on Monday.

Larsen, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound safety from Smithfield, Utah (Sky View HS), has also been named a College Football Network (CFN) Preseason Third-Team All-American and a HERO Sports Group of Five All-American. Larsen was also selected to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List (awarded annually to the best defensive back in the nation), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List (awarded annually the best defensive player in the nation) and was named to the preseason all-MW team by Phil Steele (first team), Athlon Sports (first team) and MW media.

In 2023, Larsen was named a CFN Honorable Mention All-American and earned first-team all-MW honors as he started all 13 games. He finished the year with 103 tackles (58-solo, 45-assist), which were the second-most on the team, and he became the 65th player in school history to have 100-plus tackles in a season. He also had 4.5 tackles for loss, to go along with a team-high four interceptions and a team-best two blocked kicks, while adding six pass breakups, which were the second-most on the team, and one forced fumble. He finished the year with five double-digit tackle outings.

Larsen, who was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week twice and the MW Special Teams Player of the Week once during the 2023 season, finished the year ranking first in the MW and fourth in the nation with two blocked kicks, tied for first in the MW and eighth in the nation with one defensive touchdown, third in the MW and 19th in the nation with four interceptions, eighth in the MW in passes defended with 10 (0.77 pg), and eighth in the MW and 56th in the nation in tackles (7.9 pg).