USA TODAY Sports Recognizes Utah State Junior Linebacker Nick Vigil

Utah State [University] linebacker Nick Vigil was named to the USA TODAY Sports 2015 preseason All-America football team, it was announced earlier this week.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound junior from Plain City, Utah, was one of 11 selections to the second-team defense and one of just two players from a school outside of the Power 5 conferences. Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins was the other player outside of the Power 5 to be recognized by USA TODAY Sports as the junior wide receiver was tabbed a first-team offensive selection.

Previously, Vigil was tabbed the College Sports Madness Mountain West Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and picked to both the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List and Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. He is also a 2015 first-team all-Mountain West, Phil Steele first-team all-Mountain West, Athlon Sports first-team all-Mountain West and College Sports Madness first-team all-Mountain West selection.

Vigil earned first-team all-Mountain West honors in 2014 as he ranked first on the team in forced fumbles (5) and was tied for first in quarterback hurries (6). He was second in tackles (123) and tackles for loss (16.5), and third in sacks (7.0), while adding two pass breakups and one interception.

Overall, Vigil ranked first in the MW and tied for seventh in the nation in fumbles forced (0.38 pg), fourth in the MW and tied for 29th in the nation in tackles (9.5 pg), fourth in the MW and tied for 30th in the nation in tackles for loss (1.27 pg), and sixth in the MW in sacks (0.54 pg) last season. In all, he had six double-digit tackle outings on the season, including a career-high 15 tackles at Tennessee.

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