Five Vandals named to all-Big Sky football first team
Five Idaho Vandal football players earned Big Sky first-team all-conference honors, four were named to the second team and seven picked up honorable mention All-Big Sky recognition, the conference announced Tuesday.
Hayden Hatten was a unanimous first-team choice at wide receiver to lead the way for the Vandals on the first team. Gevani McCoy was named first-team quarterback and Anthony Woods was named a first-team running back.
On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Marcus Harris earned first-team honors. Ricardo Chavez picked up first-team honors at kicker.
Jermaine Jackson was named second-team All-Big Sky at wide receiver and as a punt returner. Chavez earned a second-team nod at punter and Sean McCormick was named second-team as a special teams player.
Offensive lineman Ayden Knapik, edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby, defensive lineman Dallas Afalava, linebacker Xe’Ree Alexander and safety Tommy McCormick received honorable mention honors.
Jackson was also named honorable mention for kick return.Hatten caught 75 passes for 985 yards and nine touchdowns. He caught 11 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns against Montana and had 175 receiving and a touchdown against Weber State. He has scored at least one touchdown in each of the last five games. He also threw for two touchdowns.
McCoy missed Saturday’s game but led the Big Sky in passing efficiency. He was 190 of 288 for 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for two TDs.
Woods averaged 5.7 yards per carry and ran for 987 yards on 172 attempts. He averaged 98.7 yards per game and notched 14 touchdowns on the year.Harris led the Vandals with nine pass breakups this season and tallied two interceptions, including a game-sealing 70-yard pick-six against Northern Colorado. He also notched 3.5 tackles for loss and 42 total tackles.Chavez led the Big Sky in made field goals (14) and field goal percentage (87.5%).
For second-team honors, Jackson led the way with two recognitions. He was second for the Vandals with 507 yards on the season on 42 receptions. Against Idaho State on Saturday, he had a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Chavez was named second-team punter after punting 17 times, with seven punts over 50 and five inside the 20. He averaged 48.2 yards per punt.
The final second-team honoree is Sean McCormick, who once again shined on special teams. He racked up nine total tackles on the season.
The Vandals received the No. 4 seed and a bye in the FCS playoffs. Idaho awaits the winner of the Southern Illinois vs. Nicholls game. Tickets are on sale now for season ticket holders and go on sale today for the general public. More information is available on govandals.com/fcsplayoffs.
Eastern Washington had five players recognized on all-conference teams. Wide receiver Efton Chism III and cornerback Marlon Jones Jr. each earned first team honors, with Chism as one of four players garnering unanimous distinction.
Joining Chism and Jones were EWU TE Blake Gobel on the Big Sky second team offense, QB/KR Michael Wortham on the second team special teams, and QB Kekoa Visperas as an honorable mention.
It marks the second-straight all-league honor for Chism and Jones, who both earned a spot on the Third Team in 2022.
Chism ranked among the conference and national leaders in just about every receiving category, ranking second (Big Sky) and third (FCS) in receptions per game (7.6). He piled up a career-best 84 catches for 934 yards and 8 TD, capped by a 3-TD performance against Northern Arizona last Saturday. He climbed to third on EWU’s all-time career receptions list with 226, moved into 12th in all-time receiving yards with 2,541 and currently ranks 2nd in receptions per game with 5.51
Jones Jr. returned an interception for a touchdown in back-to-back weeks — in wins against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 16 and at UC Davis on Sept. 23. He finished with 3 interceptions for the third straight season, adding the third at Portland State on Oct. 28, while recording 4 tackle-for-loss and 1 sack. In four seasons as an Eagle and 40 career games played, Jones has 158 total tackles, 9 interceptions and 23 passes defended.
ALL-BIG SKY FOOTBALL
* - Unanimous Selection
2023 Individual Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year: Lan Larison, RB, UC Davis
Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Gubner, DL, Montana
Newcomer of the Year: Clifton McDowell, QB, Montana
Freshman of the Year: Eli Gillman, RB, Montana
Coach of the Year: Bobby Hauck, Montana*
First Team All-Conference Offense
QB: Gevani McCoy, Idaho
RB: Lan Larison, UC Davis
RB: Anthony Woods, Idaho
FB: Derryk Snell, Montana State
WR: Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington*
WR: Hayden Hatten, Idaho*
WR: Chedon James, Idaho State
WR: Junior Bergen, Montana
TE: Marshel Martin, Sacramento State
TE: Treyton Pickering, Montana State
OL: Noah Atagi, Weber State*
OL: Marcus Wehr, Montana State
OL: Rush Reimer, Montana State
OL: Brandon Casey, Montana
OL: Jordan Ford, UC Davis
OL: Jackson Slater, Sacramento State
AP: Sean Chambers, Montana State
First Team All-Conference Defense
DL: Alex Gubner, Montana*
DL: Brody Grebe, Montana State
DL: Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly
DL: Zach Kennedy, UC Davis
DL: Eloi Kwete, Northern Arizona
LB: Braxton Hill, Montana
LB: Winston Reid, Weber State
LB: Armon Bailey, Sacramento State
LB: Nolan Askelson, Montana State
LB: Jack Kelly, Weber State
DB: Marcus Harris, Idaho
DB: Maxwell Anderson, Weber State
DB: Cameron Broussard, Sacramento State
DB: Marlon Jones Jr., Eastern Washington
DB: Corbin Walker, Montana
DB: Trevin Gradney, Montana
First Team All-Conference Special Teams
K: Ricardo Chavez, Idaho
P: Brendan Hall, Montana State
KR: Abraham Williams, Weber State
PR: Junior Bergen, Montana
ST: Garrett Graves, Montana
Second Team All-Conference Offense
QB: Tommy Mellott, Montana State
RB: Eli Gillman, Montana
RB: Julius Davis, Montana State
FB: Andrew VanBuren, Portland State
WR: Jermaine Jackson, Idaho
WR: Coleman Owen, Northern Arizona
WR: Jared Gipson, Sacramento State
TE: Hayden Meacham, Weber State
TE: Blake Gobel, Eastern Washington
OL: Jonny Bottorff, Northern Arizona
OL: Shiloh Ta’ase, Portland State
OL: Garrett Weichman, Cal Poly
OL: Jordan Lutui, Weber State
OL: Omar Aigbedlion, Montana State
OL: AJ Forbes, Montana
AP: Trent Tompkins, UC Davis
Second Team All-Conference Defense
DL: Jett Stanley, Sacramento State
DL: Sebastian Valdez, Montana State
DL: Brayden Wilson, Weber State
DL: Dino Kahaulelio, Portland State
DL: Chubba Maae, UC Davis
LB: Evan Tattersall, UC Davis
LB: Teddye Buchanan, UC Davis
LB: Levi Janacaro, Montana
LB: Riley Wilson, Montana
LB: Nick Eaton, UC Davis
DB: Rex Connors, UC Davis
DB: Alex McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
DB: Donovan Saunders, Cal Poly
DB: Calvin Pitcher, Idaho State
DB: George Steele, Northern Arizona
DB: Tizell Lewis, Northern Colorado
Second Team All-Conference Special Teams
K: Gianni Smith, Portland State
P: Ricardo Chavez, Idaho
KR: Michael Wortham, Eastern Washington
PR: Jermaine Jackson, Idaho
ST: Sean McCormick, Idaho
Honorable Mention (at least 3 votes)
QB: Kekoa Visperas, Eastern Washington
RB: Marcus Fulcher, Sacramento State
RB: Devon Starling, Northern Arizona
WR: Jermaine Braddock, Portland State
WR: Hendrix Johnson, Northern Arizona
OL: Chris Walker, Montana
OL: Ivan Garza, Sacramento State
OL: Journey Grimsrud, Montana
OL: Nathan Mejia, Sacramento State
OL: Ayden Knapik, Idaho
OL: Austin Lawrence, Northern Colorado
OL: Justus, Perkins, Montana State
OL: Jake Parks, UC Davis
AP: Quincy Craig, Portland State
DL: Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho
DL: David Rowe, Idaho State
DL: Marcus Howard, Northern Colorado
DL: Mark Ho Ching, Northern Arizona
DL: Dallas Afalava, Idaho
LB: Tre Thomas, Idaho
LB: Parker McKenna, Portland State
LB: Xe’ree Alexander, Idaho
LB: Jacob Stanton, Northern Colorado
DB: Tommy McCormick, Idaho
DB: Jehiel Budgett, UC Davis
DB: Rylan Ortt, Montana State
DB: Naseme Colvin, Weber State
DB: Dillon Juniel, Sacramento State
K: Hunter Ridley, UC Davis
P: Cal McGough, Sacramento State
P: Hunter Green, Northern Colorado
P: Jack Burgess, Weber State
KR: Jermaine Jackson, Idaho
PR: Haze Hadley, Weber State
ST: Hendrix Johnson, Northern Arizona