BIG SKY FOOTBALL: Montana State headlines all-conference selections
From news services
FARMINGTON, Utah — The Big Sky Conference unveiled the 2024 all-conference teams and individual awards on Wednesday morning, with Montana State headlining the announcement following a perfect season for the Bobcats.
The all-conference teams and individual awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team's nominees.
After earning its first-ever 12-0 season and first outright Big Sky title since 2011, Montana State was rewarded with four of the five individual awards in the postseason voting.
Brent Vigen was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, after his perfect season with the Bobcats.
Vigen is the first MSU coach to win the award twice since Mike Kramer won the honor in 2002 and 2005.
Tommy Mellott was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Bobcat to win the honor since DeNarius McGhee in 2010.
Overall, Mellott becomes just the third Bobcat to win the offensive honor as he joins McGhee and Kelly Bradley from 1984.
Mellott earned 33 total touchdowns and over 2,600 offensive yards this season, while only throwing one interception.
Idaho's Zach Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 225 pound redshirt freshman linebacker from Lake City High, was named an honorable mention. Johnson is third on the team with 76 tackles, 32 solo tackles and a forced fumble.
Brandon Casey, a 6-5 senior offensive lineman from Sandpoint High, was named to the first-team for the second straight year for Montana.
Efton Chism III, Wyatt Hansen and Michael Wortham earned first-team selections for Eastern Washington, which had 10 selected.
Austin York, Matthew Brown and Derek Ganter Jr. landed on the second team, with Wortham joining at the kick returner spot.
Jett Carpenter, Jack Seelye, Luke Dahlgren and DaJean Wells pick up honorable mentions.
The Eagles ranked second in the Big Sky and eighth in the FCS with 35.8 points per game, while ranking third in the conference and eighth in the nation with 444.3 yards of total offense.
Brody Grebe was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, as he fulfilled the preseason expectations after being named the MVP heading into the season. Montana State has won the top defensive honor seven times since 2003.
Grebe was an anchor for one of the best defenses in the FCS this year, getting 7.5 tackles for loss and six sacks as he wrecked opposing team’s game plans.
Adam Jones was named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, becoming the third Bobcat to win the honor since it began in 2013. Jones rushed for nearly 1,000 yards on just 123 carries, scoring nine touchdowns on the ground and another receiving.
Ty Pennington broke up the Bobcat sweep, as the Lumberjack was named the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year. Pennington had 20 total touchdowns in his first season with Northern Arizona, with over 2,500 total offensive yards. Pennington also led the Lumberjacks to their first playoff appearance since 2017.
After winning four of the five individual awards, it was no surprise Montana State led the way in all-conference honors as well, with the Bobcats having nine first teamers and 17 selections overall.
There were seven unanimous first-team selections, with UC Davis’ Lan Larison, Northern Arizona’s Bryzai White, Montana State’s Marcus Wehr and Sacramento State’s Jackson Slater on the offensive side and Montana State’s Brody Grebe, UC Davis’ Rex Connors and Northern Arizona’s Alex McLaughlin on defense.
2024 BIG SKY FOOTBALL
* — Unanimous first-team selection
Offensive Player of the Year — Tommy Mellott, Montana State
Defensive Player of the Year — Brody Grebe, Montana State
Newcomer of the Year — Ty Pennington, Northern Arizona
Freshman of the Year — Adam Jones, Montana State
Coach of the Year — Brent Vigen, Montana State
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Tommy Mellott, Montana State; RB: Lan Larison, UC Davis*; RB: Scottre Humphrey, Montana State; FB: Rohan Jones, Montana State; WR: Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington; WR: Jeff Weimer, Idaho State; WR: Christian Fredericksen, Idaho State; TE: Bryzai White, Northern Arizona*; TE: Winston Williams, UC Davis; OL: Marcus Wehr, Montana State*; OL: Jackson Slater, Sacramento State*; OL: Conner Moore, Montana State; OL: Brandon Casey, Montana; OL: Wyatt Hansen, Eastern Washington; OL: Ayden Knapik, Idaho; AP: Michael Wortham, Eastern Washington
DEFENSE
DL: Brody Grebe, Montana State*; DL: Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho; DL: Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly; DL: Dallas Afalava, Idaho; DL: Zach Kennedy, UC Davis; LB: McCade O’Reilly, Montana State; LB: David Meyer, UC Davis; LB: Jaxton Eck, Idaho; LB: Tommy Ellis, Northern Arizona; LB: Will Leota, Sacramento State; DB: Rex Connors, UC Davis*; DB: Alex McLaughlin, Northern Arizona*; DB: Tommy McCormick, Idaho; DB: Andrew Marshall, Idaho; DB: Kavir Bains, UC DavisDB: Rylan Ortt, Montana State;
SPECIALISTS
KR: Junior Bergen, Montana; PR: Taco Dowler, Montana State; K: Gabe Panikowski, Idaho State; P: Hunter Green, Northern Colorado; ST: Dwayne McDougle, Idaho.
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Miles Hastings, UC Davis; RB: Damon Bankston, Weber State; RB: Eli Gillman, Montana; FB: Austin York, Eastern Washington; WR: Jacob Sharp, Weber State; WR: Jared Gipson, Sacramento State; WR: Keelan White, Montana; WR: Jordan Dwyer, Idaho; TE: Mike Martinez, Idaho; TE: Tanner Beaman, Portland State; OL: Jonny Bottorff, Northern ArizonaOL: Titan Fleischmann, Montana State; OL: Stryker Rashid, Idaho State; OL: Eli Simonson, UC Davis; OL: Gavin Ortega, Weber State; OL: Cole Sain, Montana State; AP: Dante Chachere, Portland State.
Defense
DL: Kemari Munier-Bailey, Weber State; DL: Hayden Harris, Montana; DL: Matt Brown, Eastern Washington; DL: Paul Brott, Montana State; DL: Evan Bearden, UC Davis; LB: Riley Wilson, Montana; LB: Peyton Wing, Portland State; LB: Porter Connors, UC Davis; LB: Ryan Tirrell, Montana; LB: Danny Uluilakepa, Montana State; DB: Andrew Powdrell, Montana State; DB: DJ VanHook, Northern Arizona; DB: Zach Lewis, Northern Arizona; DB: Trevin Gradney, Montana; DB: Mason Rivera, Cal Poly; DB: Derek Ganter Jr., Eastern Washington.
Specialists: KR: Michael Wortham, Eastern Washington; PR: Junior Bergen, Montana; K: Hunter Ridley, UC Davis; P: Brendan Hall, Montana State; ST: TJ Rausch, Montana.
Honorable Mention
(At least 3 votes)
Offense
QB: Dante Chachere, Portland State; RB: Adam Jones, Montana State; RB: Elijah Tau-Tolliver, Sacramento State; WR: Giancarlo Woods, Cal Poly; WR: Mark Hamper, Idaho; WR: Junior Bergen, Montana; TE: Jett Carpenter, Eastern Washington; OL: Nate Azzopardi, Idaho; OL: Jack Seelye, Eastern Washington; OL: Billy Lutui, Portland State; OL: Ernesto Nava, UC Davis; OL: Luke Dahlgren, Eastern Washington; OL: Journey Grimsrud, Montana; OL: Richard Estrella, Portland State.
Defense
DL: Micah Carreon, Northern Arizona; DL: Princeton Toki, UC Davis; DL: Ethan Rodriguez, Cal Poly; DL: Malakai Williams, Idaho; DL: Kenneth Eiden IV, Montana State; DL: Brayden Wilson, Weber State; LB: Garrett Beck, Weber State; LB: Isiah King, Idaho; LB: Ammon Allen, Northern Arizona; LB: Zach Johnson, Idaho; LB: Brandon Wong, Northern Arizona; DB: Jaxon Lee, Montana; DB: Tyreese Shakir, Portland State; DB: DaJean Wells, Eastern Washington; DB: Cam Chapa, Northern Colorado.
Specialists
KR: Andrew Marshall, Idaho; PR: Isaiah Eastman, Northern Arizona; K: Zach Schreiner, Sacramento State; K: Mathias Uribe, Portland State; P: Ben D’Aquila, Northern Arizona; ST: Jeremy Justice, Cal Poly; ST: Sean Farfan, Northern Arizona.