Twenty Big Sky Conference football players were named to the Hero Sports all-American teams Monday, with nine of those athletes hailing from the Treasure State.
Five Montana Grizzlies and four Montana State Bobcats collected the recognition.
Montana had a Big Sky-best five athletes earn the honor, with two named first-team all-American. Record-breakers Dante Olson and Samori Toure were each selected first-team all-Americans by the publication. Olson, a linebacker, became the Big Sky's leading tackler in Friday's quarterfinal loss to Weber State, while Toure, a receiver, had the most single-season receiving yards in program history.
Olson finished his career by leading UM and the Big Sky with a record 179 tackles and broke the league record with 397 career stops. Olson had 11 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks this fall, while also recording two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and interception. He is one of three finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which will be announced Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas.
Toure, a junior, broke Randy Moss' 1996 record for most receiving yards in a playoff game, posting 303 yards against Southeastern Louisiana. He finished with a UM single-season record of 1,495 receiving yards, hauling in a career-best 13 touchdowns. Toure has 155 receptions for 2,488 yards and 20 touchdowns in his Grizzly career.
Montana State's Troy Andersen was also a first-team all-American selection, earning the honor at the athlete position. The do-everything Dillon native has carried the ball 49 times for 336 yards and seven touchdowns, while also throwing a touchdown pass. Andersen has primarily played linebacker, though, and has totaled 54 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and 6.5 sacks. He also has an interception this season.
Andersen has missed the past three games due to injury.
Fellow Bobcats Mitch Brott (offensive line), Bryce Sterk (defensive end) and Brayden Konkol (safety) were named second-team all-American, as was Montana's defensive back Robby Hauck.
Grizzlies Jerry Louie-McGee and Marcus Knight were third-team selections at punt returner and running back, respectively.
The complete list of Hero Sports all-Americans can be found below. Montana and Montana State athletes are highlighted in bold.
Hero Sports FCS all-Americans
| FIRST TEAM OFFENSE | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| QB | Trey Lance | Fr. | North Dakota State |
| QB | Kevin Thomson | Jr. | Sacramento State |
| RB | Pete Guerriero | Jr. | Monmouth |
| RB | James Robinson | Sr. | Illinois State |
| RB | Jordan Bentley | Sr. | Alabama A&M |
| OL | Dillon Radunz | Jr. | North Dakota State |
| OL | Kyle Murphy | Sr. | Rhode Island |
| OL | Zack Johnson | Sr. | North Dakota State |
| OL | Alex Taylor | Sr. | South Carolina State |
| OL | Liam Fornadel | Jr. | James Madison |
| WR | DeAngelo Wilson | Jr. | Austin Peay |
| WR | Aaron Parker | Sr. | Rhode Island |
| WR | Samori Toure | Jr. | Montana |
| TE | Adam Trautman | Sr. | Dayton |
| AP | Chris Rowland | Sr. | Tennessee State |
| ATH | JaVaughn Craig | Sr. | Austin Peay |
| FIRST TEAM DEFENSE | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| DL | Jonah Williams | Sr. | Weber State |
| DL | Ron’Dell Carter | Sr. | James Madison |
| DL | Derrek Tuszka | Sr. | North Dakota State |
| DL | Sully Laiche | Sr. | Nicholls |
| LB | Jabril Cox | Jr. | North Dakota State |
| LB | Dante Olson | Sr. | Montana |
| LB | Christian Rozeboom | Sr. | South Dakota State |
| LB | Zach Hall | Sr. | SEMO |
| DB | Kordell Jackson | Jr. | Austin Peay |
| DB | Greg Liggs, Jr. | Sr. | Elon |
| DB | Luther Kirk | Sr. | Illinois State |
| DB | Jeremy Chinn | Sr. | Southern Illinois |
| ATH | Troy Andersen | Jr. | Montana State |
| FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| P | Alex Pechin | Sr. | Bucknell |
| PK | Luis Aguilar | Jr. | Northern Arizona |
| PR | Terry Williams | Sr. | UT Martin |
| KR | Earnest Edwards | Sr. | Maine |
| LS | Josh Brady | Sr. | Jacksonville State |
| ST | Bill Murray | Sr. | William & Mary |
| SECOND TEAM OFFENSE | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| QB | Ben DiNucci | Sr. | James Madison |
| QB | Case Cookus | Sr. | Northern Arizona |
| RB | Karl Mofor | Jr. | UAlbany |
| RB | Jah-Maine Martin | Jr. | North Carolina A&T |
| RB | Pierre Strong Jr. | Soph. | South Dakota State |
| OL | Cordell Volson | Jr. | North Dakota State |
| OL | PJ Burkhalter | Jr. | Nicholls |
| OL | Mitch Brott | Sr. | Montana State |
| OL | Dieter Eiselen | Sr. | Yale |
| OL | Marcus Pettiford | Sr. | North Carolina A&T |
| WR | Juwan Green | Sr. | UAlbany |
| WR | Kristian Wilkerson | Sr. | SEMO |
| WR | Josh Pearson | Sr. | Jacksonville State |
| TE | Charlie Taumoepeau | Sr. | Portland State |
| AP | Elijah Dotson | Jr. | Sacramento State |
| ATH | Joe Newman | Sr. | Wofford |
| SECOND TEAM DEFENSE | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| DL | John Daka | Sr. | James Madison |
| DL | Bryce Sterk | Sr. | Montana State |
| DL | Nasir Player | Sr. | ETSU |
| DL | Andre Walker | Sr. | Houston Baptist |
| LB | Bryson Armstrong | Jr. | Kennesaw State |
| LB | Dimitri Holloway | Sr. | James Madison |
| LB | Da'Jon Lee | Sr. | Saint Francis |
| LB | Cam Gill | Sr. | Wagner |
| DB | Robby Hauck | Soph. | Montana |
| DB | Brayden Konkol | Sr. | Montana State |
| DB | James Hendricks | Sr. | North Dakota State |
| DB | Marlon Bridges | Sr. | Jacksonville State |
| SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| P | Chris Faddoul | Jr. | Florida A&M |
| PK | Trey Tuttle | Jr. | Weber State |
| PR | Montrell Washington | Jr. | Samford |
| KR | Ahmere Dorsey | Sr. | Rhode Island |
| LS | Bradey Sorenson | Sr. | South Dakota State |
| ST | D’Angelo Amos | Jr. | James Madison |
| THIRD TEAM OFFENSE | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| QB | Eric Barriere | Jr. | Eastern Washington |
| QB | Kenji Bahar | Sr. | Monmouth |
| FB | Bronson Rechsteiner | Sr. | Kennesaw State |
| RB | Percy Agyei-Obese | Jr. | James Madison |
| RB | Josh Davis | Soph. | Weber State |
| RB | Marcus Knight | Soph. | Montana |
| OL | Mac Patrick | Sr. | James Madison |
| OL | Drew Himmelman | Jr. | Illinois State |
| OL | John Gallina | Sr. | Monmouth |
| OL | Kyle Anderton | Sr. | Austin Peay |
| OL | Justus Basinger | Sr. | Wofford |
| WR | Cade Johnson | Jr. | South Dakota State |
| WR | Isaiah Weston | Soph. | Northern Iowa |
| WR | Michael Bandy | Sr. | San Diego |
| TE | Ben Ellefson | Sr. | North Dakota State |
| AP | Alex Ramsey | Jr. | VMI |
| ATH | Brandon Rainey | Jr. | The Citadel |
| THIRD TEAM DEFENSE | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| DL | Elerson Smith | Jr. | Northern Iowa |
| DL | Eli Mencer | Sr. | UAlbany |
| DL | Aaron Patrick | Sr. | Eastern Kentucky |
| DL | LaCale London | Sr. | Western Illinois |
| DL | Adam Rodriguez | Sr. | Weber State |
| LB | Jonas Griffith | Sr. | Indiana State |
| LB | Jeremiah Chambers | Sr. | Abilene Christian |
| LB | Allen Pittman | Sr. | Nicholls |
| LB | Donnell Rodgers | Sr. | North Dakota |
| DB | Brandon Easterling | Jr. | Dayton |
| DB | Ferlando Jordan | Soph. | Southeastern Louisiana |
| DB | Adam Smith | Sr. | James Madison |
| DB | Isiah Swann | Sr. | Dartmouth |
| THIRD TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS | |||
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | SCHOOL |
| P | DJ Arnson | Jr. | Northern Arizona |
| PK | Ethan Ratke | Jr. | James Madison |
| PR | Jerry Louie-McGee | Sr. | Montana |
| KR | Gamar Brito | Sr. | Houston Baptist |
| LS | Colton Menges | Sr. | Alcorn State |
| ST | Spencer Matthaei | Sr. | Yale |
