BILLINGS — Six Montana State Bobcats and two Montana Grizzlies are listed on STATS Perform's 2023 FCS preseason All-America teams, which were announced Tuesday.
MSU junior quarterback Tommy Mellott and junior offensive lineman Rush Reimer were named to the second-team offense, while MSU junior defensive lineman Sebastian Valdez was also a second-team selection. Montana junior punt returner Junior Bergen was named among the second-team specialists.
Montana senior defensive lineman Alex Gubner was a third-team selection, as were MSU junior kick returner Marqui Johnson and sophomore punt returner Taco Dowler. Bobcats junior long snapper Tommy Sullivan is the only first-team pick from either Montana or Montana State.
Other Big Sky Conference selections include first-team receiver and preseason Big Sky offensive MVP Hayden Hatton of Idaho, first-team tight end Marshel Martin of Sacramento State, first-team defensive back Maxwell Anderson of Weber State, first-team kick returner Abraham Williams of Weber State, second-team offensive linemen Noah Atagi of Weber State and Jackson Slater of Sacramento State, second-team linebackers Armon Bailey of Sacramento State and preseason Big Sky defensive MVP Winston Reid of Weber State, second-team defensive back Rex Connors of UC Davis, third-team linebacker David Hoage of Northern Colorado, and third-team defensive back Marcus Harris of Idaho.
South Dakota State, the defending FCS national champion, led with eight All-America selections. Following is the full list:
2023 STATS Perform Preseason All-America team
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB – Michael Hiers, 6-1, 211, senior, Samford
QB – Matthew Sluka, 6-3, 215, senior, Holy Cross
RB – Isaiah Davis, 6-1, 220, senior, South Dakota State
RB – Jaden Shirden, 5-9, 185, junior, Monmouth
WR – Devron Harper, 5-9, 168, senior, Mercer
WR – Hayden Hatten, 6-2, 205, redshirt junior, Idaho
WR – Ty James, 6-2, 200, redshirt senior, Mercer
TE – Marshel Martin, 6-2, 210, senior, Sacramento State
OL – John Allen, 6-1, 310, senior, Southeastern Louisiana
OL – Zack Gieg, 6-1, 287, redshirt senior, Southeast Missouri
OL – Garret Greenfield, 6-6, 310, redshirt senior, South Dakota State
OL – Mason McCormick, 6-4, 305, redshirt senior, South Dakota State
OL – Luke Newman, 6-5, 301, senior, Holy Cross
Defense
DL – Ty French, 6-3, 230, senior, Gardner-Webb
DL – Jay Person, 6-3, 224, senior, Chattanooga
DL – Josiah Silver, 6-2, 243, junior, New Hampshire
DL – David Walker, 6-3, 265, junior, Central Arkansas
LB – Adam Bock, 6-1, 215, senior, South Dakota State
LB – Jacob Dobbs, 6-0, 237, senior, Holy Cross
LB – John Pius, 6-2, 230, redshirt junior, William & Mary
LB – Tristan Wheeler, 6-2, 228, redshirt senior, Richmond
DB – Maxwell Anderson, 5-11, 170, senior, Weber State
DB – Khalil Baker, 6-0, 185, senior, North Carolina Central
DB – Myles Harden, 6-0, 205, senior, South Dakota
DB – Lawrence Johnson, 6-0, 196, grad, Southeast Missouri
Special teams
PK – Matthew Cook, 5-11, 199, grad, Northern Iowa
P – Ryan Kost, 6-2, 220, grad, Delaware
LS – Tommy Sullivan, 5-11, 220, junior, Montana State
KR – Abraham Williams, 6-1, 175, junior, Weber State
PR – Jarrod Barnes, 5-11, 180, senior, Central Arkansas
AP – Dylan Laube, 5-10, 204, senior, New Hampshire
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB – Mark Gronowski, 6-3, 220, junior South Dakota State
QB – Tommy Mellott, 6-0, 209, junior, Montana State
RB – Ailym Ford, 5-9, 213, redshirt senior, Chattanooga
RB – Geno Hess, 5-8, 222, redshirt senior, Southeast Missouri
RB – ShunDerrick Powell, 5-7, 168, junior, Central Arkansas
WR – Jalen Coker, 6-3, 207, senior, Holy Cross
WR – Jaxon Janke, 6-3, 210, senior, South Dakota State
WR – Chandler Smith, 5-10, 186, senior, Samford
TE – Zach Heins, 6-7, 260, senior, South Dakota State
OL – Kiran Amegadjie, 6-5, 321, senior, Yale
OL – Noah Atagi, 6-6, 335, senior, Weber State
OL – Mike Edwards, 6-7, 355, grad, Campbell
OL – Nick Correia, 6-6, 330, redshirt senior, Rhode Island
OL – Rush Reimer, 6-5, 302, junior, Montana State
OL – Jackson Slater, 6-4, 303, junior, Sacramento State
Defense
DL – Daylan Dotson, 6-3, 280, junior, UT Martin
DL – Thor Griffith, 6-2, 305, senior, Harvard
DL – Nate Lynn, 6-3, 255, senior, William & Mary
DL – Eli Mostaert, 6-3, 286, senior, North Dakota State
DL – Sebastian Valdez, 6-3, 291, junior, Montana State
LB – Armon Bailey, 6-1, 228, senior, Sacramento State
LB – Rodney Dansby, 6-0, 225, junior, Houston Christian
LB – Bryce Norman, 6-0, 226, junior, Southeast Missouri
LB – Winston Reid, 6-1, 230, senior, Weber State
LB – Antoine Williams, 5-10, 200, redshirt junior, Western Carolina
DB – Kameron Brown, 5-9, 179, senior, Chattanooga
DB – Rex Connors, 6-1, 203, redshirt sophomore, UC Davis
DB – DyShawn Gales, 5-11, 190, senior, South Dakota State
DB – Devin Haskins, 6-3, 209, senior, Holy Cross
DB – TaMuarion Wilson, 6-2, 205, junior, Central Arkansas
Special teams
PK – Ethan Gettman, 6-4, 190, senior, Bryant
P – Trey Wilhoit, 5-10, 175, junior, Florida A&M
LS – Hunter Brozio, 6-1, 231, senior, North Dakota State
KR – Anthony Frederick, 5-11, 180, redshirt senior, Bryant
PR – Junior Bergen, 5-11, 184, junior, Montana
AP – Davius Richard, 6-3, 215, senior, North Carolina Central
AP – Bronson Yoder, 5-11, 205, senior, William & Mary
THIRD TEAM
Offense
QB – Theo Day, 6-5, 231, redshirt senior, Northern Iowa
QB – Parker McKinney, 6-3, 208, redshirt senior, Eastern Kentucky
RB – Malik Grant, 5-9, 200, grad, Sacred Heart
RB – Jarveon Howard, 5-10, 200, senior, Alcorn State
RB – TaMerik Williams, 6-1, 227, senior, North Dakota State
WR – Ryan Flournoy, 6-3, 197, senior, Southeast Missouri
WR – Bryce Oliver, 6-1, 212, senior, Youngstown State
WR – MJ Wright, 6-0, 192, grad, Fordham
TE – Owen Glascoe, 6-4, 258, redshirt senior, LIU
OL – Ryan Coll, 6-5, 324, redshirt senior, Richmond
OL – Anin Dankwah, 6-8, 362, senior, Howard
OL – Jacob Johanning, 6-3, 276, senior, Furman
OL – Gavin Olson, 6-4, 290, senior, UT Martin
OL – Evan Roussel, 6-2, 290, junior, Nicholls
OL – Jalen Sundell, 6-5, 298, senior North Dakota State
Defense
DL – Sundiata Anderson, 6-3 1/2, 232, senior, Grambling State
DL – Patrick Godbolt, 6-3, 235, senior, South Carolina State
DL – Alex Gubner, 6-3, 285, senior Montana
DL – Logan Jessup, 6-3, 255, senior, Central Arkansas
DL – Eric O’Neill, 6-3, 240, sophomore, LIU
LB – Colton Adams, 6-2, 230, redshirt junior, Alabama State
LB – James Conway, 6-2, 225, junior, Fordham
LB – Isaac Dowling, 5-10, 225, junior, Mercer
LB – David Hoage, 6-3, 245, senior, Northern Colorado
LB – Liam Johnson, 6-0, 220, senior, Princeton
LB – Brock Mogensen, 6-2, 230, redshirt senior, South Dakota
DB – Marcus Harris, 5-11, 185, junior, Idaho
DE – PJ Jules, 5-11, 203, senior, Southern Illinois
DB – Raequan Ousley, 5-11, 170, senior, Gardner-Webb
DB – Ryan Poole, 5-11, 185, senior, William & Mary
DB – Hugh Ryan, 6-1, 200, redshirt senior, Furman
Special teams
PK – Chris Campos, 5-10, 220, junior, Stephen F. Austin
P – Grant Burkett, 6-1, 184, junior, Missouri State
LS – Nick Levy, 5-10, 210, sophomore, William & Mary
KR – D’Ago Hunter, 5-6, 160, senior, Towson
KR – Marqui Johnson, 5-8, 163, junior, Montana State
PR – Taco Dowler, 5-9, 168, sophomore, Montana State
AP – Narii Gaither, 5-10, 181, senior, Gardner-Webb
AP – Andrew McElroy, 6-3, 184, junior, St. Thomas
