SPOKANE, Wash. — For the second consecutive year, Montana State has a Big Sky Conference preseason MVP.
After a stellar freshman campaign, running back Adam Jones is the Big Sky's 2025 preseason offensive MVP, the conference announced Sunday at the Big Sky Kickoff at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino. Former MSU defensive end Brody Grebe was the league's preseason defensive MVP last season.
This year's preseason defensive MVP is Rex Connors, a defensive back at UC Davis.
Jones is coming off a freshman season with the Bobcats that saw him rush for 1,172 yards and 14 touchdowns, both MSU freshman records. He was named the Big Sky's freshman of the year and an FCS freshman All-American in 2024, and helped Montana State to a 15-1 record, outright Big Sky title and berth in the FCS national championship game.
"That's sick," Montana State offensive lineman JT Reed said when he learned of Jones' preseason MVP selection. "My dog. Congrats to him, man. Knowing Adam, he'll probably definitely thank us, but I'm going to make sure — he's a preseason MVP — but we'll make sure up front that he gets to be an MVP."
Jones, a Missoula Sentinel High School alum, added 21 catches for 214 receiving yards and one more touchdown last season while sharing the backfield with Scottre Humphrey. Humphrey in the offseason transferred to FBS New Mexico, where he was recently named a preseason all-conference player in the Mountain West.
Now a sophomore, Jones will lead a Montana State running back group that also features returners Julius Davis, Jared White and Colson Coon.
"We're excited to get Adam back for year two," Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said. "It’s amazing that he's just a sophomore and at the same time he’s a veteran. I'm really pleased with his production as a freshman and his durability, his versatility and all that he meant to the 2024 team."
The Bobcats, who also had offensive lineman Titan Fleischmann, receiver/returner Taco Dowler and defensive linemen Paul Brott and Kenneth Eiden IV receive preseason All-Big Sky honors, begin their season Aug. 30 at Oregon.
Connors, meanwhile, is a first-team preseason All-American for the Aggies after setting a program single-season record with 74 solo tackles last year. UC Davis had a league-high seven players receive preseason All-Big Sky honors.
The Aggies play Mercer in the 2025 FCS Kickoff Classic in Montgomery, Ala., on Aug. 23.
