SPOKANE, Wash. — Eli Gillman and Caden Dowler have been here before.
Last year's Big Sky football MVPs — Montana's Gillman and Montana State's Dowler — have again been tabbed as the league's top players entering the 2026 campaign.
Gillman, a senior running back, was named preseason offensive MVP while Dowler, a senior safety, was picked as defensive MVP on Sunday at the Big Sky Kickoff media days at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino.
The Big Sky's preseason all-conference team was also unveiled Sunday, which was voted on by the coaches and select members of the media. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their respective teams.
Gillman was named Big Sky offensive player of the year following a 2025 season in which he led the league with 1,540 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, the third-most TDs in a season in program history. Entering 2026 he is on the brink of the Grizzlies' rushing record, needing just 394 more yards to eclipse UM hall of famer Yohance Humphrey (4,070 career yards) for the top position.
Gillman achieved All-America status across several organizations last year, including first-team recognition from Sports Illustrated/FCS Central and second-team from the American Football Coaches Association, Stats Perform and the Associated Press.
Related: Montana State again tops Big Sky Conference preseason football polls; Montana 2nd
Dowler vaulted to the defensive MVP honor in 2025 thanks to a stretch in which he intercepted at least one pass in five late-season contests — including one he returned for a touchdown to help the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies 31-28 in the regular-season finale in Missoula on the way to the program's first national championship in 41 years.
He finished with six total interceptions to lead the league (returning two for scores) and also ranked second on the Bobcats with 91 tackles. Dowler was named to several All-America lists spanning the AP, AFCA, Stats Perform, SI/FCS Central and Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Gillman and Dowler headlined the Big Sky preseason all-conference team, which boasts several Cats and Griz players.
Montana State put a league-high 12 players on the team, including six of the 14 players on offense. Justin Lamson was picked at quarterback, and Adam Jones joins UM's Gillman as the Big Sky's two running back choices.
Taco Dowler was picked as one of three wide receivers but also appears on the team two more times — at punt returner and the all-purpose position.
The Cats placed three offensive linemen on the offensive list: Titan Fleischmann, Braden Zimmer and Burke Mastel.
Gillman was the Grizzlies' only representative on offense. Montana had two players voted to the defensive side: lineman Jake Mason and linebacker Peyton Wing.
The Bobcats' defensive representatives on the all-conference team are lineman Zac Crews, linebacker Cole Taylor and defensive backs Caden Dowler and Tayden Gray.
Placekicker Myles Sansted and kickoff returner Jabez Woods were selected from Montana State for special teams, joining teammate Taco Dowler.
UC Davis put seven players on the all-conference list, the second-most in the league. Along with Montana, Idaho State and Northern Colorado each have three players represented, tied for the third-highest total.
2026 Big Sky preseason all-conference team
Offensive MVP: Eli Gillman, RB, Montana
Defensive MVP: Caden Dowler, S, Montana State
OFFENSE
QB: Justin Lamson, Montana State
RB: Eli Gillman, Montana
RB: Adam Jones, Montana State
WR: Sam Gbatu, Jr., UC Davis
WR: Taco Dowler, Montana State
WR: Chedon James, Idaho State
TE: Winston Williams, UC Davis
TE: Jeter Purdy, Northern Arizona
OL: Titan Fleischmann, Montana State
OL: Stryker Rashid, Idaho State
OL: Zaire Collier, UC Davis
OL: Jack Ziebell, Northern Colorado
OL: Braden Zimmer, Montana State
OL: Burke Mastel, Montana State
DEFENSE
DL: Zac Crews, Montana State
DL: Isaiah Perez, Eastern Washington
DL: Bronson Childs, Idaho State
DL: Jake Mason, Montana
DL: Ezra Ekuban, Northern Colorado
DL: Rayne Mayo Jr., UC Davis
LB: Mikey D’Amato, Cal Poly
LB: Peyton Wing, Montana
LB: Kenny Olson, Cal Poly
LB: Cole Taylor, Montana State
LB: Porter Connors, UC Davis
DB: Rex Connors, UC Davis
DB: Caden Dowler, Montana State
DB: Jaylon Jenkins, Eastern Washington
DB: Tayden Gray, Montana State
DB: Drew Cofield, UC Davis
DB: Shoes Brinkley, Northern Arizona
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK: Myles Sansted, Montana State
P: Ryan Marks, Utah Tech
KR: Jabez Woods, Montana State
PR: Taco Dowler, Montana State
LS: Maddox Broughton, Northern Colorado
ST: Brayden Rice, Idaho
AP: Taco Dowler, Montana State
