Griz earn four individual awards in Big Sky football
MISSOULA — After winning the program’s first conference title since 2009, the Montana Grizzlies dominated the 2023 All-Big Sky postseason honors that came out Tuesday.
The Griz took four of the five individual awards — with 13 players earning 14 spots on the honors teams — and tied Montana State for most first-team selections with eight.
Tackle Alex Gubner capped another dominant regular season at UM as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year; he is first-team all-conference for the second straight season, and a unanimous pick by the league’s coaches.
After leading the Griz to seven straight wins as a starter in his first season under center, quarterback Clifton McDowell was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year.
Running back Eli Gillman posted more rushing yards than any other freshman in the FCS this season and the third-most overall in the conference with 857, landing him the league’s Freshman of the Year award.
Coach Bobby Hauck was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career, and was a unanimous selection..
The only individual award Montana didn’t claim was offensive player of the year. That went to UC Davis running back Lan Larison, who rushed for 1,101 yards and 13 TDs despite missing three games with injury.
The eight all-Big Sky picks is the most for UM since its last Big Sky championship season in 2009.
Junior Bergen was first team for receiver and for special teams.
Four offensive linemen also earned recognition, with tackle Brandon Casey landing on the first team, center AJ Forbes on the second team, and Chris Walker and Journey Grimsrud earning honorable mentions.
The Griz also had a pair of cornerbacks earn first-team defensive honors. Billings native Trevin Gradney led the nation in interceptions per game with five on the season, despite missing two Saturdays to injury. Corbin Walker led the team in pass breakups and picked off a pass to a;sp land on the first team.
Montana upheld its “Linebacker U” reputation with three earn all-conference honors: Braxton Hill, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, was first team; Levi Janacaro and Riley Wilson were second team.
Already the winningest coach in Big Sky with 126 victories, Hauck has been coach of the year a record four times in 12 seasons at Montana. He’s the third four-time winning in league history, joining Nevada’s Chris Ault and Mike Kramer, who was twice at MSU, once at Eastern and once at Idaho State.
Don Read and Joe Glenn had won the coaching honor three times at Montana.
Gillman He is the first Grizzly to earn the league’s Freshman of the Year Award since its debut in 2013.
2023 ALL-BIG SKY AWARDS
2023 Big Sky Individual Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year: Lan Larison, RB, UC Davis
Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Gubner, DL, Montana
Newcomer of the Year: Clifton McDowell, QB, Montana
Freshman of the Year: Eli Gillman, RB, Montana
Coach of the Year: Bobby Hauck, Montana*
* - Unanimous Selection
First Team All-Conference Offense
QB: Gevani McCoy, Idaho
RB: Lan Larison, UC Davis
RB: Anthony Woods, Idaho
FB: Derryk Snell, Montana State
WR: Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington*
WR: Hayden Hatten, Idaho*
WR: Chedon James, Idaho State
WR: Junior Bergen, Montana
TE: Marshel Martin, Sacramento State
TE: Treyton Pickering, Montana State
OL: Noah Atagi, Weber State*
OL: Marcus Wehr, Montana State
OL: Rush Reimer, Montana State
OL: Brandon Casey, Montana
OL: Jordan Ford, UC Davis
OL: Jackson Slater, Sacramento State
AP: Sean Chambers, Montana State
* - Unanimous Selection
First Team All-Conference Defense
DL: Alex Gubner, Montana*
DL: Brody Grebe, Montana State
DL: Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly
DL: Zach Kennedy, UC Davis
DL: Eloi Kwete, Northern Arizona
LB: Braxton Hill, Montana
LB: Winston Reid, Weber State
LB: Armon Bailey, Sacramento State
LB: Nolan Askelson, Montana State
LB: Jack Kelly, Weber State
DB: Marcus Harris, Idaho
DB: Maxwell Anderson, Weber State
DB: Cameron Broussard, Sacramento State
DB: Marlon Jones Jr., Eastern Washington
DB: Corbin Walker, Montana
DB: Trevin Gradney, Montana
* - Unanimous Selection
First Team All-Conference Special Teams
K: Ricardo Chavez, Idaho
P: Brendan Hall, Montana State
KR: Abraham Williams, Weber State
PR: Junior Bergen, Montana
ST: Garrett Graves, Montana
Second Team All-Conference Offense
QB: Tommy Mellott, Montana State
RB: Eli Gillman, Montana
RB: Julius Davis, Montana State
FB: Andrew VanBuren, Portland State
WR: Jermaine Jackson, Idaho
WR: Coleman Owen, Northern Arizona
WR: Jared Gipson, Sacramento State
TE: Hayden Meacham, Weber State
TE: Blake Gobel, Eastern Washington
OL: Jonny Bottorff, Northern Arizona
OL: Shiloh Ta’ase, Portland State
OL: Garrett Weichman, Cal Poly
OL: Jordan Lutui, Weber State
OL: Omer Aigbedlion, Montana State
OL: AJ Forbes, Montana
AP: Trent Tompkins, UC Davis
Second Team All-Conference Defense
DL: Jett Stanley, Sacramento State
DL: Sebastian Valdez, Montana State
DL: Brayden Wilson, Weber State
DL: Dino Kahaulelio, Portland State
DL: Chubba Ma’ae, UC Davis
LB: Evan Tattersal, UC Davis
LB: Teddye Buchanan, UC Davis
LB: Levi Janacaro, Montana
LB: Riley Wilson, Montana
LB: Nick Eaton, UC Davis
DB: Rex Connors, UC Davis
DB: Alex McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
DB: Donovan Saunders, Cal Poly
DB: Calvin Pitcher, Idaho State
DB: George Steele, Northern Arizona
DB: Tizell Lewis, Northern Colorado
Second Team All-Conference Special Teams
K: Gianni Smith, Portland State
P: Ricardo Chavez, Idaho
KR: Michael Wortham, Eastern Washington
PR: Jermaine Jackson, Idaho
ST: Sean McCormick, Idaho
Honorable Mention (Had at least 3 votes)
QB: Kekoa Visperas, Eastern Washington
RB: Marcus Fulcher, Sacramento State
RB: Devon Starling, Northern Arizona
WR: Jermaine Braddock, Portland State
WR: Hendrix Johnson, Northern Arizona
OL: Chris Walker, Montana
OL: Ivan Garza, Sacramento State
OL: Journey Grimsrud, Montana
OL: Nathan Mejia, Sacramento State
OL: Ayden Knapik, Idaho
OL: Austin Lawrence, Northern Colorado
OL: Justus, Perkins, Montana State
OL: Jake Parks, UC Davis
AP: Quincy Craig, Portland State
DL: Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho
DL: David Rowe, Idaho State
DL: Marcus Howard, Northern Colorado
DL: Mark Ho Ching, Northern Arizona
DL: Dallas Afalava, Idaho
LB: Tre Thomas, Idaho
LB: Parker McKenna, Portland State
LB: Xe’ree Alexander, Idaho
LB: Jacob Stanton, Northern Colorado
DB: Tommy McCormick, Idaho
DB: Jehiel Budgett, UC Davis
DB: Rylan Ortt, Montana State
DB: Naseme Colvin, Weber State
DB: Dillon Juniel, Sacramento State
K: Hunter Ridley, UC Davis
P: Cal McGough, Sacramento State
P: Hunter Green, Northern Colorado
P: Jack Burgess, Weber State
KR: Jermaine Jackson, Idaho
PR: Haze Hadley, Weber State
ST: Hendrix Johnson, Northern Arizona