(Editor’s note: Big Sky Conference media release)
OGDEN, Utah – The Big Sky Conference is primed and ready for the FCS Playoffs, as it has just wrapped up the regular season. With a few days to go before the playoffs begin, the Big Sky has announced its Football All-Conference team and individual award winners for 2018.
The All-Conference teams and individual award winners were selected by the 13 league head coaches and released by the league office Tuesday.
UC Davis junior quarterback Jake Maier was voted the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Maier, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, finished the regular season as one of the best passers in the nation. He leads the Big Sky and ranks third in the FCS in passing yards per game (307.8) and passing yards (3,387). For the second consecutive season, UC Davis has claimed the top offensive honor, as he led the Aggies to a share of the league title and a playoff berth for the first time in school history.
Eastern Washington defensive tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year. Tiuli has 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss of 36 yards, 4.0 sacks for a loss of 30 yards, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The Eagles earned a share of the league title and have advanced to the FCS Playoffs for the 13th time in school history. Tiuli is the first Eastern Washington player to earn DPOTY honors since J.C. Sherritt in 2010.
Montana quarterback Dalton Sneed was named the Newcomer of the Year. The transfer registered seven multiple touchdown games, including a season-high five touchdown passes. Third in the league in passing yards with 2,723, Sneed has completed 22 touchdown passes.
Weber State’s Josh Davis was voted the league’s Freshman of the Year. The all-purpose player ranks third in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game (170.00) and sixth in total all-purpose yards (1,700). He has seven games of 100-plus more rushing yards and two games with 200-plus with a season-high of 225.
Cal Poly fullback Joe Protheroe is the lone three-time All-First Team honoree on the list. He was also a unanimous selection in his final season, as he leads the nation in rushing yards at 1,810.
UC Davis wide receiver Keelan Doss, Idaho State wide receiver Mitch Gueller, Weber State offensive tackle Iosua Opeta, Southern Utah center Zach Larsen, and Weber State kick returner Rashid Shaheed are all two-time first team honorees. Doss, Maier, Shaheed and Troy Andersen were all unanimous First Team offensive honorees. Tiuli and Weber State’s LeGrand Toia and Brady May were all two-time First Team selections on defense, while Tiuli and Toia were unanimous selections.
Co-conference champion Weber State placed 13 players on the first team, followed by Eastern Washington with five and Idaho with three selections.
All 13 teams in the league had at least one player selected to one of the three teams. Eastern Washington and Weber State tied for the most all-conference selections with 18 apiece.
The Big Sky All-Conference team is selected by the Big Sky’s head football coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players. The conference’s Coach of the Year award will be announced on Wednesday.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jake Maier, UC Davis
Defensive Player of the Year: Jay-Tee Tiuli, Eastern Washington
Freshman of the Year: Josh Davis, Weber State
Newcomer of the Year: Dalton Sneed, Montana
* – Unanimous All-First Team Selection
$ – Two-Time All-Big Sky First Team Selection
% – Three-Time All-Big Sky First Team Selection
| 2018 Big Sky Football All-Conference Team | |||
| FIRST TEAM OFFENSE | |||
| Position | Player | Year | School |
| Wide Receiver | *$Keelan Doss | Senior | UC Davis |
| Wide Receiver | $Mitch Gueller | Junior | Idaho State |
| Wide Receiver | Nsimba Webster | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Tackle | $Iosua Opeta | Senior | Weber State |
| Tackle | Brian Fineanganofo | Senior | Idaho State |
| Guard | Noah Johnson | Junior | Idaho |
| Guard | Ty Whitworth | Sophomore | Weber State |
| Center | $Zach Larsen | Junior | Southern Utah |
| Tight End | Charlie Taumoepeau | Junior | Portland State |
| Quarterback | *Jake Maier | Junior | UC Davis |
| Quarterback | *Troy Andersen | Sophomore | Montana State |
| Running Back | Elijah Dotson | Sophomore | Sacramento State |
| Running Back | Josh Davis | Freshman | Weber State |
| Fullback | *%Joe Protheroe | Senior | Cal Poly |
| Kicker | Roldan Alcobendas | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Returner | *$Rashid Shaheed | Sophomore | Weber State |
| FIRST TEAM DEFENSE | |||
| Position | Player | Year | School |
| Tackle | *$Jay-Tee Tiuli | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Tackle | Filipe Sitake | Senior | Weber State |
| End | Jonah Williams | Junior | Weber State |
| End | Adam Rodriguez | Junior | Weber State |
| End | Keenan Williams | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Outside Linebacker | Kaden Elliss | Senior | Idaho |
| Outside Linebacker | Landon Stice | Senior | Weber State |
| Inside Linebacker | *$LeGrand Toia | Senior | Weber State |
| Inside Linebacker | Dante Olson | Junior | Montana |
| Cornerback | Keilan Benjamin | Senior | Weber State |
| Cornerback | Khalil Dorsey | Junior | Northern Arizona |
| Safety | Jordan Preator | Senior | Weber State |
| Safety | Jawian Harrison | Senior | Weber State |
| Punter | Roldan Alcobendas | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Punter | Cade Coffey | Sophomore | Idaho |
| Special Teams | $Brady May | Senior | Weber State |
| SECOND TEAM OFFENSE | |||
| Position | Player | Year | School |
| Wide Receiver | Alex Wesley | Senior | Northern Colorado |
| Wide Receiver | Samuel Akem | Sophomore | Montana |
| Wide Receiver | Emmanuel Butler | Senior | Northern Arizona |
| Wide Receiver | Michael Dean | Junior | Idaho State |
| Tackle | Chris Schlichting | Junior | Eastern Washington |
| Tackle | Mitch Brott | Junior | Montana State |
| Guard | Kaleb Levao | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Guard | Tyler Whisenhunt | Junior | Cal Poly |
| Center | Spencer Blackburn | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Tight End | Wes Preece | Junior | UC Davis |
| Quarterback | Tanner Gueller | Senior | Idaho State |
| Running Back | James Madison | Senior | Idaho State |
| Running Back | Sam McPherson | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Fullback | Brady May | Senior | Weber State |
| Kicker | Trey Tuttle | Sophomore | Weber State |
| Returner | Jerry Louie-McGee | Junior | Montana |
| SECOND TEAM DEFENSE | |||
| Position | Player | Year | School |
| Tackle | Tucker Yates | Senior | Montana State |
| Tackle | DJ Henderson | Senior | Idaho |
| End | Tyron Fa’anono | Senior | Montana State |
| End | Mitchell Johnson | Freshman | Eastern Washington |
| Outside Linebacker | Mason Moe | Senior | UC Davis |
| Outside Linebacker | Bryce Sterk | Junior | Montana State |
| Inside Linebacker | Josh Buss | Senior | Montana |
| Inside Linebacker | Ketner Kupp | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Cornerback | Josh Lewis | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Cornerback | Vince White | Senior | UC Davis |
| Safety | Kam’ron Johnson | Senior | Northern Arizona |
| Safety | Wes Sutton | Senior | Northern Arizona |
| Punter | Doug Lloyd | Junior | Weber State |
| Special Teams | Jace Lewis | Sophomore | Montana |
| THIRD TEAM OFFENSE | |||
| Position | Player | Year | School |
| Wide Receiver | Jared Harrell | Sophomore | UC Davis |
| Wide Receiver | David Ungerer | Senior | Idaho |
| Wide Receiver | J.J. Koski | Junior | Cal Poly |
| Tackle | Marquez Tucker | Senior | Southern Utah |
| Tackle | Josh Brown | Senior | Portland State |
| Tackle | Beau Byus | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Guard | Jack Hunter | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Guard | Korbin Sorenson | Sophomore | Portland State |
| Center | Harry Whitson | Senior | Cal Poly |
| Tight End | Theron Verna | Senior | Northern Colorado |
| Quarterback | Eric Barriere | Sophomore | Eastern Washington |
| Running Back | Ulonzo Gilliam | Freshman | UC Davis |
| Running Back | Isaiah Saunders | Senior | Idaho |
| Fullback | Henderson Belk | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Kicker | Alex Vega | Senior | Cal Poly |
| Kicker | Cody Williams | Freshman | Portland State |
| Returner | Judd Cockett | Sophomore | Southern Utah |
| THIRD TEAM DEFENSE | |||
| Position | Player | Year | School |
| Tackle | Kenton Bartlett | Junior | Portland State |
| Tackle | Jalen Goss | Junior | Northern Arizona |
| End | Jesse Sims | Junior | Montana |
| End | Keifer Morris | Senior | Northern Colorado |
| Outside Linebacker | Paea Moala | Senior | Idaho State |
| Outside Linebacker | Auston Tesch | Junior | Weber State |
| Inside Linebacker | Christian Elliss | Sophomore | Idaho |
| Inside Linebacker | Kody Graves | Junior | Idaho State |
| Inside Linebacker | Chinedu Ahanonu | Senior | Southern Utah |
| Cornerback | Parker Preator | Senior | Weber State |
| Cornerback | Maurice Davison | Senior | Northern Arizona |
| Safety | Mitch Fettig | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Safety | Isaiah Olave | Senior | UC Davis |
| Punter | DJ Arnson | Senior | Northern Arizona |
| Special Teams | Curtis Billen | Senior | Eastern Washington |
| Special Teams | Andy Whittier | Senior | Idaho State |
Honorable Mention
Wide Receiver – Jerry Louie-McGee, Montana; Darryl Denby, Weber State
Tackle – Zach Shallcross, Cal Poly; Jamison Pruitt, Northern Arizona; Taylor Tappin, Sacramento State
Guard – Malik Noshi, Northern Arizona; Zach Wilkinson, Northern Colorado
Center – Dallen Collins, Idaho State; Ben Bos, Weber State
Tight End – Austin Campbell, Idaho State; McCoy Hill, Southern Utah
Quarterback – Dalton Sneed, Montana
Running Back – Antoine Custer, Eastern Washington; Ty Flanagan, Idaho State; Isaiah Ifanse, Montana State; Cory Young, Northern Arizona; Tehran Thomas, UC Davis
Fullback – Justice Litrell, Northern Colorado
Placekicker – Tim Semenza, Montana
Return Specialist – David Ungerer, Idaho; Namane Modise, UC Davis
Special Teams Player – Marcel Myers, Northern Arizona
Tackle – Dylan Ledbetter, Eastern Washington; Treven Aloi, Idaho State; Kainoa Fuiava; Idaho State; David Shaw, Montana; Semise Kofe, Portland State
End – Reggie Tilleman, Montana, Aaron Andrews, Northern Arizona; Larry Ross, Portland State
Outside Linebacker – Taylor Nelson, Southern Utah
Inside Linebacker – Matt Shotwell, Cal Poly; Grant Collins, Montana State; Henry Stelzner, Northern Colorado
Cornerback – Dominic Frasch, Cal Poly; D’londo Tucker, Eastern Washington; Greg Filer, Montana State
Safety – Nzuzi Webster, Eastern Washington; Adkin Aguirre, Idaho State; Robby Hauck, Montana; Jahque Alleyne, Montana State; Brayden Konkol, Montana State; Sherand Boyd Northern Colorado
Punter – Daniel Whelan, UC Davis
