BILLINGS — Montana linebacker Braxton Hill and Montana State defensive end Brody Grebe on Tuesday were named by STATS Perform among the 30 finalists for the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award given annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Hill, a senior from Anaconda, finished the regular season with the second-most tackles in the Big Sky Conference with 91, an average 8.3 stops per game. He's also tallied 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, intercepted two passes (with one touchdown), broken up five passes and recovered a fumble.
Grebe, a junior from Melstone, closed the regular season with 43 total tackles (12 for loss) with 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Grebe was also credited with five quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
The winner of the Buck Buchanan Award will be selected by a national voting panel and will be announced at the FCS national awards banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the national championship game. To see the full list of Buck Buchanan Award finalists, click here.
The winners of the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award will be honored at the national awards banquet.
STATS Perform announced Monday that Montana's Bobby Hauck is one of 20 finalists for the 2023 Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award.
