BILLINGS — Six Montana State football players and two others from Montana were named FCS All-Americans by the Associated Press on Tuesday.
MSU quarterback Tommy Mellott was the first-team quarterback, having already won Big Sky Conference offensive MVP. Mellott, a Butte High alum, is a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS, having led the Cats to a 14-0 record and a berth in the playoff semifinals against South Dakota on Saturday.
Joining Mellott on the first team is MSU offensive lineman Marcus Wehr, a Billings Central graduate who anchors the Bobcats' line from the right guard position. Fellow lineman Conner Moore of Millbury, Ohio, was a second-team pick.
Defensive end Brody Grebe was a second-team AP selection. Grebe, from Melstone, was the Big Sky's defensive player of the year.
MSU tight end Rojan Jones of Montreal, Quebec, was an honorable mention selection, as was Taco Dowler, a Billings West grad who was chosen as an all-purpose player.
Montana record-setting return specialist Junior Bergen was an honorable mention as an all-purpose player along with Dowler. Bergen, a Billings Senior alum, finished his career with eight punt returns for touchdowns, which ties the all-time FCS record.
Grizzlies offensive lineman Brandon Casey of Sandpoint, Idaho, was also an honorable mention selection on offense.
Meanwhile, Idaho defensive end Keyshawn James-Newby, a Helena High alum, was named honorable mention on defense.
Here is the full list of the AP's FCS All-American teams:
OFFENSE
First team
Quarterback — Tmmy Mellott, Montana State, senior, 6-0, 208, Butte, Montana.
Running backs — Targhee Lambson, Southern Utah, senior, 5-9, 200, Spanish Fork, Utah; Lan Larison, UC Davis, senior; 6-0, 215, Caldwell, Idaho, and Kayvon Britten, Tarleton State, senior, 5-7, 195, Cincinnati.
Offensive linemen — Marcus Wehr, Montana State, senior, 6-4, 300, Billings, Montana; Charles Grant, William & Mary, senior, 6-4, 300, Portsmouth, Virginia; Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, senior, 6-6, 305, Pierre, South Dakota; Gus Miller, South Dakota State, senior, 6-3, 295, Brookings, South Dakota; Jackson Slater, Sacramento State, senior, 6-4, 316, Bellevue, Washington, and Mason Miller, North Dakota State, senior, 6-7, 305, Ada, Minnesota.
Tight end — JJ Galbreath, South Dakota, senior, 6-4, 240, Arvada, Colorado.
Wide receiver — Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington, senior, 5-11, 200, Monroe, Washington; Darius Cooper, Tarleton State, senior, 6-0, 190, St. Louis; Jalen Walthall, UIW, junior, 6-2, 180, Missouri City, Texas.
All-purpose player — Lan Larison, UC Davis, senior, 6-0, 215, Caldwell, Idaho.
Kicker — DC Pippin, Southeast Missouri State, senior, 6-0, 195, Springfield, Illinois.
Second team
Quarterback — Cam Miller, North Dakota State, senior, 6-1, 212, Solon, Iowa.
Running backs — ShunDerrick Powell, Central Arkansas, senior, 5-9, 180, Hoxie, Arkansas; Roland Dempster, Stony Brook, senior, 6-0, 225, Staten Island, New York.
Offensive linemen — Joey Lombard, South Dakota, senior, 6-5, 305, Anoka, Minnesota; Evan Beernsten, South Dakota State, senior, 6-4, 300, De Pere, Wisconsin; Luke Smith, East Tennessee State, graduate, 6-1, 280, Lebanon, Tennessee; Evan Roussel, Nicholls, senior, 6-2, 290, Lutcher, Louisiana; Conner Moore, Montana State, 6-5, 310, sophomore, Millbury, Ohio.
Tight end — Carter Runyon, Towson, senior, 6-6, 235, Fairfax, Virginia, and Bryzai White, Northern Arizona, senior, 6-3, 245, San Diego.
Wide receiver — Landon Ruggieri, Bryant, senior, 6-1, 207, Yorktown Heights, New York; Javonnie Gibson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, sophomore, 6-3, 205, Opelousas, Louisiana; Ja’seem Reed, San Diego, senior, 6-2, 195, Thousand Oaks, California.
All-purpose player — Sam Hicks, Abilene Christian, senior, 5-9, 190, Fort Worth, Texas, and Chandler Brayboy, Elon, senior, 6-1, 199, Pembroke, North Carolina.
Kicker — Chris Campos, Stephen F. Austin, senior, 5-11, 255, Nacogdoches, Texas, and Gabe Panikowski, Idaho State, junior, 5-10, 189, San Diego.
Honorable mention
Quarterback — Zach Calzada, UIW; Derek Robinson, Monmouth.
Running backs — Charlies Pierre Jr., South Dakota; Malik Grant, Rhode Island; Dwayne McGee, Mercer.
Offensive line — Vance Van Every, UT Martin; Alic Ambrosia, Central Connecticut; Delby Lemieux, Dartmouth; George Padezanin, Lehigh; Brandon Casey, Montana; Wyatt Hansen, Eastern Washington; Kobe Sixkiller, Southeast Missouri State; Reid Williams, Chattanooga; Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M; Ayden Knapik, Idaho; Malik McDaniel, Davidson; Nick Taiste, South Carolina State; Tom Elia, Richmond.
Tight end — Lance Mason, Missouri State; Jackson Conners-McCarthy, Marist; Chris Corbo, Dartmouth; Ryder Kurtz, Cornell; Rohan Jones, Montana State.
Wide receivers — Cooper Barkate, Harvard; Jeff Caldwell, Lindenwood; Matthew Henry, Western Illinois; Bo Belquist, North Dakota; Kylon Harris, Stephen F. Austin.
All-purpose player — Junior Bergen, Montana; Darius Lewis, Southeastern Louisiana; Jermaine Corbett, Merrimack; Taco Dowler, Montana State; Travis Terrell Jr., Jackson State; Sone Ntoh, Monmouth.
Kicker — Ritse Vaes, Abilene Christian; James London, Murray State; Kyle Thompson, Weber State; Gerardo Baeza, Jackson State.
DEFENSE
First team
Defensive linemen — David Walker, Central Arkansas, senior, 6-2, 260, Stuttgart, Arkansas; Mi’Quise Grace, South Dakota, sophomore, 6-4, 255, Cincinnati; Jeremiah Grant, Richmond, senior, 6-2, 245, South Orange, New Jersey; Josiah Silver, New Hampshire, senior, 6-2, 247, Hampton, Virginia.
Linebackers — Bryce Norman, Southeast Missouri State, senior, 6-0, 215, Jackson, Missouri; Brandon Tucker, East Texas A&M, sophomore, 5-10, 225, DeSoto, Texas; Gideon Lampron, Dayton, sophomore, 5-11, 215, LaGrange, Ohio, and AJ Pena, Rhode Island, junior, 6-2, 243, Montclair, New Jersey.
Defensive backs — TJ Moore, Mercer, senior, 6-0, 185, Riverdale, Georgia; Jalen Jones, William & Mary, junior, 6-0, 190, Chesapeake, Virginia; Kenny Gallop, Howard, graduate, 6-0, 214, Portsmouth, Virginia; Saiku White, Lafayette, senior, 6-1, 209, Atlanta.
Punter — Jeff Yurk, Elon, junior, 6-2, 224, Southern Pines, North Carolina.
Second team
Defensive linemen — Brody Grebe, Montana State, senior, 6-3, 250, Melstone, Montana; Eli Mostaert, North Dakota State, senior, 6-3, 289, Lakeville, Minnesota; Ckelby Givens, Southern, junior, 6-3, 250, Shreveport, Louisiana; Elijah Williams, Morgan State, senior, 6-3, 270, Jersey City, New Jersey.
Linebackers — Blake Gotcher, Northwestern State, junior, 6-1, 225, Little Elm, Texas; Adam Bock, South Dakota State, senior, 6-1, 225, Solon, Iowa; Andrew Jones, Grambling, junior, 6-2, 220, Marrero, Louisiana.
Defensive backs — Dennis Shorter, South Dakota, senior, 5-10, 195, Daytona Beach, Florida; Dalys Beanum, South Dakota State, senior, 6-1, 200, Omaha, Nebraska; Jordy Lowery, Western Carolina, sophomore, 5-11, 190, Bartow, Florida, and Rex Connors, UC Davis, junior, 6-1, 210, Pleasant Grove, Utah, and Myles Redding, Mercer, senior, 6-1, 195, Mableton, Georgia, and Jabril Hayes, Richmond, senior, 5-11, 170, Stephens City, Virginia, and JaMichael McGoy, UT Martin, junior, 5-10, 170, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Punter — James Platte, Citadel, graduate, 6-0, 210, Aiken, South Carolina.
Honorable mention
Linemen — Brayden Manley, Mercer; Finn Claypool, Drake; Matt Spatny, Lehigh; Matt Jaworski, Fordham; Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho; Treqwan Thomas, Alabama State; Ashaad Hall, South Carolina State.
Linebackers — Eric Rankin, VMI; Eli Ennis, Nicholls; Noah Martin, Samford; Brendan Bell, Villanova; Tye Niekamp, Illinois State; Ben Bogle, Southern Illinois; Will Shaffer, Abilene Christian; Dontae Lunan, Albany.
Defensive backs — Kimal Clark, Central Connecticut; Abu Kamara, Yale; Hayden McDonald, Columbia; Mason Chambers, UIW; Alex McLaughlin, Northern Arizona; Jalen McClendon, Tennessee State; Isas Waxter, Villanova; Nahil Perkins, Fordham; Eric Haney, San Diego; Sammy Anderson, Austin Peay; Oshae Baker, UT Martin; Jeremiah Walker, Stephen F. Austin; Jarod Washington, South Carolina State; Keondre Jackson, Illinois State.
Punter — Grant Burkett, Missouri State; Hunter Green, Northern Colorado.
