Weber State placed four players
on the 2010 Pre-Season First Team. Zac Eldridge (6-1, 235 Sr. FB / Salt Lake
City, Utah / Cottonwood HS), J.C. Oram (6-4, 310 Jr. OG / Slaterville, Utah /
Fremont HS) and Mike Phillips (6-1, 195 Sr. WR / Seaside, California / Monterey
HS) were named to the offensive team while Taylor Sedillo (5-11, 234 Sr. MLB /
Salt Lake City, Utah / Skyline HS) was named to the defensive
team.
Eldridge transferred to WSU last
season after spending two years at the University of Utah. He was used primarily
as a blocking back and helped pave the way for running back Trevyn Smith who
rushed for 1,001 yards. Eldridge did have six pass receptions for 36
yards.
Oram is a two-year starter at
right offensive guard and was named a 2010 pre-season all-America candidate by
Phil Steele's Football Preview.
Phillips is a two-year starter
at wide receiver. The speedster from Seaside, California has played in 36 career
games and has 96 receptions for 1,725 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2009, he
grabbed 39 passes for 704 yards and six touchdowns. Oram earned Second Team
All-Big Sky Conference in 2008 and 2009. Phillips earned Honorable Mention
All-Big Sky honors in 2009.
Sedillo earned First Team
All-Big Sky honors in 2009, playing and starting in all 12 games for the
Wildcats. He had 100 total tackles (34 unassisted), 5.5 tackles for loss, six
pass deflections, one interception and two forced fumbles.
Sherritt, a linebacker from Pullman, Wash., led the nation
in tackles in 2009 with 170, earning All-America and first-team All-Conference
honors, and finishing second in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award. Sherritt
enters this season as a leading candidate to win the Buchanan, given annually to
the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Reynolds, a running back from Drummond, Mont., earned
first-team All-Conference honors in 2009, and has helped the Grizzlies reach the
Division I national championship game each of the past two seasons. The
All-American rushed for a league-best 1,502 yards and scored a league-high 24
touchdowns in 2009. In the past two seasons, he has amassed more than 3,600
all-purpose yards and scored 47 touchdowns. Reynolds is a candidate for the
Walter Payton Award, given annually by The Sports Network to the top FCS
offensive player.
Reynolds was one of five Grizzlies tabbed to the Preseason
All-Conference squad. Montana State also had five players selected, while
Northern Arizona, Weber State and Sacramento State each had four named to the
30-player team. Eleven of the 30 were voted to the 2009 All-Big Sky first team.
Northern Arizona senior Michael Herrick was selected as the
quarterback. Herrick, a Payton candidate, completed 66.3 percent of his passes
for 3,356 yards with 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2009.
Eastern
Washington junior Taiwan Jones joined Reynolds at running back. The speedster
from Antioch, Calif., All-American averaged 7.5 yards per carry and finished
second in the nation in all-purpose yards with an average of 195.4 yards per
game.
Montana State senior tackle Mike Person, an All-Big Sky pick
in 2009, anchors the offensive line. He’s joined by Montana’s Jon Opperud
(tackle) and Alex Verlanic (center), Weber State’s
J.C. Oram (guard) and
Northern Arizona’s Kris Poindexter (guard).
Two Big Sky wide receiver – Montana’s Marc Mariani and Weber
State’s
Tim Toone – were drafted by NFL teams in April, leaving a large void at
the position. Rising Montana State star Everett Gilbert, Sacramento State’s
Brandyn Reed, and Weber State’s Phillips
were the three receivers named to
the team. Reed caught 46 passes for 731 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009.
Phillips has 96 catches and 15 touchdowns in his career. Gilbert caught 46
passes for 556 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman.
Fullback Zac
Eldridge of Weber State and tight end Kyle Begger of Montana State rounded out
the offensive team.
Sophomore Zach Brown was selected as the kicker, while
Montana junior Jabin Sambrano was tabbed as the return specialist. Brown made
18-of-25 field goals and all 21 of his points after attempts in his first season
for the Vikings. Sambrano averaged 24.8 yards per kick return in 2008, with a
long of 50.
The defense features six players who earned first-team
All-Big Sky honors in 2009, including linebackers A.J. Storms of Idaho State and
Taylor Sedillo of Weber State. Northern Colorado senior John Eddy is the fourth
linebacker. Storms, from Meridian, Idaho, finished second to Sherritt in tackles
in 2009 with 120. Eddy played eight games in 2009, recording 80 tackles with 5.5
sacks. Sedillo led Weber State with 100 total tackles.
The defensive front is
led by tackles Dan Ogden of Montana State, Renard Williams of Eastern Washington
and Christian Clark of Sacramento State. Ogden and Williams were All-Big Sky
picks in 2009. Clark, however, was Second Team All-America pick by The Sports
Network. Ogden helped MSU lead the league in rush and total defense. Williams
tallied 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. Clark led the Big Sky with 10
sacks.
Northern Arizona junior Isaac Bond and Northern Colorado
junior Nick Hernon were selected as the defensive ends. Bond was second in the
league with 8.5 sacks. Hernon tallied five sacks.
Montana junior Trumaine Johnson, an All-Big Sky pick in
2009, was selected at one corner, while Northern Colorado’s Korey Askew was
tabbed at the other corner. Johnson played in 11 of 15 games, recording five
interceptions and 12 pass breakups. Askew intercepted three passes and broke up
nine, to go along with 74 tackles.
Northern Arizona's Matt Estrada and Sacramento State's Zach
Schrader were voted in at safety. Schrader was the league’s Newcomer of the Year
in 2009 after transferring from the defunct Western Washington program. Estrada
tallied 78 tackles in 2009. Schrader had 102 tackles and four interceptions.
Sacramento State’s Augie Heath earned the nod at punter. Montana State’s
Tanner Ripley was named as a special teams player.
OFFENSE
Pos. Player Year Hometown School
QB Michael
Herrick Sr. Valencia, Calif. Northern Arizona
RB *Chase Reynolds Sr.
Drummond, Mont. Montana
RB *Taiwan Jones Jr. Antioch, Calif. Eastern
Washington
TE
Kyle Begger Sr. Miles City, Mont. Montana State
OT *Mike Person Sr. Glendive,
Mont. Montana State
OT Jon Opperud Jr. Portland, Ore. Montana
C Alex
Verlanic Sr. Drummond, Mont. Montana
OG J.C. Oram Jr. Slaterville,
Utah Weber State
OG Kris Poindexter Sr. Phoenix, Ariz. Northern
Arizona
WR Brandyn Reed Sr. Windsor, Calif. Sacramento State
WR Everett
Gilbert So. Rockwall, Texas Montana State
WR Mike Phillips Sr.
Seaside, Calif. Weber State
K *Zach Brown So. Keizer, Ore. Portland
State
RS Jabin Sambrano Jr. Temecula, Calif. Montana
DEFENSE
Pos. Player Year Hometown School
DE Isaac
Bond Jr. Vancouver, Wash. Northern Arizona
DE Nick Hernon Jr. Castle Rock,
Colo. Northern Colorado
DT *Dan Ogden Sr. Kalispell, Mont. Montana
State
DT *Renard Williams Jr. Port Orchard, Wash. Eastern Washington
DT
Christian Clark Sr. Los Angeles, Calif. Sacramento State
LB *J.C. Sherritt
Sr. Pullman, Wash. Eastern Washington
LB *A.J. Storms Jr. Meridian, Idaho
Idaho State
LB John Eddy Sr. Greeley, Colo. Northern Colorado
CB
*Trumaine Johnson Jr. Stockton, Calif. Montana
CB Korey Askew Jr. Denver,
Colo. Northern Colorado
S Zach Schrader Sr. Issaquiah, Wash. Sacramento
State
S *Matt Estrada Sr. La Habra, Calif. Northern Arizona
P Augie Heath
Jr. Chico, Calif. Sacramento State
ST Tanner Ripley Sr. Highwood, Mont.
Montana State
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Chase Reynolds, RB,
Montana
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year - J.C. Sherritt, LB, Eastern
Washington
*First-Team All-Conference in
2009
Courtesy: Robert Casey