Four Grizzlies named Stats Perform All-Americans

Postseason honors continued to roll in for the University of Montana football program Monday, with FCS news outlet Stats Perform recognizing four Grizzlies on one of its three All-America teams.

Cornerback Justin Ford and linebacker Patrick O'Connell, both juniors, added to their awards haul with a place on the defensive first-team list. Senior long-snapper Matthew O'Donoghue repeated as a Stats Perform All-American with a place on the second team, and record-setting kick returner Malik Flowers earned a place on the third team special teams All-America list.

The Stats Perform All-America honors are the fourth of the year for Ford and third for O'Connell, while O'Donoghue and Flowers pick up their second All-America recognition.

So far this postseason, Ford has earned All-America Honors from HERO Sports, the Associated Press, Stats Perform, and was one of only 11 players to land on the FCS Athletic Directors Association All-America team.

The native of Concord, N.C., led all divisions of college football in interceptions in 2021 with a total of nine. Over the course of eight games, he tallied a pick in each to go on one of football's most unprobeable streaks. He brought his season total to nine with a pick-six against Eastern Washington, one of his three defensive scores on the year with a pair of interception returns and a fumble return against Montana State.

He's finished the year tied for the third-most single-season INTs in UM history and the most-ever by a Grizzly cornerback. He was Montana's eighth-leading tackler in 2021 with 41 total stops, and registered a pair of TFLs, one sack, 11 pass breakups, 20 pass deflections, and a forced fumble. He was also one of three defenders to be named Defensive team MVP by the UM coaches at the conclusion of the season.

O'Connell has now earned All-America honors from HERO Sports, the AP, and Stats Perform, following a dominant season leading the Big Sky in sacks with a total of 14.

The native of Kalispell finished the year with 105 tackles, which comes in as the sixth-most in the Big Sky and puts him among the top-25 tacklers in the nation.

In addition to being a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award for FCS Defensive Player of the Year, he was voted as UM's Steve Carlson MVP by his teammates at the end of the season, and was named one of two recipients of the Doug Betters Golden Helmet Award, given to the team's hardest hitter, in November.

O'Donoghue never missed a game for the Grizzlies after taking over as UM's long and short snapper in 2017, making 50 appearances and becoming a fan favorite on special teams.

He never once registered a bad snap, totaling 539 punt, field goal, and PAT attempts in his career without a miss. The now two-time All-American also scored on a pair of two-point conversions, recovered a fumble in 2018, and got in on six tackles in his career.

Flowers became Montana's all-time leader in kick return touchdowns with two in 2021 to earn a place on the All-America second team, now with five career return TDs to his name. The junior has totaled 2,044 career return yards – the second-most in UM history, and is averaging 28.4 yards on 72 returns which is the best average in school history as well.

The 2021 Stats Perform All-America team has 110 players representing all 15 conferences and 60 schools.

2021 STATS PERFORM FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Eric Barriere, redshirt senior, 6-1, 210, Eastern Washington
QB – Cole Kelley, redshirt senior, 6-7, 245, Southeastern Louisiana
RB – Quay Holmes, redshirt junior, 6-1, 220, ETSU
RB – Pierre Strong Jr., senior, 5-11, 205, South Dakota State
FB/H-Back – Hunter Luepke, junior, 6-1, 236, North Dakota State
WR – Xavier Gipson, junior, 5-9, 170, Stephen F. Austin
WR – Tyler Hudson, sophomore, 6-2, 195, Central Arkansas
TE – Tucker Kraft, sophomore, 6-5, 255, South Dakota State
OL – P.J. Burkhalter, senior, 6-3, 330, Nicholls
OL – Lewis Kidd, senior, 6-6, 311, Montana State
OL – Trevor Penning, redshirt junior, 6-7, 321, Northern Iowa
OL – Cole Strange, redshirt senior, 6-6, 301, Chattanooga
OL – Cordell Volson, senior, 6-7, 313, North Dakota State
OL – Nick Zakelj, fifth year, 6-5, 325, Fordham
DEFENSE
DL – Jared Brinkman, redshirt senior, 6-2, 290, Northern Iowa
DL – Isaiah Chambers, grad, 6-5, 251, McNeese
DL – James Houston, senior, 6-1, 225, Jackson State
DL – Nate Lynn, redshirt sophomore, 6-3, 265, William & Mary
DL – Devonnsha Maxwell, redshirt junior, 6-2, 296, Chattanooga
LB – Troy Andersen, senior, 6-4, 235, Montana State
LB – Jacob Dobbs, junior, 6-0, 232, Holy Cross
LB – Isaiah Land, redshirt junior, 6-4, 215, Florida A&M
LB – Patrick O'Connell, redshirt junior, 6-2, 225, Montana
LB – Forrest Rhyne, grad, 6-1, 235, Villanova
DB – Markquese Bell, redshirt senior 6-3, 205, Florida A&M
DB – Christian Benford, senior, 6-1, 205, Villanova
DB – Justin Ford, redshirt junior, 6-2, 190, Montana
DB – Darius Joiner, senior, 6-2, 200, Western Illinois
DB – Koby Perry, grad, 6-0, 174, Austin Peay
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Ratke, redshirt senior, 5-10, 186, James Madison
LS – Kyle Davis, redshirt junior, 6-0, 219, James Madison
KR – Rashid Shaheed, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State
PR – Warren Newman, senior, 5-8, 175, Jackson State
AP – Xavier Shepherd, sophomore, 6-0, 205, Kennesaw State
AP – Montrell Washington, senior, 5-10, 170, Samford
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SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Cole Johnson, redshirt senior, 6-5, 215, James Madison
QB – Cameron Ward, sophomore, 6-3, 230, UIW
RB – Isaiah Ifanse, junior, 5-10, 202, Montana State
RB – Ramon Jefferson, redshirt junior, 5-10, 215, Sam Houston
FB/H-Back – Logan Kendall, junior, 6-3, 273, Idaho
WR – BJ Byrd, senior, 6-0, 190, Morehead State
WR – Taylor Grimes, junior, 5-11, 190, UIW
WR – Antwane Wells Jr., redshirt freshman, 6-1, 204, James Madison
TE – Kemari Averett, senior, 6-6, 260, Bethune-Cookman
OL – Michael Corbi, senior, 6-3, 335, Villanova
OL – Matthan Hatchie, junior, 6-2, 310 UT Martin
OL – Braxton Jones, redshirt junior, 6-7, 310, Southern Utah
OL – Tre'mond Shorts, redshirt junior, 6-4, 335, ETSU
OL – Colby Thomas, senior, 6-2, 300, Sam Houston
OL – Matt Waletzko, senior, 6-7, 305, North Dakota
DEFENSE
DL – Brevin Allen, senior, 6-4, 265, Campbell
DL – Bryce Carter, redshirt senior, 6-1, 252, James Madison
DL – Daniel Hardy, senior, 6-3, 240, Montana State
DL – Vaughn Taylor Jr., senior, 6-3, 252, Morehead State
DL – Kobie Turner, redshirt senior, 6-3, 290, Richmond
LB – Adam Bock, sophomore, 6-1, 215, South Dakota State
LB – Jack Cochrane, senior, 6-3, 230, South Dakota
LB – Stone Snyder, junior, 6-3, 240, VMI
LB – Jeremiah Tyler, senior, 6-1, 225, Princeton
LB – Tristan Wheeler, redshirt sophomore, 6-2, 228, Richmond
DB – Zy Alexander, freshman, 6-3, 185, Southeastern Louisiana
DB – Montrae Braswell, sophomore, 6-0, 190, Missouri State
DB – Qua Brown, senior, 5-11, 206, Southern Illinois
DB – Decobie Durant, grad, 5-11, 180, South Carolina State
DB – Devin Hafford, senior, 6-1, 210, Tarleton
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Matthew Cook, sophomore, 5-11, 180, Northern Iowa
P – Daniel Whelan, senior, 6-6, 221, UC Davis
LS – Matthew O'Donoghue, senior, 6-1, 260, Montana
KR – Isaiah Bolden, junior, 6-2, 205. Jackson State
PR – Jah'Marae Sheread, redshirt junior, 5-7, 175, Florida A&M
AP – Jake Chisholm, junior, 5-9, 191, Dayton
AP – Christian Watson, senior, 6-5, 208, North Dakota State
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THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Aqeel Glass, grad, 6-5, 215, Alabama A&M
QB – E.J. Perry, senior, 6-2, 210, Brown
RB – Malik Grant, junior, 5-7, 200, Sacred Heart
RB – Darius Hale, freshman, 5-11, 215, Central Arkansas
RB – Geno Hess, senior, 5-8, 209, Southeast Missouri
FB/H-Back – Joe Kenny, redshirt senior, 6-2, 253, Rhode Island
WR – Dai'Jean Dixon, senior, 6-4, 200, Nicholls
WR – Dennis Houston, senior, 6-2, 205, Western Illinois
TE – Ryan Miller, redshirt senior, 6-2, 221, Furman
OL – J.D. DiRenzo, grad, 6-6, 315, Sacred Heart
OL – AJ Farris, grad, 6-2, 300, Monmouth
OL – Keenan Forbes, grad, 6-3, 330, Florida A&M
OL – ZeVeyon Furcron, redshirt senior, 6-2, 327, Southern Illinois
OL – David Kroll, grad, 6-7, 315, Delaware
OL – Tristen Taylor, redshirt senior, 6-6, 320, Eastern Washington
DEFENSE
DL – Jahari Kay, senior, 6-2, 260, Sam Houston
DL – Titus Leo, senior, 6-4, 245, Wagner
DL – Shaundre Mims, redshirt senior, 6-0, 276, Charleston Southern
DL – Josiah Silver, freshman, 6-2, 227, New Hampshire
DL – Brayden Thomas, senior, 6-3, 260, North Dakota State
LB – Kelechi Anyalebechi, senior, 6-0, 240, UIW
LB – David Hoage, sophomore, 6-3, 250, Northern Colorado
LB – Jalen Mackie, senior, 6-1, 240, Dartmouth
LB – Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, redshirt junior, 5-10, 214, James Madison
LB – Tre Walker, junior, 6-1, 235, Idaho
DB – Johnathan Edwards, grad, 6-2, 192, Austin Peay
DB – Zyon McCollum, senior, 6-4, 200, Sam Houston
DB – Davion Ross, sophomore, 5-10, 165, Eastern Kentucky
DB – Michael Tutsie, senior, 5-11, 192, North Dakota State
DB – Kedrick Whitehead, redshirt senior, 5-11, 195, Delaware
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Kyle Sentkowski, junior, 6-0, 209, Sacramento State
P – Grant Burkett, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 180, Missouri State
LS – Robert Soderholm, senior, 6-1, 216, VMI
KR – Malik Flowers, redshirt junior, 6-2, 200, Montana
PR – Jayden Price, junior, 6-0, 186, North Dakota State
AP – Jaleel McLaughlin, senior, 5-9, 175, Youngstown State
AP – Jacob Saylors, junior, 5-11, 195, ETSU

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