Big Sky-best four Griz land on Stats Perform Preseason All-America teams

Missoula, Mont. - The Montana Grizzlies placed a Big Sky-best four players on one of three preseason All-America teams released Monday by FCS news outlet Stats Perform.

Linebacker and 2021 Buchanan Award finalist Patrick O'Connell, cornerback Justin Ford, and kick returner/wide receiver Malik Flowers each earned a place on the first team, while safety Robby Hauck landed on the second team.

The Stats Perform Preseason All-America team was compiled by FCS analyst Craig Haley. All 15 FCS conferences and 57 schools are represented among the 105 All-Americans, which included 56 players who were postseason All-Americans previously.

Last week, O'Connell became the fourth Grizzly linebacker in the past five years to be named the Big Sky's preseason defensive MVP, with Ford, Flowers, and Hauck each being named to the preseason all-conference team at the football kickoff event in Spokane.

O'Connell returns after one of the best defensive seasons in Montana history as a junior. The former walk-on posted 105 tackles and was the Big Sky regular season leader in sacks as a junior with 14. For his efforts, the Kalispell native finished third in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award that goes to the top defender in FCS football.

A consensus All-American, he was a first-team All-Big Sky pick and was named the team's Steve Carlson MVP and co-recipient of the Doug Betters Golden Helmet Award.

Ford earned preseason all-conference honors after leading all divisions of college football in interceptions with nine in 2021, going on an unprecedented streak of eight-straight games with a pick. He also logged a pair of touchdowns on interception returns and a fumble return for a touchdown against Montana State.

His nine interceptions were the most in a single season ever by a UM cornerback and were tied for the third-most single-season INTs in program history. He was one of three defenders to be named Defensive team MVP by the UM coaches after the season.

In addition to his prolific haul of INTs, Ford posted 41 tackles (29 solo), a pair of TFLs, a sack, 11 pass breakups, and led the team in pass deflections with 20.

Flowers earned special teams preseason All-America honors as he enters his senior season as Montana's all-time leader in kick return touchdowns. He ran back two returns for TDs in 2021 to earn a place on three All-America teams. He's tallied five career return TDs with 2,044 career return yards – the second-most in UM history. His current average of 28.4 yards on 72 returns is the best in school history as well.

Hauck is poised to shatter the all-time tackles record at Montana, entering his senior year sitting at No. 3 on UM's career tackles list with 364 and chasing former Grizzly Dante Olson's school record of 398 stops. He's also on track to break EWU's Ronnie Hamlin's Big Sky record of 473 tackles.

Hauck earned All-America honors in 2021 after posting his second-straight season with over 125 tackles, missing his 2019 career-high of 129 by a single stop last year at 128. A star in the classroom and on the field, he is poised to become just the third, three-time Academic All-American in program history.

Montana was picked to win the Big Sky title race for the first time in a decade in both the preseason media and coaches poll at the Big Sky kickoff in July.

2022 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Previous Season(s) as First-Team Postseason All-American Listed in Parentheses

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Xavier Shepherd, 6-0, 205, junior, Kennesaw State (2021 All-Purpose)
RB – Isaiah Davis, 6-1, 220, junior, South Dakota State
RB – Isaiah Ifanse, 5-10, 202, senior, Montana State
FB – Hunter Luepke, 6-1, 236, senior, North Dakota State (2020, 2021)
WR – Xavier Gipson, 5-9, 170, senior, Stephen F. Austin (2021)
WR – Taylor Grimes, 5-11, 190, senior, UIW
TE – Tucker Kraft, 6-5, 255, junior, South Dakota State (2021)
OL – Michael Corbi, 6-6, 335, senior, Villanova
OL – McClendon Curtis, 6-6, 328, senior, Chattanooga
OL – Matthan Hatchie, 6-2, 310, senior, UT Martin
OL – Cody Mauch, 6-6, 303, senior, North Dakota State
OL – Mason McCormick, 6-4, 310, senior, South Dakota State
DEFENSE
DL – Nate Lynn, 6-3, 255, junior, William & Mary (2021)
DL – Devonnsha Maxwell, 6-3, 296, senior, Chattanooga (2021)
DL – Josiah Silver, 6-2, 234, sophomore, New Hampshire
DL – Spencer Waege, 6-5, 278, senior, North Dakota State
LB – Jacob Dobbs, 6-0, 232, senior, Holy Cross (2021)
LB – Ryan Greenhagen 6-1, 245, grad, Fordham
LB – Isaiah Land 6-4, 215, senior, Florida A&M (2021)
LB – Patrick O'Connell, 6-2, 225, redshirt senior, Montana (2021)
LB – Stone Snyder, 6-3, 240, senior, VMI (2020)
DB – Anthony Adams, 6-0, 185, senior, Portland State (2019)
DB – Justin Ford, 6-2, 190, redshirt senior, Montana (2021)
DB – Ferlando Jordan, 6-0, 180, redshirt senior, Southeastern Louisiana
DB – Kedrick Whitehead, 5-11, 195, senior, Delaware (2020)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Matthew Cook, 5-11, 180, junior, Northern Iowa
P – Grant Burkett, 6-1, 191, sophomore, Missouri State
LS – Robert Soderholm, 6-1, 230, senior, VMI
KR – Malik Flowers, 6-2, 200, redshirt senior, Montana
PR – Jah'Marae Sheread, 5-7, 175, redshirt senior, Florida A&M
AP – Ulonzo Gilliam Jr., 5-9, 189, senior, UC Davis
AP – Jacob Saylors, 5-11, 195, senior, ETSU

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SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Jason Shelley, 5-11, 197, senior, Missouri State
RB – Juwon Farri, 5-10, 195, redshirt senior, Monmouth
RB – Malik Grant, junior, 5-9, 200, senior, Sacred Heart
RB – Jaleel McLaughlin, 5-9, 195, senior, Youngstown State
WR – Avante Cox, 5-10, 170, senior, Southern Illinois (2020)
WR – Jakob Herres, 6-4, 225, grad, Richmond (2020)
TE – Kemari Averett, 6-6, 260, senior, Bethune-Cookman
TE – Ryan Miller, 6-2, 221, redshirt senior, Furman
OL – Noah Atagi, 6-4, 325, junior, Weber State
OL – Garret Greenfield, 6-6, 295, senior, South Dakota State (2020)
OL – Alex Jensen, 6-7, 280, senior, South Dakota
OL – Kyle Nunez, 6-2, 340, grad, Stony Brook
OL – Anderson Tomlin, 6-5, 296, redshirt senior, Furman
DEFENSE
DL – Brevin Allen, 6-4, 265, senior, Campbell
DL – Malik Hamm, 6-3, 260, senior, Lafayette
DL – Jeblonski Green, 6-3, 265, redshirt junior, South Carolina State
DL – Jordan Lewis, 6-3, 195, junior, Southern (2020)
DL – Clay Patterson, 6-3, 267, junior, Yale
DL – B.J. Thompson, 6-6, 210, senior, Stephen F. Austin
LB – Kelechi Anyalebechi, 6-0, 240, grad, UIW
LB – Adam Bock, 6-1, 215, sophomore, South Dakota State
LB – Spencer Cuvelier, 6-3, 245, redshirt senior, Northern Iowa
LB – David Hoage, 6-3, 250, junior, Northern Colorado
LB – Titus Leo, 6-4, 245, grad, Wagner
LB – Tristan Wheeler, 6-2, 228, redshirt junior, Richmond
DB – Zy Alexander, 6-3, 185, sophomore, Southeastern Louisiana
DB – Montrae Braswell, 6-0, 190, junior, Missouri State
DB – Robby Hauck, 5-10, 185, redshirt senior, Montana
DB – Michael Tutsie, 5-11, 193, senior, North Dakota State
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Kyle Sentkowski, 6-0, 209, senior, Sacramento State
P – Max Quick, 5-10, 185, junior, Stephen F. Austin
LS – Dalton Godfrey, 6-2, 230, senior, South Dakota
KR – Isaiah Bolden, 6-2, 205, senior, Jackson State
PR – Devon Harper, 5-9, 165, junior, Mercer (2020)
AP – Jake Chisholm, 5-9, 191, senior, Dayton
AP – Javon Williams Jr., 6-2, 245, junior, Southern Illinois (2020)

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THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Trae Self, 6-4, 190, senior Stephen F. Austin
RB – Ailym Ford, 5-9, 213, junior, Chattanooga
RB – Geno Hess, 5-8, 209, senior, Southeast Missouri
RB – Ty Son Lawton, 5-10, 215, senior, Stony Brook
WR – Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, 6-1, 190, senior, Alabama A&M
WR – Jaxon Janke, 6-3, 210, senior, South Dakota State
WR – Xavier Smith, 5-10, 170, grad, Florida A&M
TE – Marshel Martin, 6-2, 209, junior, Sacramento State
OL – Nick Correia, 6-6, 330, redshirt junior, Rhode Island
OL – Mark Evans II, 6-4, 295, senior, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OL – Levi Nesler, 6-1, 318, redshirt senior, Murray State
OL – Jake Parks, 6-3, 285, senior, UC Davis
OL – Evan Roussel, 6-2, 290, sophomore, Nicholls
DEFENSE
DL – Ty French, 6-3, 230, junior, Gardner-Webb
DL – Jonathan Hammond, 6-2, 227, junior, Davidson
DL – Logan Jessup, 6-3, 255, junior, Central Arkansas
DL – VJ Malo, 6-1, 270, senior, Portland State
DL – Kevin Peprah, 6-2, 235, senior, Sacred Heart
DL – Markel Perry, 6-2, 220, redshirt senior, Sam Houston
LB – Ty Boeck, 6-1, 218, senior, Chattanooga
LB – John Ford II, 6-3, 230, grad, UT Martin
LB – Matthew Jackson, 6-2, 205, redshirt senior, Eastern Kentucky
LB – James Kaczor, 6-0, 212, senior, North Dakota State
LB – Trevor Williams, 5-9, 205, senior, Sam Houston
DB – Cole Coleman, 5-10, 193, senior, Elon
DB – Eddie Heckard, 5-10, 190, junior, Weber State
DB – Travis Hunter, 6-1, 165, freshman, Jackson State
DB – Deven Sims, 6-2, 200, redshirt senior, UT Martin
DB – Lance Wise, 5-8, 185, junior, Mercer
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Chris Campos, 5-10, 220, redshirt sophomore, Stephen F. Austin
P – Ryan Kost, 6-2, 200, grad, Monmouth
LS – Brian McNamara, 5-9, 190, senior, Sacred Heart
KR – Calvin Jones, 5-10, 175, sophomore, Western Carolina
PR – Jayden Price, 6-0, 197, senior, North Dakota State
AP – Narii Gaither, 5-10, 181, senior, Gardner-Webb
AP – Darius Hale, 5-11, 225, sophomore, Central Arkansas
AP – Tommy Mellott, 6-0, 195, sophomore, Montana State

University of Montana Athletics

Big Sky-best four Griz land on Stats Perform Preseason All-America teams

Players Mentioned

Malik Flowers

Justin Ford

Robby Hauck

Patrick O'Connell

Dante Olson

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