Gubner Named First-Team All-American by AFCA
12/20/2023 2:37:00 PM | Football
Montana's Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year Alex Gubner has added to his postseason awards haul, recognized Wednesday as one of the best in the FCS by the people who evaluate talent for a living: the coaches.
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Gubner was named an FCS first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), his second first-team selection to date. He's one of just two players from the Big Sky to land on the first team and five from the league to be recognized on one of the AFCA's two All-America squads.
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He's now been named a first team All-American twice in the postseason, with the Associated Press honoring him earlier in the month. Gubner was also named a second-team All-American by media outlet Stats Perform this week.
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Montana's most destructive defender, he's now a two-time first-team all-conference selection and a two-time team defensive MVP.
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In his 52 games as a starter for the Grizzlies he's totaled 166 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and 28.5 TFLs – currently the 17th-most in program history. He also logged 4 interceptions his freshman year.
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He's been the cog in Montana's defensive wheel this season, a defense that has allowed less than 100 yards on the ground per game (97.2) by opponents – the least in the Big Sky and a top-nine ranking nationally. UM's scoring defense has also been exemplary, allowing opponents to average just 15.8 yards per game against it, the fewest in the conference and the fourth fewest in the FCS.
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Gubner is the first Grizzly D-tackle to ever be named the league's Defensive MVP, but Montana has a long history with the award. He's is now the 14th Grizzly to be named DPOY since Ron Rosenberg in 1974. A rare occurrence with generally few statistics, only seven interior defensive linemen (tackle/nose guard) have ever been named Defensive MVP by the conference.
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Gubner and the Grizzlies, the outright Big Sky champions, now prepare to take on South Dakota State in the FCS National Championship after beating North Dakota State in Missoula in the semifinal. The national title game is set for Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.
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Gubner was named an FCS first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), his second first-team selection to date. He's one of just two players from the Big Sky to land on the first team and five from the league to be recognized on one of the AFCA's two All-America squads.
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He's now been named a first team All-American twice in the postseason, with the Associated Press honoring him earlier in the month. Gubner was also named a second-team All-American by media outlet Stats Perform this week.
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Montana's most destructive defender, he's now a two-time first-team all-conference selection and a two-time team defensive MVP.
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In his 52 games as a starter for the Grizzlies he's totaled 166 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and 28.5 TFLs – currently the 17th-most in program history. He also logged 4 interceptions his freshman year.
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He's been the cog in Montana's defensive wheel this season, a defense that has allowed less than 100 yards on the ground per game (97.2) by opponents – the least in the Big Sky and a top-nine ranking nationally. UM's scoring defense has also been exemplary, allowing opponents to average just 15.8 yards per game against it, the fewest in the conference and the fourth fewest in the FCS.
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Gubner is the first Grizzly D-tackle to ever be named the league's Defensive MVP, but Montana has a long history with the award. He's is now the 14th Grizzly to be named DPOY since Ron Rosenberg in 1974. A rare occurrence with generally few statistics, only seven interior defensive linemen (tackle/nose guard) have ever been named Defensive MVP by the conference.
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Gubner and the Grizzlies, the outright Big Sky champions, now prepare to take on South Dakota State in the FCS National Championship after beating North Dakota State in Missoula in the semifinal. The national title game is set for Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.
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| 2023 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' All-America Team - First Team | |||||||
| Offense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| QBÂ | Max Brosmer | 6-2 | 221 | Jr. | New Hampshire | Rick Santos | Roswell, Ga. (Centennial) |
| RB | *Jaden Shirden | 5-9 | 195 | Jr. | Monmouth (N.J.) | Kevin Callahan | West Haven, Conn. (St. Joseph's) |
| RB | Isaiah Davis | 6-1 | 220 | Sr. | South Dakota St. | Jimmy Rogers | Joplin, Mo. (Joplin) |
| WR | Dymere Miller | 6-0 | 180 | Sr. | Monmouth (N.J.) | Kevin Callahan | Coatesville, Pa. (Coatesville) |
| WR | Ty James | 6-2 | 200 | Sr. | Mercer | Drew Cronic | Conyers, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian School) |
| TE | Cam Grandy | 6-5 | 260 | Sr. | Illinois St. | Brock Spack | Benson, Ill. (Fieldcrest) |
| OL | Garret Greenfield | 6-7 | 320 | Sr. | South Dakota St. | Jimmy Rogers | Rock Valley, Iowa (Rock Valley) |
| OLÂ | Marcus Wehr | 6-4 | 292 | Jr. | Montana St. | Brent Vigen | Billings, Mont. (Central) |
| OLÂ | Charles Grant | 6-4 | 280 | Jr. | William & Mary | Mike London | Portsmouth, Va. (Churchland) |
| OLÂ | Jalen Sundell | 6-5 | 300 | Sr. | North Dakota St. | Matt Entz | Maryville, Mo. (Maryville) |
| OL | *Jacob Johanning | 6-3 | 290 | R-Sr. | Furman | Clay Hendrix | Simpsonville, S.C. (St. Joseph's) |
| Defense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| DLÂ | Alex Gubner | 6-3 | 284 | R-Sr. | Montana | Bobby Hauck | West Hills, Calif. (Chaminade Prep) |
| DL | Terrell Allen | 6-0 | 275 | Gr. | Tennessee St. | Eddie George | North Little Rock, Ark. (North Little Rock) |
| DLÂ | Anton Juncaj | 6-3 | 273 | Sr. | UAlbany | Greg Gattuso | Port Jervis, N.Y. (Minisink) |
| DL | *Jay Person | 6-2 | 233 | Sr. | Chattanooga | Rusty Wright | Cleveland, Tenn. (Bradley Central) |
| LB | Tristan Wheeler | 6-2 | 228 | R-Sr. | Richmond | Russ Huesman | Bethlehem, Pa. (Freedom) |
| LBÂ | Micah Davey | 6-2 | 239 | R-So. | McNeese | Gary Goff | Baton Rouge, La. (University Lab) |
| LBÂ | Brock Mogensen | 6-2 | 235 | Sr. | South Dakota | Bob Nielson | Farmington, Minn. (Farmington) |
| DBÂ | Cole Wisniewski | 6-4 | 217 | Sr. | North Dakota St. | Matt Entz | Sparta, Wis. (Sparta) |
| DBÂ | Myles Harden | 6-0 | 200 | Jr. | South Dakota | Bob Nielson | Miami Gardens, Fla. (Miramar) |
| DB | PJ Jules | 6-1 | 209 | Sr. | Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | Orlando, Fla. (Jones) |
| DB | Sheldon Arnold, II | 6-1 | 191 | Jr. | ETSU | George Quarles | Loganville, Ga. (Loganville) |
| Specialists | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| PÂ | Aidan Laros | 6-2 | 210 | R-So. | UT Martin | Jason Simpson | Cape Town, South Africa (Northwood) |
| PKÂ | Kyle Ramsey | 6-2 | 190 | So. | ACU | Keith Patterson | Missouri City, Tex. (Ridgepoint) |
| AP | *Dylan Laube | 5-10 | 208 | Sr. | New Hampshire | Rick Santos | Westhampton, N.Y. (Beach) |
| LS | Hunter Brozio | 6-1 | 233 | Sr. | North Dakota St. | Matt Entz | Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson) |
| 2023 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' All-America Team - Second Team | |||||||
| Offense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| QB | Mark Gronowski | 6-3 | 225 | Jr. | South Dakota St. | Jimmy Rogers | Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley) |
| RB | Jamar Curtis | 5-8 | 164 | So. | Lafayette | John Troxell | Waldorf, Md. (St. John's College H.S.) |
| RBÂ | Desmond Reid | 5-8 | 170 | So. | Western Carolina | Kerwin Bell | Miami Gardens, Fla. (Miramar) |
| WR | *Hayden Hatten | 6-2 | 205Â | R-Jr. | Idaho | Jason Eck | Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro) |
| WR | Sam Schnee | 5-10 | 195 | R-Sr. | Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | Dubuque, Iowa (Senior) |
| TE | Tyler Neville | 6-4 | 235 | Sr. | Harvard | Tim Murphy | Williamsburg, Va. (Lafayette H.S.) |
| OL | *Mason McCormick | 6-5 | 315 | Sr. | South Dakota St. | Jimmy Rogers | Sioux Falls, S.D. (Roosevelt) |
| OLÂ | Gavin Olson | 6-4 | 305 | Sr. | UT Martin | Jason Simpson | Memphis, Tenn. (Harding Academy) |
| OLÂ | Tyler Smith | 6-8 | 310 | R-Sr. | Western Carolina | Kerwin Bell | Laurinburg, N.C. (Scotland County) |
| OL | Luke Newman | 6-4 | 310 | Sr. | Holy Cross | Bob Chesney | Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice) |
| OLÂ | Josiah Ezirim | 6-6 | 320 | Sr. | Eastern Kentucky | Walt Wells | Hilliard, Ohio (Davidson) |
| Defense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| DL | Brendan Webb | 6-4 | 260 | Sr. | South Dakota | Bob Nielson | Buhler, Kan. (Buhler) |
| DLÂ | Thor Griffith | 6-2 | 320 | Sr. | Harvard | Tim Murphy | Portsmouth, N.H. (Portsmouth) |
| DLÂ | Steven Parker | 6-4 | 265 | Jr. | UIW | Clint Killough | Dallas, Tex. (South Oak Cliff) |
| DLÂ | Joey Slackman | 6-4 | 300 | Sr. | Penn | Ray Priore | Commack, N.Y. (Commack) |
| LB | Billy Shaeffer | 6-3 | 232 | Sr. | Lafayette | John Troxell | Warrington, Pa. (Archbishop Wood) |
| LBÂ | Jacob Dobbs | 6-0 | 237 | Sr. | Holy Cross | Bob Chesney | Macomb, Mich. (De La Salle Collegiate) |
| LBÂ | Jalyx Hunt | 6-4 | 248 | Sr. | HCUÂ | Braxton Harris | DeBary, Fla. (University) |
| DB | Lance Wise Jr. | 5-9 | 195 | Sr. | Mercer | Drew Cronic | Marietta, Ga. (Hillgrove) |
| DBÂ | Travis Blackshear | 5-11 | 185 | Gr. | Furman | Clay Hendrix | Savannah, Ga. (Benedictine Military School) |
| DBÂ | Cameron Broussard | 6-3 | 200 | Jr. | Sacramento St. | Andy Thompson | Folsom, Calif. (Folsom) |
| DB | Caleb Curtain | 6-1 | 191 | R-So. | Elon | Tony Trisciani | Greensboro, N.C. (Grimsley) |
| Specialists | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| PÂ | Brendan Hall | 6-9 | 232 | Jr. | Montana St. | Brent Vigen | Springtown, Tex. (Springtown) |
| PKÂ | Matthew Cook | 5-11 | 199 | Sr. | Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cedar Falls) |
| APÂ | Devron Harper | 5-9 | 170 | Sr. | Mercer | Drew Cronic | Conyers, Ga. (Heritage) |
| *-2022 AFCA All-American | |||||||
Players Mentioned
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