Bergen named preseason All-American by Athlon Sports

Montana's dynamic receiver and return man Junior Bergen of Billings has been named to the Athlon Sports Preseason FCS All-America team as a punt returner, the publication announced Wednesday.

Bergen, who capped the 2022 season with a place on three different All-America lists, is one of just five players from the Big Sky Conference named to the 2023 Athlon Sports preseason team.

The rising junior returned 22 punts for 327 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore, with a season-long return of 72 yards against Portland State.

One of those punt return touchdowns came in the FCS playoffs, where he helped the Griz erase a 21-point third-quarter deficit against Southeast Missouri, taking a 58-yard return to the house to tie the game.

He earned second-team All-America honors following the season as a returner from Stats Perform and Phil Steele Magazine and was named to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America team. He also earned third-team All-Big Sky honors.

Defending FCS National Champion South Dakota State led the Athlon preseason All-America team with four selections. Receiver Hayden Hatten of Idaho, tight end Marshel Martin of Sac State, DB Maxwell Anderson and kickoff returner Abraham Williams of Weber State were the other selections from the Big Sky.

Athlon's is the first of several preseason All-America teams to be published in the offseason.

Earlier in the spring, Athlon placed Montana at No. 10 in its preseason FCS top-25, the third-highest ranked of six Big Sky Conference teams.

The Griz open the 2023 season at home against Butler on Sept. 2. Season ticket packages are on sale now at GrizTix.com.

ATHLON SPORTS FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM

OFFENSE
QB – Michael Hiers (6-1/211/Sr.) Samford
RB – Isaiah Davis (6-1/220/Sr.) South Dakota State
RB – Jaden Shirden (5-9/185/Jr.) Monmouth
AP – Dylan Laube (5-10/204/Sr.) New Hampshire
WR – Devron Harper (5-9/170/Sr.) Mercer
WR – Hayden Hatten (6-2/205/Jr.) Idaho
TE – Marshel Martin (6-2/215/Sr.) Sacramento State
C – Zack Gieg (6-1/287/Sr.) Southeast Missouri
OL – John Allen (6-1/310/Sr.) Southeastern Louisiana
OL – Garret Greenfield (6-6/305/Sr.) South Dakota State
OL – Mason McCormick (6-4/305/Sr.) South Dakota State
OL – Luke Newman (6-5/301/Sr.) Holy Cross

DEFENSE
DL – Ty French (6-3/230/Sr.) Gardner-Webb
DL – Jay Person (6-3/225/Sr.) Chattanooga
DL – Josiah Silver (6-2/236/Jr.) New Hampshire
DL – David Walker (6-3/235/Jr.) Central Arkansas
LB – Adam Bock (6-1/215/Sr.) South Dakota State
LB – Jacob Dobbs (6-0/237/Sr.) Holy Cross
LB – John Pius (6-2/230/Sr.) William & Mary
LB – Tristan Wheeler (6-2/228/Sr.) Richmond
DB – Maxwell Anderson (5-11/170/Sr.) Weber State
DB – Khalil Baker (6-0/185/Sr.) North Carolina Central
DB – Lawrence Johnson (6-0/196/Sr.) Southeast Missouri
DB – TaMuarion Wilson (6-2/205/Jr.) Central Arkansas

SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Ethan Gettman (6-4/190/Sr.) Bryant
P – Trey Wilhoit (5-10/175/Jr.) Florida A&M
KR – Abraham Williams (6-1/175/Jr.) Weber State
PR – Junior Bergen (5-11/184/Jr.) Montana

University of Montana Athletics

Bergen named preseason All-American by Athlon Sports

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