Stats Perform names four Grizzlies All-American

Postseason accolades continued to roll in for the Montana Grizzlies on Wednesday with four Grizzlies being named to one of three Stats Perform All-America teams.

Michael Wortham earned first team All-America honors for the second time this week, fittingly as an all-purpose player. Three more Grizzlies earned a spot on the second team as well with breakout sophomore quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat picking up All-America honors in his first year as a full-time starter. Eli Gillman also landed on the second team as he approaches the top of Montana's record book, and left tackle Cannon Panfiloff received a nod for opening holes for Gillman and protecting Ah Yat all season.

A finalist for the Walter Payton Award and a first team All-Big Sky pick, Wortham has rewritten the record books for Montana in recent weeks and is poised to set more all-time marks in his lone season at UM. With a monster day against South Dakota, he's now eclipsed 2,295 all-purpose yards this season, breaking Hall of Famer Marc Mariani's 2008 school record of 2,265 single-season all-purpose yards.

He's also caught 77 passes for 1,139 yards this year. 77 catches are the fifth-most in a season for UM, and 1,139 yards is the eighth-most in program history. He needs just 10 more catches to set a school record set by Samori Toure in 2019. Wortham's 738 yards of kickoff returns are also near a school record as one of just five players with more than 700 in a year. He needs 141 more to top Malik Flowers' 2019 record of 879.

He was a Stats Perform second team All-American as a junior at Eastern Washington in 2024, now making his second appearance on the list – one of just nine repeat All-Americans.

Ah Yat has led the Grizzly offense to new school records for touchdowns, points scored, and yards of total offense in a season as a sophomore. He is currently tied with three other Grizzly legends for the fourth-most TD passes ever in a single season at UM at 32 and has thrown for the second-most yards in program history this season with 3,819 to date.

The first team All-Big Sky pick and Payton Award Finalist has also been exceedingly accurate, currently completing 69.6-percent (298-428-8) of his passes. If the season were to end today, that would be a new school record. He also needs to complete just 12 more passes this season to set the new school completion record, set by both Craig Ochs and Dave Dickenson at 309.

Gillman is having his second-straight 1,000+ yard season and is knocking on the door to making history as well with 1,434 yards on the season. The Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year has racked-up the third most single-season yards in program history, needing just 69 more yards to pass Hall of Famer Chase Reynolds' 2009 total of 1,502 in second and 150 more to pass Reynold's 2008 total of 1,583.

Gillman's career numbers are on the cusp of history as well. He has now rushed for 3,571 yards and 48 touchdowns with 52 overall TDs in his three full seasons. He now needs exactly 500 more yards to become Montana's all-time leading rusher.

Panfiloff has been instrumental in Montana's elite offense this season, paving the way for record passing yards and one of the top four rushers in program history. The senior from Roy, Utah, is set to make his 30^th start for the Grizzlies this week after starting every game this season.

The first team All-Big Sky pick has been a leader in an offensive line that has protected the UM QBs at a historic rate this season as well, allowing just 20 sacks on the season – tied for the second fewest of any Grizzly team in the past decade and one of the top five fewest in a season in program history.

On Tuesday, Wortham was named a first team All-American by the Associated Press, and Gillman earned a place on the second team. Ah Yat and Panfiloff were both given honorable mentions.

Montana will face Montana State on Saturday in the FCS semifinal for a chance to play in the National Championship for the second time in three years. Kickoff from Bozeman is set for 2 p.m., with ABC airing the game nationally.

2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America Team – Montana honorees

FIRST TEAM
SPECIAL TEAMS
AP – Michael Wortham, Montana, R-Sr., 5-9, 190

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Keali'i Ah Yat, Montana, R-So., 6-1, 200
RB – Eli Gillman, Montana, R-Jr., 6-0, 213
OL – Cannon Panfiloff, Montana, R-Sr., 6-6, 294

University of Montana Athletics

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Keali'i Ah Yat

Eli Gillman

Cannon Panfiloff

Michael Wortham

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