Eight Grizzlies named Academic All-District
1/6/2026 4:12:00 PM | Football
The 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District football team was announced on Tuesday and eight Grizzlies – tied for the most honorees in the Big Sky – were honored for their combined performance on the field and in classroom.
Whitefish native Dillon Botner, who was officially named FCS Scholar Athlete of the Year on Saturday in Nashville, running back Eli Gillman and Hunter Peck (who is bound for medical school) each earned all-district honors and are now in the running for Academic All-America honors as well.
Linebacker Peyton Wing, record-setting receiver Michael Wortham, last year's UM President's Award winner Clay Oven, center Cade Klimczak, and safety TJ Rausch of Missoula were also all-district honorees.
The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. To be eligible for the Academic All-District team, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically.
Botner won the Doris Robinson Award for the top scholar in the FCS last week after earning three Bachelor of Science degrees (with Magna Cum Laude honors in each) in Biochemistry (Health Professions), Biology (Human Biological Sciences) and Neuroscience (Cellular and Molecular), as well as a minor in Physics and most recently a certificate in Business Entrepreneurship. All the while he maintained a 3.70 GPA.
Gillman posted his second-straight 1,000+ yard season as a junior in 2025 with 1,434 yards on the season and is knocking on the door to making school history. The Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year has racked-up the third most single-season yards in program history, needing less than 500 yards to become UM's all-time leading rusher, all while maintaining a 3.51 GPA in business marketing.
Peck led Montana in sacks (4.5), was second in QB hurries (4) and was third in TFLs (8) in 2025. He earned first team All-Big Sky defensive honors in a standout senior year at UM after transferring from NAIA Carroll College in the offseason where he was a two-time All-American and the Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He carries a 3.70 GPA with a degree in biology, a minor in chemistry, and graduate certificate in business with his eyes set on med school after UM.
Each of them will advance to the national Academic All-America ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced Jan. 27, 2026.
Wing was an All-American at linebacker after a standout junior season where he logged led the team with four interceptions, posted 78 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 5 QB hurries, and 3.5 sacks. He's now a two-time Academic All-District honoree after earning the same honor at Portland State as a sophomore. He holds a 3.54 GPA in business management.
Wortham, a Payton Award finalist, etched his name atop Montana's record books with a huge season in his lone year in Missoula. The electric senior receiver totaled 1,224 receiving yards, 345 rushing yards, and 862 combined return yards to finish the year with 2,431 all-purpose yards. That total broke Hall of Famer Marc Mariani's 2008 record of 2,265 single-season all-purpose yards and finished less than 90 yards shy of a Big Sky record. He carried a 3.53 GPA while earning a graduate certificate at UM.
Oven logged 49 tackles as a sophomore with four QB hurries, two sacks, and pass breakup as a backup linebacker. He had six tackles or more three times last season and is expected to be one of UM's top two leading tacklers returning in 2026. He won Montana's President's Award for the top GPA in Grizzly Athletics in 2025 and will be in the running once again in 2026 carrying a perfect 4.0 GPA in criminology.
Klimczak played a major role in one of the best offenses in program history, making 16 starts in two years as a Grizzly and appearing in every game this season. He helped Montana set records for points scored and yards gained, while protecting the passers at an elite level. The Griz gave up just 23 sacks this year, the second fewest in the last decade. That equates to just over. 1.5 per game, allowing UM to rack-up over 457 yards of offense per game. He leaves Montana with a 3.90 GPA in the MBA program.
Rausch was UM's 4th leading tackler this season with 73 stops, adding three interceptions, two fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown) and one TFL. He's now a two-time Academic All-District honoree and will be a four-time Academic All-Big Sky pick as well after holding a 3.85 GPA while earning a master's of accounting.
Whitefish native Dillon Botner, who was officially named FCS Scholar Athlete of the Year on Saturday in Nashville, running back Eli Gillman and Hunter Peck (who is bound for medical school) each earned all-district honors and are now in the running for Academic All-America honors as well.
Linebacker Peyton Wing, record-setting receiver Michael Wortham, last year's UM President's Award winner Clay Oven, center Cade Klimczak, and safety TJ Rausch of Missoula were also all-district honorees.
The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. To be eligible for the Academic All-District team, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically.
Botner won the Doris Robinson Award for the top scholar in the FCS last week after earning three Bachelor of Science degrees (with Magna Cum Laude honors in each) in Biochemistry (Health Professions), Biology (Human Biological Sciences) and Neuroscience (Cellular and Molecular), as well as a minor in Physics and most recently a certificate in Business Entrepreneurship. All the while he maintained a 3.70 GPA.
Gillman posted his second-straight 1,000+ yard season as a junior in 2025 with 1,434 yards on the season and is knocking on the door to making school history. The Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year has racked-up the third most single-season yards in program history, needing less than 500 yards to become UM's all-time leading rusher, all while maintaining a 3.51 GPA in business marketing.
Peck led Montana in sacks (4.5), was second in QB hurries (4) and was third in TFLs (8) in 2025. He earned first team All-Big Sky defensive honors in a standout senior year at UM after transferring from NAIA Carroll College in the offseason where he was a two-time All-American and the Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He carries a 3.70 GPA with a degree in biology, a minor in chemistry, and graduate certificate in business with his eyes set on med school after UM.
Each of them will advance to the national Academic All-America ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced Jan. 27, 2026.
Wing was an All-American at linebacker after a standout junior season where he logged led the team with four interceptions, posted 78 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 5 QB hurries, and 3.5 sacks. He's now a two-time Academic All-District honoree after earning the same honor at Portland State as a sophomore. He holds a 3.54 GPA in business management.
Wortham, a Payton Award finalist, etched his name atop Montana's record books with a huge season in his lone year in Missoula. The electric senior receiver totaled 1,224 receiving yards, 345 rushing yards, and 862 combined return yards to finish the year with 2,431 all-purpose yards. That total broke Hall of Famer Marc Mariani's 2008 record of 2,265 single-season all-purpose yards and finished less than 90 yards shy of a Big Sky record. He carried a 3.53 GPA while earning a graduate certificate at UM.
Oven logged 49 tackles as a sophomore with four QB hurries, two sacks, and pass breakup as a backup linebacker. He had six tackles or more three times last season and is expected to be one of UM's top two leading tacklers returning in 2026. He won Montana's President's Award for the top GPA in Grizzly Athletics in 2025 and will be in the running once again in 2026 carrying a perfect 4.0 GPA in criminology.
Klimczak played a major role in one of the best offenses in program history, making 16 starts in two years as a Grizzly and appearing in every game this season. He helped Montana set records for points scored and yards gained, while protecting the passers at an elite level. The Griz gave up just 23 sacks this year, the second fewest in the last decade. That equates to just over. 1.5 per game, allowing UM to rack-up over 457 yards of offense per game. He leaves Montana with a 3.90 GPA in the MBA program.
Rausch was UM's 4th leading tackler this season with 73 stops, adding three interceptions, two fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown) and one TFL. He's now a two-time Academic All-District honoree and will be a four-time Academic All-Big Sky pick as well after holding a 3.85 GPA while earning a master's of accounting.
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