ALL-BIG SKY FOOTBALL: Five Vandals, eight Eagles earn honors

Five Idaho Vandals were named to the All-Big Sky Conference football team on Wednesday. 

Offensive lineman Nate Azzopardi and linebacker Isiah King were named to the first team, Brayden Rice was selected to the second team as a specialist, and defensive end Matyus McLain and linebacker Dylan Layne earned honorable mention.

Azzopardi was unanimously voted a team captain this season – his third season being elected by his teammates to that position. He started every game this season, and recorded five games with a pass block grade of 80 or higher per Pro Football Focus. He was named an honorable mention on the 2024 all-conference team.  

King, the lone returning defensive starter, ranked in the top 15 in the Big Sky in tackles and tackles for loss. He was one of the best run-stopping linebackers in the league, recording an 89.1 run defense grade in PFF. For the 2025 season, King led Idaho in QB hits, and ranked second on the team in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks. He was an honorable mention on the 2024 all-conference team.   

Rice, from Lewiston High, was one of the most consistent Vandals on special teams throughout the year. Throughout the season, Rice was constantly one of the best players in that phase of the game and was twice named Idaho’s special teams player of the week. He recorded a career-high five tackles at Northern Arizona.  

Layne led the Vandals in tackles, and was voted as a team captain this season. Layne ranked in the top 10 in the conference with 88 tackles and was second on the team with six passes broken up. The junior linebacker recorded three games with 10 or more tackles, including a career-high 12 against St. Thomas, and tied that in Idaho’s big win at Northern Arizona.  

McLain, from Priest River High, was third in the conference in total TFL with 13.5, and ranked in the top 15 for most sacks, as well. He recorded a career-high 3.5 TFL with a sack in Idaho’s game at Eastern Washington. 

Eastern Washington safety Jaylon Jenkins was named to the first team. Eagles Landon Cooper and Read Sunn made the second team, and Dylan Conner, Nate Bell, Isaiah Perez, Drew Carter and Landon Ogles all earned honorable mention. 

Jenkins had five interceptions at safety, tied for fourth in the FCS and second in the Big Sky. 

Montana State running back Eli Gillman was named Offensive Player of the Year, and Montana State safety Caden Dowler was named Defensive Player of the Year. 

Montana State’s Brent Vigen was named Coach of the Year and Montana State quarterback Justin Lamson was named Newcomer of the Year. UC Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was a unanimous selection for Freshman of the Year. 

The Coach of the Year honor for Vigen is the third of his career, as he becomes the first Big Sky coach to win the honor solely in back-to-back years since Montana's Bobby Hauck in 2006-07.   

Lamson scored 26 touchdowns (17 passing, 9 rushing) in conference play alone, while Dowler had four interceptions and two interceptions returned for touchdowns in the final three games of the season.  

Gillman, who led the league in rushing yards per game (105.1) and rushing touchdowns (17), became the first Grizzly to win Offensive Player of the Year honors since John Edwards in 2002. Additionally, Gillman joins all-time great Cooper Kupp as the only Big Sky players to have won both the Freshman of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year honors during their career.  

Pinnick racked up 294.6 passing yards per game and tossed 18 touchdowns, which led all other Big Sky quarterbacks during that stretch.  

There were only two unanimous first-team selections, with UC Davis' Jacob Psyk and Cal Poly's Mikey D'Amato garnering every available first-team vote.  

2025 Big Sky Football Individual Awards 

Offensive Player of the Year: Eli Gillman, RB, Montana 

Defensive Player of the Year: Caden Dowler, DB, Montana State 

Newcomer of the Year: Justin Lamson, QB, Montana State 

Freshman of the Year: Caden Pinnick, QB, UC Davis* 

Coach of the Year: Brent Vigen, Montana State 

 *  - Unanimous selection  

 First Team All-Big Sky Offense 

QB: Keali’i Ah Yat, Montana 

RB: Rodney Hammond, Sac State 

RB: Eli Gillman, Montana 

WR: Carver Cheeks, Northern Colorado 

WR: Samuel Gbatu, UC Davis 

WR: Kolbe Katsis, Northern Arizona 

TE: Ian Simpson, UC Davis 

TE: Evan Shafer, Montana 

OL: Stryker Rashid, Idaho State 

OL: Titan Fleischmann, Montana State 

OL: Cannon Panfiloff, Montana 

OL: Eli Simonson, UC Davis 

OL: Gavin Ortega, Weber State 

OL: Nate Azzopardi, Idaho 

AP: Michael Wortham, Montana 

First Team All-Big Sky Defense 

DL: Jacob Psyk, UC Davis* 

DL: Paul Brott, Montana State 

DL: Kenneth Eiden IV, Montana State 

DL: Hunter Peck, Montana 

DL: DeSean Watts, Sac State 

LB: Mikey D'Amato, Cal Poly* 

LB: Peyton Wing, Montana 

LB: Isiah King, Idaho 

LB: Travis Arena, Northern Arizona 

LB: Kenny Olson, Cal Poly 

DB: Caden Dowler, Montana State 

DB: Quentin Moten, Northern Arizona 

DB: Cam Chapa, Northern Colorado 

DB: Koa Akui, Sac State 

DB: Jaylon Jenkins, Eastern Washington 

DB: Khalani Riddick, UC Davis 

DB: Montae Pate, Weber State 

*  - Unanimous selection  

First Team All-Big Sky Specialists 

KR: Kolbe Katsis, Northern Arizona 

PR: Taco Dowler, Montana State 

K: Trajan Sinatra, Idaho State 

P: Ben D'Aquila, Northern Arizona 

ST: Tanner Huff, Montana 

LS: Spencer Moore, Cal Poly 

Second Team All-Big Sky Offense 

QB: Justin Lamson, Montana State 

RB: Julius Davis, Montana State 

RB: Dason Brooks, Idaho State 

WR: Taco Dowler, Montana State 

WR: Michael Wortham, Montana 

WR: Tsion Nunnally, Idaho State 

TE: Landon Cooper, Eastern Washington  

TE: Noah Bennee, Weber State 

OL: Aidan Meek, Sac State 

OL: Liam Brown, Montana 

OL: Dean Abdullah, Sac State 

OL: Zaire Collier, UC Davis 

OL: Racin Delgatty, Cal Poly 

OL: Jeremiah Katt, Northern Arizona 

OL: Ethan Kramer, Northern Arizona  

AP: Rodney Hammond, Sac State 

Second Team All-Big Sky Defense  

DL: Matt Herron, Weber State 

DL: Dylan Hampsten, Sac State 

DL: Jayland McGlothen, Sac State 

DL: Victory Johnson, Cal Poly 

DL: Cam’ron Willis, Idaho State 

LB: Solomon Tuliaupupu, Montana 

LB: Nate Rutchena, UC Davis 

LB: Brandon Wong, Northern Arizona 

LB: Cole Taylor, Montana State 

LB: Read Sunn, Eastern Washington  

DB: Drew Cofield, UC Davis 

DB: Rylan Leathers, Idaho State 

DB: TJ Rausch, Montana  

DB: Jeremiah Bernard, Cal Poly 

DB: Carsten Mamaril, Portland State 

DB: Tayden Gray, Montana State 

Second Team All-Big Sky Specialists 

KR: Rodney Hammond, Sac State 

PR: Drew Deck, Montana 

K: Sloan Calder, Weber State 

P: Gabe Russo, Idaho State 

ST: Brayden Rice, Idaho 

LS: Grayson Pibal, Montana 

Honorable Mention Offense (at least 3 votes) 

QB: Caden Pinnick, UC Davis 

QB: Ty Pennington, Northern Arizona  

QB: Jordan Cooke, Idaho State 

RB: Adam Jones, Montana State 

RB: Jordan Fisher, UC Davis 

WR: Michael Shulikov, Idaho State 

WR: Michael Briscoe, Cal Poly 

WR: Damien Morgan, Idaho State 

WR: Brooks Davis, Montana 

TE: Kristian Ingman, Portland State 

OL: JT Reed, Montana State 

OL: Dylan Conner, Eastern Washington 

OL: Cedric Jefferson, Montana State 

OL: Jack Ziebell, Northern Colorado 

OL: Burke Mastel, Montana State 

AP: Nate Bell, Eastern Washington  

Honorable Mention Defense (at least 3 votes) 

DL: Alec Eckert, Montana State 

DL: Matyus McLain, Idaho 

DL: Spencer Elliott, Portland State 

DL: Isaiah Perez, Eastern Washington 

DL: Hunter Parsons, Montana State 

DL: Jake Mason, Montana 

LB: Mayson Hitchens, Weber State 

LB: Dylan Lane, Idaho 

LB: Nathan Reynolds, Idaho State 

LB: Caleb Otlewski, Montana 

LB: Hudson Voggesser, Northern Colorado 

DB: Isaiah Green, Portland State 

DB: Jason Oliver, Sac State 

DB: Angel King, Weber State 

DB: Drew Carter, Eastern Washington  

Honorable Mention Specialists (at least 3 votes) 

KR: Cru Newman, Portland State 

PR: Isaiah Eastman, Northern Arizona 

K: Ty Morrison, Montana 

P: Landon Ogles, Eastern Washington 

LS: Maddox Broughton, Northern Colorado 

LS: Adam Johnston, Sac State