National powers lead the way on the 2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team.
All 13 FCS conferences and 54 schools are represented among 102 All-Americans, who are spread across three teams. Illinois State and UIW share the high with six selections each, while defending national champion North Dakota State and South Dakota have five each.
Six players return from last year’s postseason first team: UIW wide receiver Jalan Walthall; linebackers Tye Niekamp of Illinois State and A.J. Pena of Rhode Island; defensive backs Rex Connors of UC Davis and Jalen Jones of William & Mary; and Elon punter Jeff Yurk.
A collection of players from around the Big Sky Conference, including four Bobcats and three Grizzlies, earned preseason All-American honors on Tuesday.
Four players from the Big Sky Conference were first-team selections. Titan Fleishman, a 6-foot-4, 300-pounder who earned second-team all conference last season landed on the first-team offense while senior defensive back Rex Connors of UC Davis earned a spot on the first-team defense.
Taco Dowler, an all-American and record setter as a sophomore at Montana State last season, was highlighted as the preseason first-team punt returner while Michael Wortham, a returning all-American who starred at eastern Washington last season but now plays for Montana, was the first-team kick returner.
Other Bobcats on the list included a pair of in-state products. Adam Jones, the runner-up for national freshman of the year a year ago, was a second-team pick at running back for MSU while Paul Brott, a three-year starter on the inside of MSU’s defensive line, earned second-team on dfense.
Other Griz on the list included junior running back Eli Gillman and junior linebacker Peyton Wing earning third-team recognition.
Other Big Sky selections on the list included Sac State running back Jamar Curtis, UC Davis tight end Winston Williams and Weber State offensive lineman Gavin Ortega on the second team offense. UC Davis kicker Hunter Ridley also landed on the second team while Aggies linebacker Porter Connors earned third-team honors alongside Wing, a transfer to Montana from Portland State.
2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Derek Robertson, Monmouth, R-Sr., 6-2, 200
RB – Roland Dempster, Stony Brook, R-Sr., 6-0, 225
RB – Charles Pierre Jr., South Dakota, R-Jr., 5-10, 205
WR – Marquis Buchanan, Rhode Island, R-So., 6-4, 175
WR – Bryce Lance, North Dakota State, R-Sr., 6-3, 204
WR – Jalen Walthall, UIW, R-Sr., 6-2, 180
TE – Chris Corbo, Dartmouth, Sr., 6-4, 245
OL – Michael Bennett, Yale, Sr., 6-5, 302
OL – Titan Fleischmann, Montana State, Jr., 6-4, 300
OL – Trent Fraley, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-1, 301
OL – Delby Lemieux, Dartmouth, Sr., 6-4, 280
OL – Jake Picard, Villanova, R-Sr., 6-4, 310
DEFENSE
DL – Ckelby Givens, Southern, Sr., 6-2, 230
DL – Rasheed Lovelace, Nicholls, R-Jr., 6-3, 310
DL – Matt Spatny, Lehigh, Sr., 6-2, 245
DL – Andrew Zock, Mercer, So., 6-2, 250
LB – James Conway, Fordham, Grad, 6-2, 235
LB – Tye Niekamp, Illinois State, Jr., 6-3, 240
LB – A.J. Pena, Rhode Island, Sr., 6-2, 243
LB – Will Shaffer, Abilene Christian, Grad, 6-0, 224
DB – Rex Connors, UC Davis, Sr., 6-1, 210
DB – Jalen Jones, William & Mary, Sr., 6-0, 190
DB – Abu Kamara, Yale, Jr., 6-1, 208
DB – Malcolm Reed, North Carolina Central, Sr., 6-3, 180
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ian Williams, Furman, Grad, 6-3, 226
P – Jeff Yurk, Elon, R-Sr., 6-2, 224
LS – Dylan Calabrese, Illinois State, Sr., 6-1, 230
KR – Travis Terrell, Jackson State, So., 5-8, 165
PR – Taco Dowler, Montana State, Jr., 5-9, 175
AP – Michael Wortham, Montana, Grad, 5-9, 177
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SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Aidan Bouman, South Dakota, R-Sr., 6-5, 225
QB – Taron Dickens, Western Carolina, R-So., 5-11, 180
RB – Jamar Curtis, Sacramento State, Sr., 5-8, 169
RB – Adam Jones, Montana State, R-So., 6-1, 200
RB – Wenkers Wright, Illinois State, Sr., 6-1, 205
WR – Kylon Harris, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 5-11, 160
WR – Chedon James, UIW, R-Jr., 5-9, 173
WR – Daniel Sobkowicz, Illinois State, Sr., 6-3, 205
TE – Winston Williams, UC Davis, Sr., 6-4, 235
OL – Brock Bethea, Rhode Island, R-Sr., 6-5, 305
OL – Quinten Christensen, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-5, 300
OL – JT Cornelius, Monmouth, Grad, 6-6, 290
OL – Langston Jones, Lehigh, Sr., 6-3, 315
OL – Gavin Ortega, Weber State, Sr., 6-5, 300
OL – Hunter Smith, Tarleton State, Sr., 6-5, 300
DEFENSE
DL – Toby Anene, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-4, 260
DL – Paul Brott, Montana State, Sr., 6-3, 290
DL – Lando Brown, Southern Utah, R-Sr., 5-11, 215
DL – Kobe Clayborne, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 275
LB – Carter Glassmyer, Richmond, R-Jr., 6-1, 201
LB – Shane Hartzell, Villanova, Sr., 6-0, 230
LB – Erick Hunter, Morgan State, Sr., 6-4, 210
LB – Logan Kopp, North Dakota State, R-Sr., 6-1, 221
DB – Ty Bartrum, Harvard, Sr., 6-1, 195
DB – C.J. Coombes, Wofford, So., 6-0, 208
DB – Tim Coutras, Tennessee Tech, Grad, 6-0, 198
DB – JaMichael McGoy Jr., UT Martin, R-Sr., 5-10, 170
DB – Tyler Morton, UIW, R-Sr., 5-10, 170
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Hunter Ridley, UC Davis, Jr., 6-1, 195
PK – Owen Zalc, Dartmouth, Jr., 5-10, 165
P – Gilbert Brown, Charleston Southern, R-Sr., 6-0, 175
LS – Brett Welsing, Drake, Sr., 6-2, 233
KR – Jackson Williams, North Dakota State, So., 5-11, 180
PR – Brayden Smith, Mercer, Jr., 5-10, 185
AP – Ethan Greenwood, LIU, R-Jr., 6-0, 193
AP – Julius Loughridge, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 215
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THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Tommy Rittenhouse, Illinois State, Sr., 5-11, 205
QB – Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Fifth Year, 6-0, 210
RB – Mari Adams, Davidson, Sr., 5-11, 210
RB – Eli Gillman, Montana, R-Jr., 6-0, 208
WR – Samuel Musungu, Cornell, Jr., 6-1, 192
WR – Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, Sr., 5-10, 190
WR – Max Tomczak, Youngstown State, Sr., 6-0, 195
TE – Trey McDonald, William & Mary, Sr., 6-6, 230
OL – Will Diggins, Central Arkansas, Sr., 6-4, 325
OL – Ashton Grable, Florida A&M, R-Sr., 6-4, 315
OL – Ryan McKenna, William & Mary, Grad, 6-4, 305
OL – Traveon Newsome, UIW, R-Sr., 6-2, 350
OL – Netinho Olivieri, Penn, Sr., 6-5, 305
OL – Luke Petit, Furman, R-Sr., 6-3, 285
DEFENSE
DL – Jake Anderson, Illinois State, R-Jr., 6-5, 290
DL – Noah Miles, Howard, Sr., 6-4, 250
DL – Kaghen Roach, Abilene Christian, Grad, 6-5, 255
DL – Declan Williams, UIW, Sr., 6-2, 245
DL – Jeremiah Williams, Jackson State, R-Sr., 6-3, 285
LB – Colin Bohanek, Southern Illinois, Sr., 6-0, 227
LB – Porter Connors, UC Davis, Sr., 6-1, 220
LB – Jake Dalmado, Nicholls, Sr. 5-11, 200
LB – Nate Ewell, South Dakota, Sr., 6-2, 225
LB – Peyton Wing, Montana, Jr., 6-0, 230
DB – Kimal Clark, Indiana State, Sr., 5-10, 200
DB – Charles Demmings, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 6-1, 185
DB – Nick Peltekian, Lehigh, Sr., 6-0, 200
DB – Nahil Perkins, Samford, Grad, 6-0, 178
DB – Jaheim Ward, Eastern Kentucky, R-Sr., 6-2, 189
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Will Leyland, South Dakota, R-Sr., 5-11, 180
P – Brendon Kilpatrick, Youngstown State, Sr., 6-2, 220
LS – Kaydon Olivia, South Dakota State, Sr., 5-11, 215
KR – Keondray Jones-Logan, South Dakota, Jr., 5-7, 175
KR – Donovan Wadley, Central Connecticut State, Sr., 5-9, 180
PR – Malique Leatherbury, Morgan State, So., 5-9, 160
AP – Jaylan Spears, UIW, R-Jr., 5-10, 200
