MISSOULA — The Montana Grizzlies positioned a Large Sky Convention-best 4 gamers on one in every of three preseason All-America groups launched Monday by the Soccer Championship Subdivision information outlet Stats Carry out.
Linebacker and 2021 Buchanan Award finalist Patrick O’Connell, cornerback Justin Ford and kick returner/extensive receiver Malik Flowers every earned a spot on the primary group. Security Robby Hauck landed on the second group.
The Stats Carry out Preseason All-America group was compiled by FCS analyst Craig Haley. All 15 FCS conferences and 57 colleges are represented among the many 105 All-People, which included 56 gamers who have been postseason All-People beforehand.
Final week, O’Connell grew to become the fourth Grizzly linebacker previously 5 years to be named the Large Sky’s preseason defensive MVP, with Ford, Flowers, and Hauck every being named to the preseason all-conference group on the soccer kickoff occasion in Spokane.
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O’Connell returns after among the best defensive seasons in Montana historical past as a junior. The previous walk-on posted 105 tackles and was the Large Sky common season chief in sacks as a junior with 14. For his efforts, the Kalispell native completed third within the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award that goes to the highest defender in FCS soccer.
A consensus All-American, he was a first-team All-Large Sky decide and was named the group’s Steve Carlson MVP and co-recipient of the Doug Betters Golden Helmet Award.
Ford earned preseason all-conference honors after main all divisions of faculty soccer in interceptions with 9 in 2021, happening an unprecedented streak of eight-straight video games with a decide. He additionally logged a pair of touchdowns on interception returns and a fumble return for a landing towards Montana State.
His 9 interceptions have been essentially the most in a single season ever by a UM cornerback and have been tied for the third-most single-season INTs in program historical past. He was one in every of three defenders to be named Defensive group MVP by the UM coaches after the season.
Along with his prolific haul of INTs, Ford posted 41 tackles (29 solo), a pair of TFLs, a sack, 11 cross breakups, and led the group in cross deflections with 20.
Flowers earned particular groups preseason All-America honors as he enters his senior season as Montana’s all-time chief in kick return touchdowns. He ran again two returns for TDs in 2021 to earn a spot on three All-America groups. He is tallied 5 profession return TDs with 2,044 profession return yards – the second-most in UM historical past. His present common of 28.4 yards on 72 returns is the very best in class historical past as effectively.
Hauck is poised to shatter the all-time tackles file at Montana, getting into his senior 12 months sitting at No. 3 on UM’s profession tackles record with 364 and chasing former Grizzly Dante Olson’s faculty file of 398 stops. He is additionally on observe to interrupt EWU’s Ronnie Hamlin’s Large Sky file of 473 tackles.
Hauck earned All-America honors in 2021 after posting his second-straight season with over 125 tackles, lacking his 2019 career-high of 129 by a single cease final 12 months at 128. A star within the classroom and on the sphere, he’s poised to change into simply the third, three-time Tutorial All-American in program historical past.
Montana was picked to win the Large Sky title race for the primary time in a decade in each the preseason media and coaches ballot on the Large Sky kickoff in July.
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