by Record-breaking sophomore wide receiver Jerry-Louie McGee (Coeur d’Alene Tribe) has been named to the 2017 preseason All-Big Sky team the league announced Monday at the annual football kickoff event in Park City, Utah.
Montana posted one of the nation’s top passing attacks last year, and Louie-McGee was a key components in that effort.
The Griz averaged 327 yards per game in the air, and 81.4 of those yards belonged to Louie-McGee (5-9, 168, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. / Lake City HS) who led the Griz with 651 total yards in just eight games played. Louie-McGee shattered two Montana records as a freshman, hauling in 21 receptions against Cal Poly to break Josh Paffhausen’s 1997 record of 15 catches in a single game.
For his efforts, Louie-McGee finished at No. 7 in the voting for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award for the nation’s top freshman player.
The Big Sky’s Preseason All-Conference Football Team is selected by a mixture of television, radio, and print media, along with institutional sports information directors from around the Big Sky Conference. Coaches do not vote for the preseason list.
Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Gage Gubrud, QB, Eastern Washington
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Cole Reyes, S, North Dakota
Quarterback: Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington
Wide Receivers: Emmanuel Butler, Northern Arizona (Consensus); Keelan Doss, UC Davis; Jerry Louie-McGee, Montana
Offensive Tackles: David Reese, Montana; Randin Crecelius, Portland State
Offensive Guard: Tyler Shank, Northern Arizona; Demon Taylor, North Dakota
Center: Joey Kuperman, Cal Poly
Tight End: Andrew Vollert, Weber State (Consensus)
Running Backs: John Santiago, North Dakota (Consensus); Brady Oliveira, North Dakota
Fullback: Joe Protheroe, Cal Poly
Placekicker: Griffin Roehler, Northern Arizona
Return Specialist: John Santiago, North Dakota
Defensive Tackle: Robert Torgerson, Southern Utah; Anthony Del Toro, Portland State
Defensive End: Albert Havili, Eastern Washington; Ben Sorensen, Sacramento State
Outside Linebackers: Mike Needham, Southern Utah; Josh Buss, Montana
Inside Linebackers: Mac Bignell, Montana State; Landon Stice, Weber State
Cornerbacks: Deion Harris, North Dakota; Taron Johnson, Weber State
Safeties: Cole Reyes, North Dakota; Mitch Fettig, Eastern Washington
Punter: Jacob DeMaio, Weber State
Special Teams: Hakeem Deggs, Northern Colorado
