SPOKANE, Wash.-Monday, as the Big Sky Football kickoff got underway, 11 Weber State and Southern Utah University student-athletes were named as preseason all-conference football players.
Weber State had six of these , including senior special teams player Brady May of Heyburn, Idaho, senior offensive lineman Iosua Opeta of Stansbury Park, Utah, sophomore return specialist Rashid Shaheed of San Diego, senior linebacker LeGrand Toia of Riverton, Utah, sophomore placekicker Trey Tuttle of Arlington, Texas and junior defensive end Jonah Williams of Meridian, Idaho.
May is a returning 1st team All-American, All-Big Sky honoree and has various skills as he was called upon for two rushing touchdowns and 10 grabs for 108 yards last season.
Opeta has been a reliable stalwart on the Wildcats’ offensive line as he earned All-Big Sky honors last season and started all 14 games last season for Weber State.
Toia is a returning All-American from last season and was a first-team All-Big Sky performer as well. He led the Wildcats in tackles last season with 79 and also finished second on the team with sacks in 2017.
Tuttle is yet another returning All-American and first-team All-Big Sky honoree for the Wildcats after finishing fourth nationally at field goal percentage at 86 percent (19 of 22). His 19 field goals are tied for the most in a season in program history.
Williams earned All-Big Sky honors last season, playing all 14 games for the Wildcats in 2017 and was 10th in the conference in sacks with 5.5.
For Southern Utah, the offensive line was richly honored as junior center Zach Larsen of Draper, Utah, senior tackle Marquez Tucker of Chandler, Ariz. and junior guard PJ Nu’usa, a converted defensive tackle out of Rose Park, Utah, were all named to the preseason all-conference squad.
Thunderbirds head coach Demario Warren mentioned that he was excited for his offense this season, especially the offensive line.
Defensively, senior inside linebacker Chinedu Ahanonu of West Jordan, Utah, earned the nod as he had 70 tackles and nine stops for loss for the Thunderbirds in seven games last season.
Rounding out the SUU representation on the preseason squad is sophomore cornerback Jalen Russell of Temecula, Calif. who amassed 32 tackles and three interceptions as a true freshman last season for the Thunderbirds.
