Mountain West Announces 2020 Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Honors

[Stanley Brewster]

From the Mountain West Conference:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West announced today its 2020 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners, as chosen by the 12 head coaches and a select media panel. Nevada sophomore quarterback Carson Strong has been honored as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while San José State junior defensive lineman Cade Hall was named the MW Defensive Player of the Year. Boise State senior return specialist Avery Williams earned MW Special Teams Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season and UNLV wide receiver Kyle Williams has been selected as the MW Freshman of the Year. Brent Brennan of San José State is the MW Coach of the Year.



OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – CARSON STRONG, SOPHOMORE, QB, NEVADA

• First Nevada player to earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.
• Becomes the 16th quarterback to win the award.
• First underclassman to be named MW Offensive Player of the Year.
• Finished the regular season ranked top 15 nationally in completions per game (3rd; 28.4), passing yards per game (6th; 323.4), total passing yards (10th; 2,587), completion percentage (10th; 69.4) and passing touchdowns (12th; 22). Ranked 16th in total offense (310.9).
• Leads the Mountain West with five 300-yard passing performances.
• Recorded a pair of 400-yard passing games.
• Threw for multiple touchdowns in seven of eight games.
• Completed the regular season with a touchdown to interception ratio of 22 to 4.
• Named MW Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26 and Dec. 7.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – CADE HALL, JUNIOR, DL, SAN JOSÉ STATE

• First San José State player to earn the MW Defensive Player of the Year honor.
• Led the Spartans to their first MW Football Championship Game.
• Finished the regular season ranked fourth nationally in sacks per game (1.33) and 19th in tackles for loss per game (1.5).
• Completed the regular season with 22 tackles, including 9.0 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
• Leads the Mountain West with 8.0 sacks.
• Recorded at least one sack in four of six games.
• In a victory against UNLV, recorded single-game career highs with 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. The 4.0 tackles for loss were tied for ninth-most nationally, while the 3.0 sacks were sixth-best in the FBS this season.
• Named MW Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 16.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – AVERY WILLIAMS, SENIOR, RETURN SPECIALIST, BOISE STATE

• Earned Special Teams Player of the Year in back-to-back years.
• Fourth player in league history to earn this honor in consecutive years, joining San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny (2015-17), TCU’s Jeremy Kerley (2009-10) and Utah’s Louie Sakoda (2006-08).
• As the Broncos’ primary punt returner, leads the Mountain West with 11.4 yards per return, a figure which ranks ninth nationally.
• Third in the MW and ninth nationally with a 29.6-yard kickoff return average.
• Nation’s only player to rank in the top 10 in both punt returns and kickoff returns.
• Ranks fifth nationally with 575 combined kickoff and punt return yards.
• Leads the MW and tied for fifth nationally with a pair of blocked kicks, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
• Only player in the Mountain West with multiple special teams touchdowns.
• Named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week on Nov. 2 and Nov. 16.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – KYLE WILLIAMS, WR, UNLV

• Fifth UNLV player to earn the MW Freshman of the Year honor and first since Armani Rogers in 2017.
• Becomes just the sixth wide receiver to earn the award.
• Ranks third in the nation among all freshmen with 5.8 receptions per game, a figure which ranks sixth in the MW.
• Set the program record for receptions per game by a freshman.
• Eighth in the league with 71.0 receiving yards per contest.
• Led the Rebels in receptions (35) and receiving yards (426).
• Recorded single-game career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (144) at Hawai‘i on Dec. 12.

COACH OF THE YEAR – BRENT BRENNAN, SAN JOSÉ STATE

• First San José State head coach to earn the honor.
• Selected as Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading San José State to a perfect 6-0 overall record in the regular season.
• Led the Spartans to their first MW Football Championship Game and first top-25 national ranking since 2012.
• Opened the season 6-0 for the first time since 1939.
• Guided one of the most dangerous defenses in the nation, ranking 14th in sacks (3.2 per game) and 13th in scoring defense (17.5 points allowed per game).

NOTABLES

1. Boise State’s Avery Williams, who earned first team cornerback, punt return and kick return honors and was named MW Special Teams Player of the Year, is the first student-athlete to win four honors in a single season since San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny in 2017.
2. Tariq Thompson (San Diego State – Defensive Back) has been an all-conference honoree in all four years of his collegiate career, earning second-team recognition from 2017-19 and first team in 2020.
3. Four student-athletes were repeat MW First Team All-Conference selections from 2019.
4. Boise State has had at least one first team All-Conference offensive lineman in each of its 10 seasons in the MW.
5. Boise State and Nevada leads the MW with 10 first and second team selections, while San Diego State is third with nine.
6. After winning the 2020 MW Offensive Player of the Year honor, Carson Strong (Nevada – Quarterback) is the first underclassman to win the award.

Offensive Player of the Year – Carson Strong, So., QB, Nevada
Defensive Player of the Year – Cade Hall, Jr., DL, San José State
Special Teams Player of the Year - Avery Williams, Sr., RS, Boise State
Freshman of the Year – Kyle Williams, WR, UNLV
Coach of the Year – Brent Brennan, San José State

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2020 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM



OFFENSE
Pos. Player Cl. Team
QB Carson Strong So. Nevada
WR Khalil Shakir Jr. Boise State
WR Romeo Doubs Jr. Nevada
WR Bailey Gaither Sr. San José State
RB Ronnie Rivers Sr. Fresno State
RB Xazavian Valladay* Jr. Wyoming
TE Cole Turner Jr. Nevada
OL Parker Ferguson Sr. Air Force
OL Nolan Laufenberg* Sr. Air Force
OL Kyle Spalding Sr. San Diego State
OL Jack Snyder Sr. San José State
OL Keegan Cryder Jr. Wyoming
PK Brandon Talton So. Nevada
KR Avery Williams Sr. Boise State




DEFENSE
Pos. Player Cl. Team
DL Scott Patchan Sr. Colorado State
DL Cameron Thomas* So. San Diego State
DL Cade Hall Jr. San José State
DL Viliami Fehoko So. San José State
LB Darius Muasau So. Hawai‘i
LB Caden McDonald Jr. San Diego State
LB Kyle Harmon Jr. San José State
LB Chad Muma Jr. Wyoming
DB Avery Williams Sr. Boise State
DB Jerrick Reed Jr. New Mexico
DB Darren Hall Jr. San Diego State
DB Tariq Thompson Sr. San Diego State
P Ryan Stonehouse** Sr. Colorado State
PR Avery Williams* Sr. Boise State





*Two-Time First-Team Selection | **Three-Time First-Team Selection

2020 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE
Pos. Player Cl. Team
QB Nick Starkel Sr. San José State
WR Dante Wright So. Colorado State
WR Calvin Turner Sr. Hawai‘i
WR Tre Walker Sr. San José State
RB Toa Taua Jr. Nevada
RB Greg Bell Sr. San Diego State
TE Trey McBride Jr. Colorado State
OL John Ojukwu Jr. Boise State
OL Jake Stetz Sr. Boise State
OL Syrus Tuitele Sr. Fresno State
OL Aaron Frost Jr. Nevada
OL Zachary Thomas Sr. San Diego State
PK John Hoyland Fr. Wyoming
KR Jordan Byrd Jr. San Diego State

DEFENSE
Pos. Player Cl. Team
DL Shane Irwin Jr. Boise State
DL David Perales Jr. Fresno State
DL Dom Peterson Jr. Nevada
DL Sam Hammond Sr. Nevada
LB Riley Whimpey* Sr. Boise State
LB Dequan Jackson Jr. Colorado State
LB Lawson Hall Sr. Nevada
LB Brandon Shook Sr. New Mexico
DB Kekaula Kaniho Sr. Boise State
DB Jalen Walker* Sr. Boise State
DB Cortez Davis Sr. Hawai‘i
DB Tre Jenkins So. San José State
P Tanner Kuljian Sr. San Diego State
PR Romeo Doubs Jr. Nevada

*Two-Time Second-Team Selection | ** Three-Time Second-Team Selection

2020 HONORABLE MENTION

Air Force: Kyle Krepsz, Sr., OL; Brad Roberts, So., RB; George Silvanic, Sr., DL
Boise State: John Bates, Sr., TE; Garrett Curran, So., OL; Jonah Dalmas, Fr., PK; Scott Matlock, So., DL;
Ezekiel Noa, Jr., LB; CT Thomas, Sr., WR; Andrew Van Buren, Jr., RB
Colorado State: Elijah Johnson, Jr., OL; Manny Jones, Sr., DL; Toby McBride, Sr., DL; Thomas Pannunzio, Jr., KR;
Cam Reddy, So., OL; Barry Wesley, Jr., OL; Dante Wright, So., PR
Fresno State: Kevin Atkins, Sr., DL; Levelle Bailey, So., LB; Jalen Cropper, So., WR; Jake Haener, Jr., QB;
Kwami Jones, Sr., DL; Keric Wheatfall, Sr., WR; Evan Williams, So., DB
Hawai‘i: Chevan Cordeiro, So., QB; Quentin Frazier, Sr., DB; Jared Smart, Sr., WR; Blessman Ta’ala, Jr., DL
Nevada: Julian Diaz, Sr., P; Jacob Gardner, Fr., OL; Jermaine Ledbetter, Sr., OL; Tyler Orsini, Sr., OL;
BerDale Robins, Sr., DB; Tyson Williams, Jr., DB
New Mexico: Bobby Cole, Jr., RB; Joey Noble, Sr., DL; Teton Saltes, Sr., OL; Kyle Stapley, Sr., OL
San Diego State: Matt Araiza, So., PK; Keshawn Banks, Jr., DL; Daniel Bellinger, Jr., TE; Tyler Hawkins, Sr., DB;
Dwayne Johnson, Jr., Sr., DB; Jonah Tavai, Jr., DL
San José State: Derrick Deese, Jr., Sr., TE; Matt Mercurio, So., PK; Tre Webb, Sr., DB
UNLV: Jacoby Windmon, So., DL
Utah State: Demytrick Ali’ifua, Sr., OL; Shaq Bond, Sr., DB; Nick Heninger, Sr., DL; Stephen Kotsanlee, Fr., P;
Marcus Moore, Sr., DL; Savon Scarver, Sr., KR; Karter Shaw, So., OL; AJ Vongphachanh, So., LB
Wyoming: Esaias Gandy, Sr., DB; Logan Harris, Sr., OL; Isaiah Neyor, Fr., WR