A quartet of Eastern Washington University football players represent the Eagles on the 2021 Preseason All-Big Sky team. Eric Barriere, Talolo Limu-Jones, Tristen Taylor and Mitchell Johnson make up EWU's selections, as announced by the league as part of the Big Sky Media Kickoff today (July 26).
 
All four selections are coming off seasons that saw them earn spots on the All-Big Sky first team.
 
Barriere was also picked as the conference's Preseason Offensive MVP, released yesterday (July 25), and is the lone quarterback on the preseason team. The reigning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and unanimous first team selection also finished runner up in the prestigious Walter Payton Award voting and was honored as a first team All-American by six different organizations. Barriere finished ranked in the top 10 in the FCS in total offense (fifth, 369.0 per game), passing offense (fifth, 348.4), passing touchdowns (third, 19) and points responsible for (ninth, 17.4 per game).
 
Limu-Jones was one of three wide receivers to make the list. The senior was a unanimous All-Big Sky first team selection last season after ending the season fourth in FCS in receiving yards per game (108.4) and was ninth in receptions per game (6.9, total of 48). The Vallejo, Calif., native was also honored as a second team All-American by three different organizations.
 
Taylor, a senior offensive tackle, was also honored on the list after earning a spot on the All-Big Sky first team last year – the fourth All-Big Sky award of his career. He was a second-team selection in 2019 and honorable mention in 2016 and 2017. He's started all 47 games he's played thus far in his EWU career.
 
Johnson is a junior defensive end who earned first team honors last year after earning a spot on the second-team as a freshman. He started six games a year ago and ended the season with 26 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, four quarterback hurries and a pass broken up.
 
More on the Eagle Players Honored:
 
Eric Barriere / #3 / QB / 6-1 / 201 / Sr. / 4L / Inglewood, Calif. / La Habra HS '16: In his illustrious 38-game career, Barriere is now 20-9 as a starter, including 13-0 at home. He went over the 10,000-yard mark for total offense in his career with a current total of 10,102 – including 8,739 through the air. He ranks fifth in school history in both categories, as well as his career total of 75 TD passes. He's now fourth with 93 total touchdowns responsible for. Eastern career records in those categories are 13,308, 12,616, 110 and 121. Barriere has completed 60.3 percent of his passes in his career (646-of-1071), good for 8,739 yards, 75 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, and has rushed 287 times for 1,363 net yards and 18 more TDs. He had a passing efficiency rating of 146.9 as a sophomore, 151.6 in 2019 and a 148.1 mark in his career to currently rank fifth in school history. Barriere has surpassed the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback -- he now has 1,363 with Vernon Adams Jr. closing his career with 1,232. Eastern is 19-1 when Barriere has rushed for at least 21 yards, with the lone loss coming at Sacramento State (10/5/19) when he finished with 103. Besides the Sac State game, he's rushed for at least 98 yards on four other occasions (98/Southern Utah/2018, 99/Portland State/2018, 101/Northern Arizona/2019, 164/Cal Poly/2019). Barriere now has 10 career performances with at least 400 yards of total offense, and 19 with 300+. He also has had 13 performances with at least 300 passing yards (five with at least 400). He has now been honored six times in his career as Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week, including three times in 2020-21 and twice in the 2019 season.
 
Talolo Limu-Jones / #1 / WR / 6-4 / 220 / Sr. / 4L / Vallejo, Calif. / Grace Davis HS '16: He now has 42 games of experience (nine as a starter), and has 90 career catches for 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns – an average of 17.8 per reception (currently sixth in school history). He has averaged a touchdown every 6.0 career catches. Jones has had 10 receptions of at least 40 yards in his career, including six as a junior in 2019 and three more in the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign.
 
Tristen Taylor / #65 / OL / 6-6 / 320 / Sr. / 4L / Stockton, Calif. / Stagg HS '15: Taylor has started all 47 games he has played in his career thus far after missing the last 12 games in 2018 with a knee injury. Taylor had started 28-of-28 games as an Eagle until the season-ending injury kept him out of the lineup on Sept. 22, 2018, versus Cal Poly. He could establish new school records for games played (55, Shaq Hill, 2012-14) and games started (52, Chris Schlichting, 2016-19). Already a four-time All-Big Sky selection, Taylor enters the 2021 season with the most starts on the offense and the most overall.
 
Mitchell Johnson / #5 / DL / 6-3 / 245 / Jr. / 3L / West Linn, Ore. / West Linn HS '17: Johnson has been an opportunistic player as EWU's "Buck" defensive end, and he now has 98 tackles in his 34-game career (17 as a starter). He has eight sacks, five interceptions, 11 quarterback hurries, four passes broken up, three fumble recoveries and a pair of forced fumbles.
 
2021 Big Sky Preseason Team
 
Preseason Offensive MVP: Eric Barriere – Eastern Washington
Preseason Defensive MVP: Tre Walker – Idaho
 
Quarterback: Eric Barriere – Eastern Washington
Running Backs: Elijah Dotson – Sac State / Josh Davis – Weber State
Fullback: Logan Kendall – Idaho 
Wide Receivers: Samuel Akem – Montana / Talolo Limu-Jones – Eastern Washington / Tanner Conner – Idaho State
Tight End: Marshel Martin – Sac State
Tackles: Tristen Taylor – Eastern Washington / Conlan Beaver – Montana
Guards: Ty Whitworth – Weber State / Taylor Tuiasosopo – Montana State
Center: Connor Pettek – UC Davis
Placekicker: Luis Aguilar – Northern Arizona
Return Specialist: Rashid Shaheed – Weber State
Defensive Tackles: Jared Schiess – Weber State / Bryce Rodgers – UC Davis
Defensive Ends: Mitchell Johnson – Eastern Washington / George Tarlas – Weber State
Outside Linebackers: La'akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis – Southern Utah / Troy Andersen – Montana State/Conner Mortensen – Weber State (tie)
Middle Linebackers: Tre Walker – Idaho / Jace Lewis – Montana
Cornerbacks: Anthony Adams – Portland State / Eddie Heckard – Weber State
Safeties: Morgan Vest – Northern Arizona / Robby Hauck – Montana
Punter: Daniel Whelan – UC Davis­­
Longsnapper: Matthew O'Donoghue - Montana