Eastern Washington football placed five players on the Phil Steele/Draft Scout FCS 2022 All-Big Sky Conference teams, as announced by the publication today (Dec. 9).

Earning spots on the second team are redshirt-senior defensive end Mitchell Johnson, redshirt-junior wide receiver Freddie Roberson and junior punter Nick Kokich.Sophomore defensive back, Marlon Jones Jr. earned a third team selections, with sophomore wide receiver Efton Chism III picking up a fourth team selection.

Johnson was elected captain in his final season in Cheney and started all 11 games for the Eagles this season. He made 53 total tackles, with 12.5 for loss and five sacks. Johnson forced two fumbles and recovered in 2022. Johnson finishes his career at Eastern with 58 games played, ranking second all-time in program history and first among defensive lineman, while making 41 career starts. The West Linn, Ore. native has 18.5 sacks that is tied for 12^th in program history and his six forced fumbles is one shy of the school record. Johnson accounted for 201 tackles during his six seasons at Eastern. Johnson earned a spot on Steele's Big Sky All-Conference team for the second-straight season, placing on the fourth team a year ago.

Roberson led the team with seven total touchdowns and 797 receiving yards, while being second with 45 receptions. He ranked fifth in the conference in receiving yards this season. The redshirt-junior eclipsed 2000 career receiving yards and finished his Eagle career with 2266 total yards. He is 18^th on Eastern's all-time reception yard list. Roberson was on Steele's Big Sky All-Conference third team last season.

Kokich was a difference maker on special teams, averaging 43.8 yards per punt, with a long of 61 yards against Montana (11/12). He punted 55 times for 2407 yards, with 14 landing inside the opponents' 20-yard line. The Tacoma, Wash. native ranked second in the conference and sixth in the nation in punting average. In his career, Kokich is fifth in program history with 164 punts and is tied for sixth with a 41.0 average yards per punt.

Jones Jr. became a major contributor in Eastern's secondary this season, recording 52 tackles and three interceptions. The redshirt-sophomore was sixth on the team in total tackles, and he added one for loss on the season. Jones Jr. helped the Eagles' defense rank third in the Big Sky and 16^th in the NCAA for team interceptions. The Tacoma, Wash. native now has six career interceptions.

Chism led the team with 62 receptions, racking up 607 total yards. He scored six touchdowns and set a career-high with nine receptions against both Sacramento State (10/15) and Portland State (10/29). Along with contributing on offense, Chism was the main kick and punt returner for the Eagles. Chism had 408 kick return yards to average 100.9 all-purpose yards per game. His stat line ranked seventh in the Big Sky.

The Monroe, Wash. native averaged 6.2 receptions per game to rank third in the Big Sky and 17^th in the nation for the season. After this season, Chism now averages 4.7 receptions per game for his career, ranking sixth on the program's all-time leaderboard. Chism was an All-Conference third team selection for the 2021 season.

Eastern Washington Postseason Honors (as of 12/9/22)
Big Sky All-Conference
P - Nick Kokich - 2nd Team
WR - Efton Chism III - 3rd Team
WR - Freddie Roberson - 3rd Team
DB - Marlon Jones Jr. - 3rd Team
QB - Gunner Talkington - Honorable Mention
LT - Wyatt Hansen - Honorable Mention
DT - Joshua Jerome - Honorable Mention
DL - Mitchell Johnson - Honorable Mention

Phil Steele/Draft Scout All-Big Sky Conference
DL - Mitchell Johnson - 2nd Team
WR - Freddie Roberson - 2nd Team
P - Nick Kokich - 2nd Team
DB - Marlon Jones Jr. - 3rd Team
WR - Efton Chism III - 4th Team