CHENEY, Wash. — The Big Sky Conference announced its 2023 Football Preseason All-Conference Teams and polls on Monday. Eastern Washington placed four players on the All-Conference Team while ranking 7th in both the coaches' and media polls.

Among the 37 players selected (16 offense, 16 defense, 5 special teams) were Eagle WR Efton Chism III, TE Blake Gobel, DB Marlon Jones Jr. and P Nick Kokich.

Chism is a two-time All-Big Sky Third Team performer, including the 2022 season during which he pulled in 62 receptions for 607 yards and 6 touchdowns, adding 408 kick returns yards for over 1,000 all-purpose. His 6.2 catches per game ranked third in the conference and 16th in the country (FCS). Entering his junior season, the Monroe, Wash. native averages 4.73 receptions per game for his career, good for 6th in school history. In 30 career games played, he has racked up 142 catches for 1,606 yards and 16 scores.

Gobel, a redshirt senior out of Banks, Ore., has played 35 career games as an Eagle, recording 27 receptions and 368 yards for 9 touchdowns. He played in all 11 games last season, making one start and scoring twice on 9 catches. In 2021, he made 13 catches for 208 yards and 4 scores.

Jones Jr. was a 2022 Big Sky Third Team honoree after tallying 52 tackles and 3 interceptions, adding 7 pass deflections and a pass break-up in 11 games played (9 starts). Originally a Curtis High graduate out of Tacoma, Wash., the redshirt senior has played 32 games at Eastern (18 starts), making 124 tackles, 6 interceptions and 1 forced fumble.

Kokich earned Big Sky Second Team recognition last season after ranking 2nd in the conference and 7th in the country in punting average at 43.8 yards, placing 14 of 55 punts inside the 20-yard line. He earned FCS ADA Academic All-Star honors. Also out of Tacoma, he has played in 39 career games, averaging 41 yards in 164 boots with 32 over 50 yards and a career-long of 61.

Media Preseason All-Conference Team
Offensive MVP: Hayden Hatten, WR, Idaho
Defensive MVP: Winston Reid, LB, Weber State
 
Offensive Team
QB: Gevani McCoy, Idaho
RB: Anthony Woods, Idaho
RB: Marcus Fulcher, Sacramento State
FB: Derryk Snell, Montana State
WR: Hayden Hatten, Idaho
WR: Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington
WR: Jermaine Jackson, Idaho
TE: Marshel Martin, Sacramento State
TE: Blake Gobel, Eastern Washington
OL: Noah Atagi, Weber State
OL: Hunter Mayginnes
OL: Rush Reimer, Montana State
OL: Jackson Slater, Sacramento State
OL: JT Reed, Montana State
OL: Jake Parks, UC Davis
AP: Sean Chambers, Montana State
 
Defensive Team
DL: Alex Gubner, Montana
DL: Sebastian Valdez, Montana State
DL: Brody Grebe, Montana State
DL: Zach Kennedy, UC Davis
DL: Eloi Kwete, Northern Arizona
LB: Winston Reid, Weber State 
LB: Armon Bailey, Sacramento State
LB: David Hoage, Northern Colorado
LB: Levi Janacaro, Montana
LB: David Meyer, Cal Poly
DB: Rex Connors, UC Davis
DB: Maxwell Anderson, Weber State
DB: Marcus Harris, Idaho
DB: Caleb Nelson, Sacramento State
DB: Marlon Jones Jr., Eastern Washington
DB: Jordan Knapke, Northern Colorado
 
Special Teams
K: Ricardo Chavez, Idaho
P: Nick Kokich, Eastern Washington
KR: Abraham Williams, Weber State
PR: Junior Bergen, Montana
ST: Trevin Gradney, Montana
LS: Tommy Sullivan, Montana State

Coaches' Preseason Poll
1. Montana State (10) – 120
2. UC Davis (1) – 96
3. Sacramento State (1) – 94
4. Weber State – 91
5. Idaho – 89
6. Montana – 84
7. Eastern Washington – 52
8. Portland State – 45
9. Northern Arizona – 44
10. Northern Colorado – 37
11. Cal Poly – 25
12. Idaho State – 15
 
Media Preseason Poll
1. Montana State (26) – 447
2. Idaho (8) – 410
3. Montana (2) – 359
4. Sacramento State (3) – 334
5. UC Davis – 330
6. Weber State – 320
7. Eastern Washington – 216
8. Northern Arizona – 178
9. Portland State – 167
10. Northern Colorado – 109
11. Cal Poly – 103
12. Idaho State – 69
 
First-place votes in parentheses
 

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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.

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