FARMINGTON, Utah — The 2025 season is less than two months away and the Big Sky Conference has released its preseason polls. Eastern Washington football was picked to finish eighth in the conference in the media poll and ninth in the coaches' poll.
The polls were released prior to the Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend that starts on Friday (July 18). Eastern earned 48 points in the coaches' poll, seven behind Weber State for eighth. They had 225 points in the media poll, 25 points behind Idaho State for seventh.
EWU finished the 2024 season sixth in the Big Sky standings with a 3-5 conference record and 4-8 overall. The Eagles won two of their final three games last season, including a record-setting 77-42 win over Idaho State at Roos Field.
Jared Taylor posted career bests with 163 yards and three rushing touchdowns, while former Eagle
Efton Chism III caught 12 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown. Eastern also posted a
43-15 commanding win over Northern Colorado with
Malik Dotson rushing for career-bests, 125 yards on 17 carries.
Montana State was picked to repeat as Big Sky champions in both preseason polls, earning 7-of-12 first place votes in the coaches' and 30-of-42 in the media.
The upcoming season will be head coach Aaron Best's ninth at the helm of the program and 29th overall at Eastern. Best has a 38-24 record in the Big Sky and 52-40 leading the Eagles.
The '25 Eagles return four starters - three on defense and one on offense - and 31 letterwinners overall from the '24 team.
DaJean Wells will be key in the secondary after totaling 12 pass breakups last season, second in the Big Sky and 16th in the FCS. He added 32.0 tackles, with 22 solo, to tie for eighth on the team in 10 starts.
Tylin Jackson made 12 starts on the defensive line last season, posting 24.0 tackles, with 2.5 for a loss and 8.0 solo. Against Southeastern Louisiana, Jackson recorded his first career sack.
Isaiah Perez adds another veteran presence on the defensive line after making 10 starts in 2024. Perez recorded 19.0 tackles - 8 solo - and 2.5 for a loss. He finished the season with 1.5 total sacks, including his first career solo sack against Northern Colorado.
Despite losing Chism to the NFL, Eastern has returning depth at wide receiver. Nolan Ulm returns for his senior campaign after being limited to four starts last season due to injury. He has 90 career receptions for 1120 yards with 10 career touchdowns. Ulm was second behind Chism with 564 yards on 45 receptions during the 2023 season.
Noah Cronquist made four starts last season and was second on the team with 215 yards, on 15 receptions. He had a career game against SELU, catching four passes for 71 yards and one touchdown. Wesley Garrett made five starts in his redshirt-sophomore season, catching 15 passes for 202 yards - fourth on the team - and hauling in two touchdowns.
With returning experience at receiver, Taylor looks to continue EWU's offensive success as the starting quarterback. The senior was the Eagles' leading rusher last season, accumulating 708 yards that also ranked 10th in the Big Sky. Taylor scored 10 rushing touchdowns that was good for seventh in the conference and 37th in the nation. He tossed six touchdowns and had 320 total yards through the air, while completing 74.5 percent of his passes.
Dotson was third on the team with 505 rushing yards on 85 attempts, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, also ranking 14th in the Big Sky. He scored four touchdowns on the ground and added 12 catches for 153 yards.
Eastern Washington's 2025 season begins on Aug. 30 against No. 5 Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.
The Eagles' home opener is on Sep. 20 against Western Illinois for Welcome Weekend and Rush Roos for incoming EWU freshman.
Coaches Poll
1. Montana State (7) - 117
2. UC Davis (1) - 100
3. Montana (2) - 96
4. Northern Arizona (1) - 94
5. Idaho - 81
6. Sacramento State (1) - 73
7. Idaho State - 56
8. Weber State - 55
9. Eastern Washington - 48
10. Portland State - 32
11. Cal Poly - 25
12. Northern Colorado - 15
Parentheses denotes first-place vote // Coaches could not vote for their own team
Media Poll
1. Montana State (30) - 488
2. Montana (6) - 434
3. UC Davis (4) - 399
4. Idaho (1) - 364
5. Northern Arizona - 354
6. Sacramento State (1) - 282
7. Idaho State - 247
8. Eastern Washington - 225
9. Weber State - 192
10. Portland State - 140
11. Cal Poly - 94
12. Northern Colorado - 57
Parentheses denotes first-place vote
2025 EWU football tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for all five home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. Group tickets, fundraising options and single game tickets are also available. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access, and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
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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