Where's Wyoming? No Cowboys make All-Mountain West squads

LAS VEGAS, Nev., -- The 2022 Preseason All-Mountain West Football Team was announced today at the league’s annual media days, being held at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas. The team, as selected by members of the media, features 14 student-athletes who were first or second team All-MW selections in 2021.

The 27-member squad is comprised of 24 seniors, two juniors and one redshirt-freshman.

Get our free mobile app

Fresno State senior quarterback Jake Haener is the Preseason MW Offensive Player of the Year, while San José State senior defensive lineman Cade Hall shares Preseason MW Defensive Player of the Year accolades with San Diego State defensive back Patrick McMorris.

San Diego State punt and kickoff returner Jordan Byrd garnered Preseason MW Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

Haener, who was a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist last season, is coming off a career year in which he threw for 4,096 yards, just the seventh MW signal-caller all-time to throw for at least 4,000 yards in a season, and 33 touchdowns.

Nationally, the native of Danville, California, finished in the top 10 in passing yards per game (315.1; 8^th), completions per game (25.3; 9^th) and passing yards (4,096; 9^th). Haener is the first Bulldog to earn preseason offensive player of the year distinction since Derek Carr in 2012 and 2013.

Hall, who is the first back-to-back MW Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honoree since Wyoming’s Andrew Wingard in 2017-18, tallied 40 tackles, including six tackles for loss and four sacks in 2021.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS:

* Will any true freshmen see the field this fall?

* Craig Bohl: 'We have the ability to be pretty good'

* Latrell Bible no longer with Wyoming football program

* MW coach hopes to make recruiting California harder on Wyoming

The native of Morgan Hill, California, who is a four-year starter on the San José State defensive line, shared preseason honors with McMorris. The Aztec safety finished 2021 ranked top-25 nationally in interceptions (4; T-14^th), passes defended (13; T-20^th) and pass breakups (11; T-23^rd). McMorris is the first Aztec to earn preseason defensive player of the year honors since Damontae Kazee in 2016 and third all-time (Leon McFadden; 2012).

Byrd is the third Aztec to be named MW Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year, joining Rashaad Penny (2016, ’17) and Donny Hageman (2015). The native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a two-time All-MW kick returner. He averaged 27.3 yards per kick return in 2021, and 7.1 yards per punt return. Byrd led the Conference in punt returns (27, 4^th nationally), combined kick return yards (794, 6^th nationally), kick return average (27.3, 15^th nationally), punt return yards (193, 18^th nationally) and punt return average (7.1, 30^th nationally). He tied for first in kick return touchdowns (1, T-13^th nationally).

2022 MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Offense

QB Jake Haener** Sr. Fresno State

WR Jalen Cropper** Sr. Fresno State

WR Jesse Matthews Sr. San Diego State

RB Brad Roberts* Sr. Air Force

RB Jordan Mims Sr. Fresno State

OL Isaac Cochran Sr. Air Force

OL John Ojukwu* Sr. Boise State

OL Dontae Bull Sr. Fresno State

OL Aaron Frost** Sr. Nevada

OL Alama Uluave Sr. San Diego State

TE Tanner Arkin RS-Fr. Colorado State

Defense

DL Scott Matlock Sr. Boise State

DL Keshawn Banks** Sr. San Diego State

DL Jonah Tavai Sr. San Diego State

DL Viliami Fehoko* Sr. San José State

DL Cade Hall Sr. San José State

LB Vince Sanford** Sr. Air Force

LB Caden McDonald* Sr. San Diego State

LB Kyle Harmon* Sr. San José State

DB JL Skinner** Sr. Boise State

DB Evan Williams* Sr. Fresno State

DB Jerrick Reed II Sr. New Mexico

DB Patrick McMorris* Sr. San Diego State

Specialists

P Aaron Rodriguez Jr. New Mexico

PK Jonah Dalmas* Jr. Boise State

PR Jordan Byrd Sr. San Diego State

KR Jordan Byrd* Sr. San Diego State

Offensive Player of the Year: Jake Haener, Sr., QB, Fresno State

Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick McMorris, Sr., DB, San Diego State and Cade Hall, Sr., DL, San José State

Special Teams Player of the Year: Jordan Byrd, Sr., PR/KR, San Diego State

* - member of the 2021 All-Mountain West first team

** - member of the 2021 All-Mountain West second team

* Mountain West Conference press release

Just The Facts: Size Doesn't Matter For Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium

Did you know it would take the populations of Gillette (32,857), Laramie (32,381), Rock Springs (23,319), Sheridan (17,844) and Wright (1,200) to create a sellout inside Michigan's famed 107,601-seat Big House, the largest college football stadium in the nation?

For those of you not familiar with the Cowboy State, those are Wyoming's third through sixth most inhabited cities, along with the small mining town in Campbell County.

- Just The Facts: Size Doesn't Matter For Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium