Colter Nuanez and Samuel Akem debated and deliberated over the Top 25 players in the Big Sky Conference entering the 2026 football season. Our final list is below.

1. Eli Gillman (RB, Montana)
   1. 1,540 Yards, 21 TD, 6.2 YPC, 240 Yards, 2 TD, 7.3 YPC
   2. Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year
   3. Walter Camp FCS All-American
   4. Sports Illustrated/FCS Central First Team All-American
   5. AFCA, Stats Perform and Associated Press Second Team All-American
   6. First Team All-Big Sky Running Back
   7. Terry Dillon Award winner for 3^rd consecutive year
2. Justin Lamson (QB, MSU)
   1. 3,172 Yards, 26 TD, 3 INT, 71.6%, 734 Yards, 16 TD, 4.2 YPC
   2. 2nd Team All-Big Sky 
   3. 2025 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year
   4. 2nd Team All-America by Stats Perform 
   5. 3rd Team by Pro Football & Sports Network, 
   6. Honorable Mention All-Purpose by AP
3. Keali’i Ah Yat (QB, Montana)
   1. 4,070 Yards, 33 TD, 9 INT, 69.1%, 8 Rushing TDs
   2. Walter Payton Award Finalist
   3. Stats Perform First Team All-American
   4. Sports Illustrated/FCS Football Central Second Team All-American
   5. Associated Press All-America honorable mention
   6. First-team All-Big Sky Quarterback
   7. Voted team’s Offensive MVP by the coaches
4. Caden Dowler (S, MSU)
   1. 91 Tot Tkls, 62 Solo, 6.5 TFLs, 1.0 Sack, 2 FF, 6 INT, 4 PBUs
   2. Consensus 1st Team All-America 
   3. 2025 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year
   4. Intercepted at least one pass in five straight late-season games, and his six in 2025 were tied for the ninth-most in a season at MSU
5. Titan Fleischmann (OL, MSU)
   1. 1st Team All-America
   2. 1st Team All-Big Sky
6. Mikey D’Amato (LB, Cal Poly)
   1. 137 Tot Tkls, 57 Solo, 8.5 TFLs, 6 Sacks, 1 INT, 3 QBH, 1 PBU
   2. First Team All-Big Sky (Unanimous)
   3. FCS Central Third Team All-American
7. Rex Connors (S, UC Davis)
   1. 2024 Stats: 115 Tot Tkls, 74 Solo, 3,5 TFLs, .5 Sacks, 2 INT, 8 PBU
   2. 2024 AP FCS All-American
   3. 2024 AFCA FCS Coaches All-American
   4. 2024 STATS Perform FCS All-American
   5. 2024 FCS Football Central All-American
   6. 2024 All-Big Sky Conference First Team (Defensive Back)
8. Taco Dowler (WR, MSU)
   1. 77 Rec, 1,025 Yards, 7 TD, 323 R Yards, 1 RTD
   2. 2nd Team All-Big Sky WR
   3. 1st Team All-Big Sky PR
9. Samuel Gbatu Jr. (WR, UC Davis)
   1. 70 Rec, 1,169 Yards, 11 TDs, 16.7 YPC
   2. 2025 FCS Football Central All-American (Second Team)
   3. 2025 AFCA All-American (Second Team)
   4. 2025 Big Sky All-Conference (First Team)
10. Adam Jones (RB, MSU)
    1. 173 Car, 1,093 Yards, 15 TDs, 6.3 YPC, 35 Rec, 301 R Yards, 2 RTD, 8.6 YPC
    2. Earned 2nd Team All-America (Phil Steele) and 
    3. All-Big Sky Honorable Mention
11. Jaylon Jenkins, S, Eastern Washington
    • Big Sky First Team All-Conference
    • Big Sky All-Academic Team
    • Earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. 
    • Total Tackles: 52 (39 solo, 13 assists)
    • Tackles for Loss: 2 Fumble Recoveries: 1
    • Pass Breakups: 8
12. Winston Williams, TE, UC Davis
    • First team All-Big Sky in 2024
    • 42 catches for 371 yards and 7 touchdowns in his career
13. Peyton Wing (LB, Montana)
    1. 78 Tot Tkls, 40 Solo, 8.5TFLs, 3.5 Sacks, 4 INTs, 1 FF, 5 QBH, 1 PBU
    2. Sports Illustrated/FCS Football Central second-team All-American
    3. Associated Press All-America honorable mention
    4. First-team All-Big Sky Linebacker
    5. Named Team Defensive MVP by the Coaching Staff
14. Ty Pennington (QB, NAU)
    1. 3,116 Yards, 19 TDs, 4 INTs, 66%, 194 R Yards, 2 RTD
    2. All-Big Sky Honorable Mention
    3. Walter Camp FCS Player of the Year Watch List
15. Cole Taylor (LB, MSU)
    1. 107 Tot Tkls, 64 Solo, 7.5 TFLs, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 QBH, 1 PBU
    2. 2nd Team All-Big Sky
16. Jack Zieball (C, UNC)
    1. 2025 Big Sky All-Conference Honorable Mention
    2. 2025 All-NFFCC Second Team – Offense
    3. 2025 PFSN FCS Second Team All-America
17. Jordan Fisher (RB, UC Davis)
    1. 185 Car, 1,121 Yards, 8 TD, 6.1 YPC, 26 Rec, 287 Yards, 3 TD, 11 YPC
    2. 2025 Big Sky All-Conference (Honorable Mention)
18. Isaiah Perez (DL, EWU)
    1. 51 Tot Tkls, 19 Solo, 5 TFLs, 4 Sacks 2 PBU, 4 BLKs
    2. All-Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention
19. Zac Crews, DE, Montana State
    • Preseason All-Big Sky
    • Returning leading sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (9) in the Big Sky
20. Jordan Cooke (QB, Idaho State)
    1. 3,052 Yards, 16 TD, 9 INT, 59%, 53 Car, 185 Yards, 4 TD
    2. Earned Big Sky Honorable Mention
21. Braden Zimmer (LT, MSU)
    1. Stats Perform Freshman All-American
    2. Per PFF, highest rated OT in the FCS
22. Zaire Collier, OL, UC Davis
    • Second-team All-Big Sky in 2025
    • 27 straight starts
23. Joshua Wood (QB, Idaho)
    1.  1,898 Yards, 14 TDs, 5 INT, 58%, 86 Car, 589 Yards, 7 TDs, 6.8 YPC
24. Tayden Gray, DB, Montana State
    • Second team All-Big Sky in 2025
25. Brooks Davis, WR, Montana
    • FCS Freshman All-American in 2025