Offensive lineman Gavin Ortega and fullback Colter May got the nod as the team, voted on by members of the media, was announced at the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington.

Ortega has played 29 career games and anchors an offensive line that also returns Vae Soifua, Zoom Esplin, Cole Casto and Cole Millward as regulars from 2024. Ortega started all 12 games last season, was Academic All-District, and was voted a preseason All-American by STATS Perform this month.

May has played in 31 games, including all 12 last season, at fullback. Typically a blocking and special teams contributor, May has 13 carries for 48 yards in his career.

Weber High alum and Idaho State offensive lineman Stryker Rashid was also voted to the preseason all-conference team.

Montana State running back Adam Jones and UC Davis safety Rex Connors were voted preseason MVPs. Jones rushed for 1,172 yards last season and Connors led the FCS with 74 solo tackles.

Weber State’s fall camp is slated to begin July 30 ahead of the Aug. 30 season opener at James Madison.

MORE FROM BIG SKY KICKOFF

One big notable from Big Sky Kickoff, though it’s to be expected, was a note from Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill about future conference football schedules.

Wistrcill said the league (presumably brass and head coaches) have used the weekend to discuss moving to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026. FCS has a proposal on the table to permanently increase the subdivision’s regular-season slate to 12 games, so it follows that a soon-to-be 13-team conference would want to start playing nine conference games — especially given the lack of nonconference options in the West.

Wistrcill also said the Big Sky approved coach-to-player communication devices for this season, which were in place to use in spring camp.

ESPN and the Big Sky announced that ESPN2 will carry a record four conference games for the league this season: Idaho at Montana (Sept. 27), Montana at Sacramento State (Oct. 24), Idaho at Northern Arizona (Oct. 31), and UC Davis at Montana State (Nov. 15).

FORMER WSU QB LIGHTS IT UP

Weber State alum Jadrian Clark is now being discussed as a potential back-to-back MVP winner in the European Football League after setting a new league record for single-game passing yards.

The former title winner with the Rhein Fire moved his new team, the Nordic Storm (Denmark) to 8-0 this season by throwing 24 of 32 for 519 yards and seven touchdowns in his team’s 53-35 win over the Berlin Thunder on Sunday. Clark remarkably helped four Storm receivers hit 100-yard games in the contest.

This season, Clark is throwing for 300 yards per game and has totaled 30 touchdowns to four interceptions.

Clark finished his Weber State career in 2016 and quarterbacked the Wildcats to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in seven years, winning 13 games over two seasons as a full-time starter.