2024 Awards Season

[RahRahRabbits]

Finalists announced for several season-awards.

Walter Payton - Offensive Player of the Year - 35 finalists, notables include:

• QB Mark Gronowski, SDSU
• QB Zach Calzada, UIW - (31/39, 351 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT against Jacks)
• QB Jacob Clark, Missouri State - (14/31, 186 yds, 0 TD/INT against Jacks)
• QB Tommy Mellot, Montana State
• QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State - (20/27, 163 yrd, 2 TD, 0 INT against Jacks)
• WR Jalen Walthall, UIW - (7 rec, 137 yds, 2 TD against Jacks)
• Good to see Mark on the list again, but gotta imagine this is a 2-way race between Mellot and Miller. They've both put up gaudy numbers (see link for actual stats), with Miller getting the slight lean I think.

Buck Buchanan - Defense Player of the Year - 35 finalists, notables include:

• LB Caleb Francl, SDSU
• DL Mi'Quise Grace, USD - (5 total tackles, 4 solo, 1 assist, 2 TFL/6 yards, 1 sack/4 yds, 1 Fumble return for 15 yards.......... against Jacks)
• DL Eli Mostaert, NDSU - (6 total tackles, 2 solo/4 assist, 0 TFL, 1 QBH against Jacks)
• LB Ben Bogle, SIU - (7 total tackles, 3 solo/4 assist, 2 TFL/7 yrds, 1 PBU against Jacks)
• DB Mason Chambers, UIW - (7 total tackles, 6 solo, 1 assist, 1 INT against Jacks)
• DB Jalen McClendon, Tennessee State
• Always hard to predict Buchanan award. I'd be surprised if Francl got a serious look, as there are just so many gaudy numbers for other players on the list.

Jerry Rice - Freshman of the Year - 25 finalists, notables include:

• RB CharMar Brown, NDSU - (10 carries, 33 yards (long 12), 0 TD against Jacks)
• RB Adam Jones, Montana State
• QB Elijah Owens, Indiana State
• LB Sanders Ellis, Tennessee State

Eddie Robinson - Coach of the Year - 15 finalists, notables include:

• Eddie George, Tennessee State
• Clint Killough, UIW
• Tim Plough, UC Davis
• Brock Spack, Illinois State
• Brent Vigen, Montana State
• A bit surprised to not see more love given to the coaches of USD and NDSU, as neither even made the finalist cut. Brock Spack is the only Valley coach on the short list.

[JacksFan80]

Tim Plough should get COTY. Impressive what he’s done in first year with UC-Davis.

[RahRahRabbits]

MVFC announced a couple days ago the 2024 conference awards. Not too many surprises on the list...

• Offensive POY - Cam Miller, QB, NDSU
• Defensive POY - Mi'Quise Grace, DL, USD --- Francl finished 4th behind Grace, Eli Mostaert, and Tye Niekamp
• Newcomer, & Freshman of the Year - CharMar Brown, NDSU
• Coach of the Year - Bob Nielson, USD (2nd straight season winning that) --- Rogers finished 3rd behind Nielson and Tim Polasek.
• Last SDSU players to win those awards - Mark/Isiah shared the Offensive POY last year. Defensive POY goes back to 2009 when Danny Batten shared it with a player from UNI. Stig won Valley Coach of the Year in 2022, as well as 2016. Our only Newcomer of the Year was Gronowski in the spring 2021 season, and we've had several win freshmen of the year (Gronwoski spring 21, Pierre Strong Jr in 2018, Christian Rozeboom in 2016, Jake Wieneke in 2014, and Austin Sumner in 2011). Also on that list between Rozeboom and Wieneke is Andrew Van Ginkel in 2015 when he played for USD before transferring to Wisconsin.

Jackrabbits landed 16 student-athletes on the all-conference lists.

1st team:

• Amar Johnson, RB
• Evan Beernsten, OL
• Gus Miller, OL
• Jarod DePriest, DL
• Adam Bock, LB
• Caleb Francl, LB
• Dalys Beanum, DB
• Rucker Large, DB
• Angel Johnson, AP

2nd team:

• Mark Gronowski, QB
• Griffin Wilde, WR
• Colby Huerter, DB
• Colby Humphrey, DB

Honorable Mention:

• Kobe Clayborne, DL
• Matthew Durrance, DB
• Hunter Dustman, P

Jacks lead the way with 9 first teamers, and due to doubling the number of honorable mentions, USD of all places comes away with the most all-conference selections of any team.


Jacks also landed a handful on the all-newcomer team. They tie NDSU for top spot with 5 selections total.

Offense:

• Davin Stoffel, TE
• Kirby Vorhees, RB

Defense:

• Kobe Clayborne, DL
• Bryce Hawthorne, DT
• Colby Humphrey, DB

[RahRahRabbits]

National award finalists were also announced ---

Final-3's announced recently for the national awards now ---

Walter Payton is down to:

• Targhee Lambson, RB, Southern Utah
• Tommy Mellott, QB, Montana State
• Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State
• Zach Calzada, QB, Incarnate Word finished 4th in voting

Buck Buchannan is down to:

• Jeremiah Grant, DE, Richmond
• TJ Moore, CB, Mercer
• David Walker, DE, Central Arkansas

Jerry Rice award winner is CharMar Brown, RB out of North Dakota State.

[RahRahRabbits]

Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award goes to Montana State's Brent Vigen. Runner ups were Tennessee State's Eddie George and UC-Davis' Tim Plough.

Seems between Jimmy and Vigen now, this is simply an award for who has the #1 seed and undefeated team. I suppose it's not much different than when Stig won it, a long drawn-out development of a program that's finally "over the hump" is a good reason too. I am a bit surprised though that quick turnarounds or big record changes year-to-year doesn't gain more traction in this voting.

[jbjack]

Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award goes to Montana State's Brent Vigen. Runner ups were Tennessee State's Eddie George and UC-Davis' Tim Plough.

Seems between Jimmy and Vigen now, this is simply an award for who has the #1 seed and undefeated team. I suppose it's not much different than when Stig won it, a long drawn-out development of a program that's finally "over the hump" is a good reason too. I am a bit surprised though that quick turnarounds or big record changes year-to-year doesn't gain more traction in this voting.

Quick turn arounds make sense with a new coach. For a guy that's been around awhile, it doesn't make sense to me (still talking quick turn around).