Davis, Croskey-Merritt Lead UNM with All-MW Honors
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — JC Davis became the first Lobo offensive player to earn First Team All-Mountain West honors since 2014, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt earned Second Team All-Mountain West as the league announced the 2023 postseason All-Mountain West teams.
Five Lobos were named honorable mention. Quarterback Dylan Hopkins, linebacker Alec Marenco, receiver Caleb Medford and corners Donte Martin and Zach Morris all earned honorable mention honors.
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year while Colorado State’s Mohamed Kamara was the Defensive Player of the Year. UNLV swept the final three awards with Jose Pizano being named Special Teams Player of the Year, Justin Maiava being named Freshman of the Year and Barry Odom being named Coach of the Year.
Davis ended the season as one of the nation’s top tackles, ranking No. 1 in the Mountain West, No. 1 in the Group of 5 and No. 5 overall in terms of pass blocking, anchoring one of the nation’s most improved offensive lines in terms of pass protection, going from ranking 131st nationally in sacks allowed to 39th, showing the nation’s fourth-best improvement. The Lobos on offense recorded 4,927 yards, the eighth-best offensive season in terms of yards in school history.
Croskey-Merritt was a big part of that, rushing for the seventh-most yards in school history with 1,190, finishing first in the league in total yards after the regular season. His 99.17 yards per game is third in the league behind only Jeanty and San Jose State’s Kairee Robinson, who were the two first team selections. Croskey-Merritt finished with a flourish, becoming the first player in school history to have back-to-back 200-yard rushing games, and he also was the first player to ever have two 200-yard games in the same season. He led UNM with 18 touchdowns, the second-most in school history.
Hopkins earned honorable mention after starting 11 of 12 games and becoming the first Lobo quarterback to break the 2,000 yard passing mark, throwing for 2,074 and 11 touchdowns. Medford was a revelation during the season, leading UNM with 551 receiving yards and he was second with 30 receptions after not recording a catch for TCU last year.
Defensively, Marenco earned his first career honor after leading UNM is tackles with 66 despite playing with a variety of injuries that forced him to miss large chunks of games. Martin broke UNM’s all-time record for passes broken up with 32 in his career after recording seven during the season, and Zach Morris earned his first honorin his first year as a starting corner, registering 10 PBUs and finishing third in the Mountain West in passes defended.
2023 All-Mountain West Football Team
| First Team Offense |
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| Pos. | Player | Cl | Team |
| QB | Chevan Cordeiro | Sr. | San José State |
| WR | Tory Horton* | Sr. | Colorado State |
| WR | Ricky White III | Jr. | UNLV |
| WR | Jalen Royals Jr. | Jr. | Utah State |
| RB | Ashton Jeanty | So. | Boise State |
| RB | Kairee Robinson | So. | San José State |
| TE | Dallin Holker | Jr. | Colorado State |
| OL | Thor Paglialong | Sr. | Air Force |
| OL | Cade Beresford | Sr. | Boise State |
| OL | JC Davis | Jr. | New Mexico |
| OL | Tiger Shanks | Jr. | UNLV |
| OL | Frank Crum | Gr. | Wyoming |
| PK | Jose Pizano | Sr. | UNLV |
| KR | Jacob De Jesus | Jr. | UNLV |
| First Team Defense |
|||
| Pos. | Player | Cl | Team |
| DL | PJ Ramsey | Sr. | Air Force |
| DL | Ahmed Hassanein | Sr. | Boise State |
| DL | Mohamed Kamara | Jr. | Colorado State |
| DL | Tre Smith | Jr. | San José State |
| LB | Bo Richter | Sr. | Air Force |
| LB | Jackson Woodard | Jr. | UNLV |
| LB | MJ Tafisi Jr. | Sr. | Utah State |
| LB | Easton Gibbs* | Jr. | Wyoming |
| DB | Trey Taylor | Sr. | Air Force |
| DB | Jack Howell* | Jr. | Colorado State |
| DB | Emany Johnson | Sr. | Nevada |
| DB | Ike Larsen | So. | Utah State |
| P | James Ferguson-Reynolds | So. | Boise State |
| PR | Jacob De Jesus | Jr. | UNLV |
*Two-Time First-Team Selection | **Three-Time First-Team Selection
| Second Team Offense |
|||
| Pos. | Player | Cl | Team |
| QB | Jayden Maiava | R-Fr. | UNLV |
| WR | Steven McBride | Sr. | Hawai’i |
| WR | Nick Nash | Jr. | San José State |
| WR | Terrell Vaughn | Jr. | Utah State |
| RB | Emmanuel Michel | Sr. | Air Force |
| RB | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | Sr. | New Mexico |
| TE | Mark Redman | Sr. | San Diego State |
| OL | Adam Karas | Sr. | Air Force |
| OL | Kage Casey | R-Fr. | Boise State |
| OL | Jacob Gardner | Sr. | Colorado State |
| OL | Mose Vavao | Jr. | Fresno State |
| OL | Cade Bennett* | Jr. | San Diego State |
| PK | Jonah Dalmas | Sr. | Boise State |
| KR | Terrell Vaughn | Sr. | Utah State |
| First Team Defense |
|||
| Pos. | Player | Cl | Team |
| DL | Jalen Dixon | Sr. | UNLV |
| DL | Devo Bridges | Sr. | Fresno State |
| DL | Soane Toia | Jr. | San José State |
| DL | Jordan Bertagnole | Jr. | Wyoming |
| LB | Alec Mock | Sr. | Air Force |
| LB | Andrew Simpson | So. | Boise State |
| LB | Chase Wilson | Jr. | Colorado State |
| LB | Levelle Bailey | Sr. | Fresno State |
| DB | Carlton Johnson | Sr. | Fresno State |
| DB | Morice Norris Jr. | Sr. | Fresno State |
| DB | Noah Tumblin | Sr. | San Diego State |
| DB | Cameron Oliver | Jr. | UNLV |
| P | Jack Browning | Sr. | San Diego State |
| PR | Tory Horton | Sr. | Colorado State |
*Two-Time Second-Team Selection | ** Three-Time Second-Team Selection
2023 Honorable Mention
Air Force: Matthew Dapore, PK; Jayden Goodwin, DB; Zac Larrier, QB
Boise State: Garrett Curran, OL; A’Marion McCoy, CB; Marco Notarainni, LB; Seyi Oladipo, DB; Alexander Teubner, S
Colorado State: Chigozie Anusiem, CB; Henry Blackburn, S; Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, QB; Drew Moss, OL; Justus Ross-Simmons, WR
Fresno State: Erik Brooks, WR; Mikey Keene, QB; Malik Sherrod, RB; Jacob Spomer, OL; Tre Watson, TE
Hawai‘i: Pofele Ashlock, WR; Peter Manuma, DB; Brayden Schager, QB; Matthew Shipley, PK; Cam Stone, DB
Nevada: Dalevon Campbell, WR; Tongiaki Mateialona, LB; Brandon Talton, PK; Drue Watts, LB; Isaiah World, OL
New Mexico: Dylan Hopkins, QB; Alec Mareno, LB; Donte Martin, CB; Caleb Medford, WR; Zach Morris, CB
San Diego State: Kenan Christon, KR; Zyrus Fiaseu, LB; Dez Malone, CB; Jalen Mayden, QB; Mekhi Shaw, WR/PR
San José State: Fernando Carmona Jr., OT; Jay’Vion Cole, CB; Tre Jenkins, S; Anthony Pardue, C; Bryun Parham, LB
UNLV: Vincent Davis Jr., RB; Donavyn Lester, RB; Marsel McDuffie, LB ; Marshall Nichols, P; Jaxen Turner, S
Utah State: Micah Davis, WR/PR; Devin Dye, S; Broc Lane, TE; Hale Motu’apuaka, DL; Anthony Switzer, LB
Wyoming: Wyett Ekeler, S; Andrew Peasley, QB; Harrison Waylee, RB; Treyton Welch, TE; Wyatt Wieland, WR
