By JOEL CARLSON for GoGriz.com
Three University of Montana football players have been named to the Sports Network’s Football Championship Subdivision preseason All-America team, the organization announced Monday.
Offensive tackle Danny Kistler Jr. and linebacker Jordan Tripp were named to the first team, while defensive end Zack Wagenmann was named second team.
Montana was one of just five FCS programs with multiple first-team selections. Two-time defending national champion North Dakota State had an FCS-high three players recognized.
Kistler, a 6’8”, 315-pound senior from Seattle, Wash., will be starting for the third straight season in 2013 and will serve as one of UM’s team captains this fall. Last year he started all 11 games at right tackle and was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference pick.
Following his junior season, Kistler was the co-recipient, along with senior guard Jake Hendrickson, of UM’s Paul Weskamp Award, which is given out annually to the team’s outstanding offensive lineman.
Tripp will become a rare four-year starter for the Grizzlies in the fall. The 6’3.5”, 237-pound senior from Missoula was second on the team with 95 tackles a year ago and totaled a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss.
Last season, Tripp, a third-generation Griz football player, was named first-team All-Big Sky and to several All-America teams. He finished 10th in the balloting for the Buck Buchanan Award and is expected to be on the preseason watch list for the 2013 award, which will be announced July 11.
A 6’3.5”, 250-pound junior defensive end, Wagenmann averaged 1.05 sacks per game last season to rank fourth in the FCS. He started all 11 games and tied for sixth on the team with 50 tackles. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks.
A Missoula product, Wagenmann was named to three All-America teams last season: Associated Press (second team), Sports Network (third team) and Phil Steele Magazine (fourth team). He was also a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection.
College Football Performance Awards recently announced its watch lists for its 2013 awards. Tripp and Wagenmann were singled out as players to watch at linebacker and defensive lineman.
The Grizzlies open their 2013 season in less than two months when they host Appalachian State on Aug. 31. The season opener will kick off at 7 p.m. at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The Sports Network 2013 FCS Preseason All-America Team
First Team Offense
DeNarius McGhee, Montana State (QB, Sr., 6-0, 210)
Shakir Bell, Indiana State (RB, Sr., 5-8, 185)
Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston State (RB, Sr., 5-9, 210)
Zach Zenner, South Dakota State (RB, Jr., 6-0, 215)
Dominique Swope, Georgia Southern (FB, Jr., 5-11, 221)
Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois (WR, Sr., 5-10, 181)
Sean Price, Appalachian State (WR, So., 6-5, 210)
A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State (TE, Jr., 6-4, 245)
Michael Bamiro, Stony Brook (OL, Sr., 6-8, 345)
Chris Elkins, Youngstown State (OL, Sr., 6-4, 290)
Danny Kistler Jr., Montana (OL, Sr., 6-8, 315)
Billy Turner, North Dakota State (OL, Sr., 6-6, 300)
Bryan Witzmann, South Dakota State (OL, Sr., 6-7, 300)
Walter Powell, Murray State (AP, Sr., 6-0, 180)
Colton Cook, Southern Utah (PK, Sr., 5-8, 177)
Fabian Truss, Samford (KR, Sr., 5-9, 190)
First Team Defense
Davis Tull, Chattanooga (DE, Jr., 6-3, 230)
Colton Underwood, Illinois State (DE, Sr., 6-4, 260)
Antoine Lewis, Villanova (DT, Sr., 6-2, 290)
Caraun Reid, Princeton (DT, Sr., 6-2, 305)
Dorian Bell, Duquesne (LB, Sr., 6-1, 234)
Grant Olson, North Dakota State (LB, Sr., 6-0, 223)
Stephon Robertson, James Madison (LB, Sr., 5-11, 220)
Jordan Tripp, Montana (LB, Sr., 6-3.5, 237)
Steven Godbolt, Tennessee State (CB, Jr., 6-1, 180)
Marcus Williams, North Dakota State (CB, Sr., 5-11, 194)
Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State (S, Jr., 6-0, 214)
Jaquiski Tartt, Samford (S, Jr., 6-1, 220)
Andy Wilder, Northern Arizona (P, Sr., 6-3, 205)
Richard Wright, Liberty (LS, Sr., 6-1, 260)
D’Vonte Graham, North Carolina A&T (PR, Sr., 5-9, 180)
Second Team Offense
Gavin McCarney, Colgate (QB, Sr., 6-2, 205)
Zach Bauman, Northern Arizona (RB, Sr., 5-10, 200)
Terrance West, Towson (RB, Jr., 5-11, 223)
Darrien Robinson, The Citadel (FB, Sr., 6-0, 220)
Greg Hardin, North Dakota (WR, Sr., 5-11, 168)
Jordan Harris, Bryant (WR, Sr., 6-2, 215)
MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois (TE, Jr., 6-3, 247)
Dakota Dozier, Furman (OL, Sr., 6-4, 291)
Steven Forgette, Eastern Washington (OL, Sr., 6-4, 280)
Garrett Frye, Georgia Southern (OL, Jr., 6-4, 257)
Terrance Hackney, Bethune-Cookman (OL, Jr., 6-6, 310)
Eric Pike, Towson (OL, Sr., 6-5, 298)
Richard Sincere, Sam Houston State (AP, Sr., 5-10, 180)
Tyler Varga, Yale (AP, Jr., 5-11, 220)
Sean Baner, Delaware (PK, Sr., 6-1, 205)
Kevin Fogg, Liberty (KR, Sr., 5-10, 175)
Second Team Defense
LeBrandon Richardson, Bethune-Cookman (DE, Jr., 6-2, 255)
Zack Wagenmann, Montana (DE, Jr., 6-3.5, 250)
Zach Kerr, Delaware (DT, Sr., 6-2, 330)
Robert Simpson, Mississippi Valley State (DT, Sr., 6-4, 255)
Clarence Bumpas, Northern Colorado (LB, Sr., 6-2, 236)
Wes Dothard, Chattanooga (LB, Sr., 6-1, 235)
Alvin Scioneaux, Wofford (LB, Sr., 6-2, 215)
Tyler Starr, South Dakota (LB, Sr., 6-4, 235)
Qua Cox, Jackson State (CB, Sr., 6-0, 185)
T.J. Lee III, Eastern Washington (CB, Sr., 5-9, 170)
Jestin Love, Central Arkansas (S, Sr., 6-0, 208)
Dean Marlowe, James Madison (S, Jr., 6-2, 195)
Bobby Wenzig, Alabama State (P, Sr., 6-2, 185)
Hudson Smith, Gardner-Webb (LS, Sr., 6-1, 230)
Ryan Smith, North Dakota State (PR, Sr., 5-7, 175)
Third Team Offense
Wynrick Smothers, Central Arkansas (QB, Sr., 6-1, 208)
David Johnson, Northern Iowa (RB, Jr., 6-3, 214)
Carlton Koonce, Fordham (RB, Sr., 5-8, 180)
Andrew Pierce, Delaware (RB, Sr., 5-11, 200)
Travis Friend, Bucknell (FB, Sr., 6-2, 235)
Jordan Neukirch, Illinois State (FB, Sr., 6-2, 235)
R.J. Harris, New Hampshire (WR, Jr., 6-0, 194)
Kelsey Pope, Samford (WR, Sr., 6-0, 200)
Cameron Brate, Harvard (TE, Sr., 6-5, 235)
Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee State (OL, Sr., 6-4, 290)
Gavin Farr, Southern Utah (OL, Sr., 6-3, 287)
Seamus O’Neill, New Hampshire (OL, Sr., 6-4, 281)
Dan Shirey, Villanova (OL, Sr., 6-3, 285)
Jared Singleton, Wofford (OL, Sr., 6-2, 309)
Rob Hollomon, Central Connecticut State (AP, Jr., 5-8, 170)
Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa (PK, Sr., 6-2, 185)
Kevin Johnson, Lamar (KR, Jr., 6-0, 210)
Tony Washington, Appalachian State (KR, Sr., 5-10, 200)
Third Team Defense
Michael Cole, Maine (DE, Sr., 6-2, 250)
Zach Hodges, Harvard (DE, Jr., 6-3, 230)
Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas (DE, So., 6-5, 251)
Derek Douglas, The Citadel (DT, Sr., 6-1, 275)
Sullivan Grosz, Cal Poly (DT, Jr., 6-4, 265)
Leevon Perry, North Dakota State (DT, Sr., 6-3, 276)
Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina (LB, Jr., 5-10, 205)
Anthony Brown, Eastern Kentucky (LB, Sr., 6-0, 220)
Ronnie Hamlin, Eastern Washington (LB, Sr., 6-2, 210)
Ben Johnson, Tennessee-Martin (LB, Sr., 6-2, 215)
Jordan Love, Towson (CB, Sr., 6-1, 180)
Bookie Sneed, Sam Houston State (CB, Sr., 6-0, 180)
Kadeem Wise, Chattanooga (CB, Sr., 5-10, 180)
Julien David, Howard (S, Sr., 5-11, 195)
Lucky Dozier, Northern Arizona (S, Sr., 5-10, 185)
Chad Zinchini, Tennessee Tech (P, Sr., 6-3, 220)
Chris Highland, Illinois State (LS, Jr., 6-2, 215)
Sam Hoekstra, San Diego (PR, Sr., 5-9, 180)
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