OGDEN, Utah – Four Northern Arizona football players were named to the preseason Big Sky All-Conference team as selected by a panel of media and sports information directors.

Eastern Washington's J.C. Sherritt has been selected as the 2010 Big Sky Conference preseason defensive player of the year, while Montana's Chase Reynolds has been tabbed as the preseason offensive player of the year.

Sherritt, a linebacker from Pullman, Wash., led the nation in tackles in 2009 with 170, earning All-America and first-team All-Conference honors, and finishing second in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award. Sherritt enters this season as a leading candidate to win the Buchanan, given annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Reynolds, a running back from Drummond, Mont., earned first-team All-Conference honors in 2009, and has helped the Grizzlies reach the Division I national championship game each of the past two seasons. The All-American rushed for a league-best 1,502 yards and scored a league-high 24 touchdowns in 2009. In the past two seasons, he has amassed more than 3,600 all-purpose yards and scored 47 touchdowns. Reynolds is a candidate for the Walter Payton Award, given annually by The Sports Network to the top FCS offensive player.

Reynolds was one of five Grizzlies tabbed to the Preseason All-Conference squad. Montana State also had five players selected, while Northern Arizona, Weber State and Sacramento State each had four named to the 30-player team. Eleven of the 30 were voted to the 2009 All-Big Sky first team.

Northern Arizona senior Michael Herrick was selected as the quarterback. Herrick, a Payton candidate, completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,356 yards with 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2009.

Eastern Washington junior Taiwan Jones joined Reynolds at running back. The speedster from Antioch, Calif., All-American averaged 7.5 yards per carry and finished second in the nation in all-purpose yards with an average of 195.4 yards per game.

Montana State senior tackle Mike Person, an All-Big Sky pick in 2009, anchors the offensive line. He's joined by Montana's Jon Opperud (tackle) and Alex Verlanic (center), Weber State's J.C. Oram (guard) and Northern Arizona's Kris Poindexter (guard).

Two Big Sky wide receiver – Montana's Marc Mariani and Weber State's Tim Toone – were drafted by NFL teams in April, leaving a large void at the position. Rising Montana State star Everett Gilbert, Sacramento State's Brandyn Reed, and Weber State's Mike Phillips were the three receivers named to the team. Reed caught 46 passes for 731 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009. Phillips has 96 catches and 15 touchdowns in his career. Gilbert caught 46 passes for 556 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman.

Fullback Zac Eldridge of Weber State and tight end Kyle Begger of Montana State rounded out the offensive team.

Sophomore Zach Brown was selected as the kicker, while Montana junior Jabin Sambrano was tabbed as the return specialist. Brown made 18-of-25 field goals and all 21 of his points after attempts in his first season for the Vikings. Sambrano averaged 24.8 yards per kick return in 2008, with a long of 50.

The defense features six players who earned first-team All-Big Sky honors in 2009, including linebackers A.J. Storms of Idaho State and Taylor Sedillo of Weber State. Northern Colorado senior John Eddy is the fourth linebacker. Storms, from Meridian, Idaho, finished second to Sherritt in tackles in 2009 with 120. Eddy played eight games in 2009, recording 80 tackles with 5.5 sacks. Sedillo led Weber State with 100 total tackles.

The defensive front is led by tackles Dan Ogden of Montana State, Renard Williams of Eastern Washington and Christian Clark of Sacramento State. Ogden and Williams were All-Big Sky picks in 2009. Clark, however, was Second Team All-America pick by The Sports Network. Ogden helped MSU lead the league in rush and total defense. Williams tallied 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. Clark led the Big Sky with 10 sacks.

Northern Arizona junior Isaac Bond and Northern Colorado junior Nick Hernon were selected as the defensive ends. Bond was second in the league with 8.5 sacks. Hernon tallied five sacks.

Montana junior Trumaine Johnson, an All-Big Sky pick in 2009, was selected at one corner, while Northern Colorado's Korey Askew was tabbed at the other corner. Johnson played in 11 of 15 games, recording five interceptions and 12 pass breakups. Askew intercepted three passes and broke up nine, to go along with 74 tackles.

Northern Arizona's Matt Estrada and Sacramento State's Zach Schrader were voted in at safety. Schrader was the league's Newcomer of the Year in 2009 after transferring from the defunct Western Washington program. Estrada tallied 78 tackles in 2009. Schrader had 102 tackles and four interceptions.

Sacramento State's Augie Heath earned the nod at punter. 

Montana State's Tanner Ripley was named as a special teams player.

OFFENSE

Pos., Player, Year, Hometown, School                                              

QB, Michael Herrick, Sr., Valencia, Calif., Northern Arizona

RB, *Chase Reynolds, Sr., Drummond, Mont., Montana

RB, *Taiwan Jones, Jr., Antioch, Calif., Eastern Washington

FB, Zac Eldridge, Sr., Sandy, Utah, Weber State

TE, Kyle Begger, Sr., Miles City, Mont., Montana State

OT, *Mike Person, Sr., Glendive, Mont., Montana State

OT, Jon Opperud, Jr., Portland, Ore., Montana

C, Alex Verlanic, Sr., Drummond, Mont., Montana

OG, J.C. Oram, Jr., Slaterville, Utah, Weber State

OG, Kris Poindexter, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz., Northern Arizona

WR, Brandyn Reed, Sr., Windsor, Calif., Sacramento State

WR, Everett Gilbert, So., Rockwall, Texas, Montana State

WR, Mike Phillips, Sr., Seaside, Calif., Weber State

K, *Zach Brown, So., Keizer, Ore., Portland State

RS, Jabin Sambrano, Jr., Temecula, Calif., Montana

DEFENSE

Pos., Player, Year, Hometown, School                                              

DE, Isaac Bond, Jr., Vancouver, Wash., Northern Arizona

DE, Nick Hernon, Jr., Castle Rock, Colo., Northern Colorado

DT, *Dan Ogden, Sr., Kalispell, Mont., Montana State

DT, *Renard Williams, Jr., Port Orchard, Wash., Eastern Washington

DT, Christian Clark, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif., Sacramento State

LB, *J.C. Sherritt, Sr., Pullman, Wash., Eastern Washington

LB, *A.J. Storms, Jr., Meridian, Idaho, Idaho State

LB, *Taylor Sedillo, Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah, Weber State

LB, John Eddy, Sr., Greeley, Colo., Northern Colorado

CB, *Trumaine Johnson, Jr., Stockton, Calif., Montana

CB, Korey Askew, Jr., Denver, Colo., Northern Colorado

S, Zach Schrader, Sr., Issaquiah, Wash., Sacramento State

S, *Matt Estrada, Sr., La Habra, Calif., Northern Arizona

P, Augie Heath, Jr., Chico, Calif., Sacramento State

ST, Tanner Ripley, Sr., Highwood, Mont., Montana State

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Chase Reynolds, RB, Montana

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year - J.C. Sherritt, LB, Eastern Washington

DID YOU KNOW…In the final Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, the Lumberjacks were the top-ranked team in the Big Sky Conference, while ranking eighth among schools in the Football Championship Subdivision. NAU also finished ahead of seven Bowl Championship Subdivision teams including Washington State (Pac-10), North Carolina State (ACC), Rutgers (Big East), Pittsburgh (Big East), Mississippi State (SEC), Cincinnati (Big East) and Kansas State (Big 12).