Cheeks and Chapa Headline Five All-Conference Selections for Northern Colorado

GREELEY, Colo. — The Big Sky Conference announced its 2025 all-conference football teams Wednesday afternoon, and Northern Colorado saw five Bears earn postseason honors, tying the program's second-most selections in a single season.

Northern Colorado's five honorees mark the program's best total since also placing five players on the all-conference teams in 2014. This year's group matches that tally with two First Team selections and three Honorable Mention picks. The Bears have only recorded more once in program history, when seven earned recognition in 2016.

UNC's two First Team All-Big Sky honorees also tie for the second most in a single season for the program, matching the 2015 and 2008 seasons. The 2010 season saw three First Team selections.

First Team honors went to wide receiver Carver Cheeks and defensive back Cam Chapa, both of whom put together standout campaigns on opposite sides of the ball. Offensive lineman Jack Ziebell, linebacker Hudson Voggesser and long snapper Maddox Broughton rounded out UNC's honorees as all earned Honorable Mention distinction.

FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG SKY
WR – Carver Cheeks
Cheeks solidified himself as one of the top receivers in the Big Sky and the nation throughout the 2025 season. The junior led the conference in receptions per game (5.92) and ranked fourth in receiving yards per game (77.4), finishing with 71 catches for 929 yards and six touchdowns. He delivered one of the most dominant individual performances of the year with 223 yards and three scores at Sacramento State, the top receiving mark in any Big Sky game this season. This is the first career All-Big Sky honor for Cheeks.

DB – Cam Chapa
A leader for the UNC secondary, Chapa earned his first All-Big Sky First Team selection after finishing among the league's best defensive backs. He recorded 88 total tackles (63 solo), ranking first in the conference and seventh in FCS in solo stops. Chapa also finished third in the league with four interceptions and added eight passes defended. He forced two fumbles on the year and ranked among the league's most consistent all-around defenders. Chapa was named to the Honorable Mention Defensivee team last season, and to the 2025 Big Sky Pre-Season Defensive team.

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG SKY
OL – Jack Ziebell
A veteran presence up front, Ziebell anchored the UNC offensive line and played a key role in the Bears' offensive balance. His performance earned him Honorable Mention recognition from league coaches.

LB – Hudson Voggesser
Voggesser posted the strongest tackling season of his career, finishing with 83 total stops to rank 10th in the Big Sky. His 6.9 tackles per game also placed him among the league's top linebackers.

LS – Maddox Broughton
A reliable specialist throughout the season, Broughton earned Honorable Mention honors after serving as a steady long snapper for the Bears on both punts and field goals.

Northern Colorado's five all-conference selections further highlight the program's continued rise, marking another season of significant individual accomplishments within one of the premier conferences in the FCS.

2025 Big Sky Football Individual Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Eli Gillman, RB, Montana
Defensive Player of the Year: Caden Dowler, DB, Montana State
Newcomer of the Year: Justin Lamson, QB, Montana State
Freshman of the Year: Caden Pinnick, QB, UC Davis*
Coach of the Year: Brent Vigen, Montana State

* - Unanimous selection

First Team All-Big Sky Offense
QB: Keali'i Ah Yat, Montana
RB: Rodney Hammond, Sac State
RB: Eli Gillman, Montana
WR: Carver Cheeks, Northern Colorado
WR: Samuel Gbatu, UC Davis
WR: Kolbe Katsis, Northern Arizona
TE: Ian Simpson, UC Davis
TE: Evan Shafer, Montana
OL: Stryker Rashid, Idaho State
OL: Titan Fleischmann, Montana State
OL: Cannon Panfiloff, Montana
OL: Eli Simonson, UC Davis
OL: Gavin Ortega, Weber State
OL: Nate Azzopardi, Idaho
AP: Michael Wortham, Montana

First Team All-Big Sky Defense
DL: Jacob Psyk, UC Davis*
DL: Paul Brott, Montana State
DL: Kenneth Eiden IV, Montana State
DL: Hunter Peck, Montana
DL: DeSean Watts, Sac State
LB: Mikey D'Amato, Cal Poly*
LB: Peyton Wing, Montana
LB: Isiah King, Idaho
LB: Travis Arena, Northern Arizona
LB: Kenny Olson, Cal Poly
DB: Caden Dowler, Montana State
DB: Quentin Moten, Northern Arizona
DB: Cam Chapa, Northern Colorado
DB: Koa Akui, Sac State
DB: Jaylon Jenkins, Eastern Washington
DB: Khalani Riddick, UC Davis
DB: Montae Pate, Weber State

* - Unanimous selection

First Team All-Big Sky Specialists
KR: Kolbe Katsis, Northern Arizona
PR: Taco Dowler, Montana State
K: Trajan Sinatra, Idaho State
P: Ben D'Aquila, Northern Arizona
ST: Tanner Huff, Montana
LS: Spencer Moore, Cal Poly

Second Team All-Big Sky Offense
QB: Justin Lamson, Montana State
RB: Julius Davis, Montana State
RB: Dason Brooks, Idaho State
WR: Taco Dowler, Montana State
WR: Michael Wortham, Montana
WR: Tsion Nunnally, Idaho State
TE: Landon Cooper, Eastern Washington
TE: Noah Bennee, Weber State
OL: Aidan Meek, Sac State
OL: Liam Brown, Montana
OL: Dean Abdullah, Sac State
OL: Zaire Collier, UC Davis
OL: Racin Delgatty, Cal Poly
OL: Jeremiah Katt, Northern Arizona
OL: Ethan Kramer, Northern Arizona
AP: Rodney Hammond, Sac State

Second Team All-Big Sky Defense
DL: Matt Herron, Weber State
DL: Dylan Hampsten, Sac State
DL: Jayland McGlothen, Sac State
DL: Victory Johnson, Cal Poly
DL: Cam'ron Willis, Idaho State
LB: Solomon Tuliaupupu, Montana
LB: Nate Rutchena, UC Davis
LB: Brandon Wong, Northern Arizona
LB: Cole Taylor, Montana State
LB: Read Sunn, Eastern Washington
DB: Drew Cofield, UC Davis
DB: Rylan Leathers, Idaho State
DB: TJ Rausch, Montana
DB: Jeremiah Bernard, Cal Poly
DB: Carsten Mamaril, Portland State
DB: Tayden Gray, Montana State

Second Team All-Big Sky Specialists
KR: Rodney Hammond, Sac State
PR: Drew Deck, Montana
K: Sloan Calder, Weber State
P: Gabe Russo, Idaho State
ST: Brayden Rice, Idaho
LS: Grayson Pibal, Montana

Honorable Mention Offense (at least 3 votes)
QB: Caden Pinnick, UC Davis
QB: Ty Pennington, Northern Arizona
QB: Jordan Cooke, Idaho State
RB: Adam Jones, Montana State
RB: Jordan Fisher, UC Davis
WR: Michael Shulikov, Idaho State
WR: Michael Briscoe, Cal Poly
WR: Damien Morgan, Idaho State
WR: Brooks Davis, Montana
TE: Kristian Ingman, Portland State
OL: JT Reed, Montana State
OL: Dylan Conner, Eastern Washington
OL: Cedric Jefferson, Montana State
OL: Jack Ziebell, Northern Colorado
OL: Burke Mastel, Montana State
AP: Nate Bell, Eastern Washington

Honorable Mention Defense (at least 3 votes)
DL: Alec Eckert, Montana State
DL: Matyus McLain, Idaho
DL: Spencer Elliott, Portland State
DL: Isaiah Perez, Eastern Washington
DL: Hunter Parsons, Montana State
DL: Jake Mason, Montana
LB: Mayson Hitchens, Weber State
LB: Dylan Lane, Idaho
LB: Nathan Reynolds, Idaho State
LB: Caleb Otlewski, Montana
LB: Hudson Voggesser, Northern Colorado
DB: Isaiah Green, Portland State
DB: Jason Oliver, Sac State
DB: Angel King, Weber State
DB: Drew Carter, Eastern Washington

Honorable Mention Specialists (at least 3 votes)
KR: Cru Newman, Portland State
PR: Isaiah Eastman, Northern Arizona
K: Ty Morrison, Montana
P: Landon Ogles, Eastern Washington
LS: Maddox Broughton, Northern Colorado
LS: Adam Johnston, Sac State

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Players Mentioned

Maddox Broughton

Cam Chapa

Carver Cheeks

Hudson Voggesser

Jack Ziebell

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