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Boise State Athletics
Weaver Preseason Defensive Player Of The Year; Broncos Tabbed To Claim Mountain Division
7/23/2019 8:00:00 AM | Football
LAS VEGAS – STUD Curtis Weaver became the first Bronco to be named Preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, headlining five Broncos named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Additionally, the conference also released its predicted order of finish, voted on, as with the Preseason All-Mountain West Team, by media covering the conference programs. For the ninth-straight season, marking every campaign since joining the Mountain West in 2011, Boise State was voted to top either the conference or the Mountain Division.
The Broncos received 15 of 21 first-place votes with a Mountain Division-best total of 120 points. Utah State received the remaining six first-place votes and 108 points, followed in order by Air Force (73 points), Wyoming (66), Colorado State (52), and New Mexico (22). Fresno State topped the West Division poll, garnering 17 first-place votes and 122 points, followed by San Diego State's 106 points and three first-place votes. Nevada (74 points) was third, followed by Hawai'i (one first-place vote, 67 points), UNLV (51), and San Jose State (21).
On the preseason all-conference team, Weaver was joined on the defensive side by sixth-year defensive tackle David Moa, while the trio of offensive linemen Ezra Cleveland and John Molchon, and wide receiver John Hightower, were recognized on the offensive side.
Weaver has already earned national recognition this offseason, being named a Preseason All-American by the Sporting News (Second Team) and Athlon Sports (Fourth Team), and being named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award. The Long Beach, Calif., native ranked second in the Mountain West and 20th in the FBS in sacks (9.5) last season, also finishing tied for third in the conference with 15.5 tackles-for-loss. Weaver posted five multi-TFL games in 2018, along with two multi-sack games, highlighted by a career-high 2.5 against Colorado State on Oct. 19.
Through just two seasons on The Blue, Weaver has already racked up 20.5 sacks, leaving him tied for sixth all-time in Boise State history with Shea McClellin (2008-11). Weaver needs just three more sacks to take sole possession of third place on the list.
Cleveland has also been named to a pair of preseason All-America teams this summer, coming in on Athlon Sports' Third Team, as well as Phil Steele's Fourth Team.
The redshirt junior started all 13 games at left tackle in 2018, grading out as the highest-rated offensive lineman in the Mountain West, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). He was a seven-time selection to the PFF Mountain West Team of the Week.
Molchon, who also started all 13 games, was graded by PFF as Boise State's second-highest offensive lineman, behind Cleveland, and was a three-time selection to the PFF Mountain West Team of the Week.
Hightower posted one of the most exciting debut seasons in recent Boise State memory in 2018, burning defenses both on the ground and through the air. The Landover, Md., native and Hinds CC transfer averaged a team-best 16.3 yards per catch last season, finishing with 31 receptions for 504 yards and six touchdowns, while on the ground he carried eight times for 163 yards (20.4 yards per carry) and two scores, including an 88-yard touchdown dash Oct. 13 at Nevada.
Moa aims to bounce back with a healthy 2019 campaign after being limited to just one game (Sept. 15 at Oklahoma State) in 2018 due to injury. He still made his presence felt in limited action against the Cowboys, making a tackle-for-loss among his two takedowns. The San Diego native racked up a combined 10.5 sacks and 14.0 TFL from 2016-17 while earning All-Mountain West honors each season.
Boise State, which topped the Mountain Division with a 7-1 conference mark last season, opens the 2019 campaign Aug. 31 against Florida State in Jacksonville, Fla.
2019 Mountain West Predicted Order of Finish
MOUNTAIN DIVISIONÂ
Rank     Team (first-place votes)   Points
1.           Boise State (15)                 120
2.           Utah State (6)           108
3.           Air Force                        Â    73
4.           Wyoming                      Â    66
5.           Colorado State           52
6.           New Mexico             22
WEST DIVISION
Rank     Team (first-place votes)   Points
1.           Fresno State (17)        122
2.           San Diego State (3)      106
3.           Nevada                       Â       74
4.           Hawai'i (1)              67
5.           UNLV                         Â        51
6.           San José State          21
2019 Preseason All-Mountain West Team
Offense
QB         Jordan Love          Jr.          Utah State
WR        John Hightower       Sr.     Boise State
WR        Cedric Byrd II         Sr.      Hawai'i
RB          Juwan Washington    Sr.          San Diego State
RB          Toa Taua                       So.         Nevada
OL          Ezra Cleveland       Jr.      Boise State
OL          John Molchon        Sr.          Boise State
OL          Jake Nelson         Sr.          Nevada
OL          Keith Ismael         Jr.          San Diego State
OL          Justin Polu          Sr.          UNLV
TE          Jared Rice          Sr.          Fresno State
Defense
DL          Jordan Jackson      Jr.          Air Force
DL          David Moa          Sr.          Boise State
DL          Curtis Weaver       Jr.          Boise State
DL          Tipa Galeai         Sr.          Utah State
LB          Mykal Walker        Sr.          Fresno State
LB          Kyahva Tezino       Sr.          San Diego State
LB          David Woodward     Jr.      Utah State
DB         Jeremy Fejedelem    Sr.          Air Force
DB         Juju Hughes         Sr.          Fresno State
DB         Tariq Thompson      Jr.      San Diego State
DB         DJ Williams                  So.         Utah State
Specialists
P            Ryan Stonehouse    Jr.          Colorado State
PK          Cooper Rothe       Sr.          Wyoming
KR/PR   Savon Scarver       Jr.      Utah State
Offensive Player of the Year: Jordan Love, Jr., QB, Utah State
Defensive Player of the Year: Curtis Weaver, Jr., DL, Boise State
Special Teams Player of the Year: Cooper Rothe, Sr., PK, Wyoming
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Additionally, the conference also released its predicted order of finish, voted on, as with the Preseason All-Mountain West Team, by media covering the conference programs. For the ninth-straight season, marking every campaign since joining the Mountain West in 2011, Boise State was voted to top either the conference or the Mountain Division.
The Broncos received 15 of 21 first-place votes with a Mountain Division-best total of 120 points. Utah State received the remaining six first-place votes and 108 points, followed in order by Air Force (73 points), Wyoming (66), Colorado State (52), and New Mexico (22). Fresno State topped the West Division poll, garnering 17 first-place votes and 122 points, followed by San Diego State's 106 points and three first-place votes. Nevada (74 points) was third, followed by Hawai'i (one first-place vote, 67 points), UNLV (51), and San Jose State (21).
On the preseason all-conference team, Weaver was joined on the defensive side by sixth-year defensive tackle David Moa, while the trio of offensive linemen Ezra Cleveland and John Molchon, and wide receiver John Hightower, were recognized on the offensive side.
Weaver has already earned national recognition this offseason, being named a Preseason All-American by the Sporting News (Second Team) and Athlon Sports (Fourth Team), and being named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award. The Long Beach, Calif., native ranked second in the Mountain West and 20th in the FBS in sacks (9.5) last season, also finishing tied for third in the conference with 15.5 tackles-for-loss. Weaver posted five multi-TFL games in 2018, along with two multi-sack games, highlighted by a career-high 2.5 against Colorado State on Oct. 19.
Through just two seasons on The Blue, Weaver has already racked up 20.5 sacks, leaving him tied for sixth all-time in Boise State history with Shea McClellin (2008-11). Weaver needs just three more sacks to take sole possession of third place on the list.
Cleveland has also been named to a pair of preseason All-America teams this summer, coming in on Athlon Sports' Third Team, as well as Phil Steele's Fourth Team.
The redshirt junior started all 13 games at left tackle in 2018, grading out as the highest-rated offensive lineman in the Mountain West, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). He was a seven-time selection to the PFF Mountain West Team of the Week.
Molchon, who also started all 13 games, was graded by PFF as Boise State's second-highest offensive lineman, behind Cleveland, and was a three-time selection to the PFF Mountain West Team of the Week.
Hightower posted one of the most exciting debut seasons in recent Boise State memory in 2018, burning defenses both on the ground and through the air. The Landover, Md., native and Hinds CC transfer averaged a team-best 16.3 yards per catch last season, finishing with 31 receptions for 504 yards and six touchdowns, while on the ground he carried eight times for 163 yards (20.4 yards per carry) and two scores, including an 88-yard touchdown dash Oct. 13 at Nevada.
Moa aims to bounce back with a healthy 2019 campaign after being limited to just one game (Sept. 15 at Oklahoma State) in 2018 due to injury. He still made his presence felt in limited action against the Cowboys, making a tackle-for-loss among his two takedowns. The San Diego native racked up a combined 10.5 sacks and 14.0 TFL from 2016-17 while earning All-Mountain West honors each season.
Boise State, which topped the Mountain Division with a 7-1 conference mark last season, opens the 2019 campaign Aug. 31 against Florida State in Jacksonville, Fla.
2019 Mountain West Predicted Order of Finish
MOUNTAIN DIVISIONÂ
Rank     Team (first-place votes)   Points
1.           Boise State (15)                 120
2.           Utah State (6)           108
3.           Air Force                        Â
4.           Wyoming                      Â
5.           Colorado State           52
6.           New Mexico             22
WEST DIVISION
Rank     Team (first-place votes)   Points
1.           Fresno State (17)        122
2.           San Diego State (3)      106
3.           Nevada                       Â
4.           Hawai'i (1)              67
5.           UNLV                         Â
6.           San José State          21
2019 Preseason All-Mountain West Team
Offense
QB         Jordan Love          Jr.          Utah State
WR        John Hightower       Sr.     Boise State
WR        Cedric Byrd II         Sr.      Hawai'i
RB          Juwan Washington    Sr.          San Diego State
RB          Toa Taua                       So.         Nevada
OL          Ezra Cleveland       Jr.      Boise State
OL          John Molchon        Sr.          Boise State
OL          Jake Nelson         Sr.          Nevada
OL          Keith Ismael         Jr.          San Diego State
OL          Justin Polu          Sr.          UNLV
TE          Jared Rice          Sr.          Fresno State
Defense
DL          Jordan Jackson      Jr.          Air Force
DL          David Moa          Sr.          Boise State
DL          Curtis Weaver       Jr.          Boise State
DL          Tipa Galeai         Sr.          Utah State
LB          Mykal Walker        Sr.          Fresno State
LB          Kyahva Tezino       Sr.          San Diego State
LB          David Woodward     Jr.      Utah State
DB         Jeremy Fejedelem    Sr.          Air Force
DB         Juju Hughes         Sr.          Fresno State
DB         Tariq Thompson      Jr.      San Diego State
DB         DJ Williams                  So.         Utah State
Specialists
P            Ryan Stonehouse    Jr.          Colorado State
PK          Cooper Rothe       Sr.          Wyoming
KR/PR   Savon Scarver       Jr.      Utah State
Offensive Player of the Year: Jordan Love, Jr., QB, Utah State
Defensive Player of the Year: Curtis Weaver, Jr., DL, Boise State
Special Teams Player of the Year: Cooper Rothe, Sr., PK, Wyoming
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Players Mentioned
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