Fresno State Athletics
Nine Bulldogs land on Athlon Sports' Preseason All-MW Team
5/25/2021 4:30:00 PM | Football
FRESNO, Calif. – Athlon Sports revealed its All-Mountain West preseason team on Tuesday, nine Bulldogs can be found among the 2021 selections.
The group is headlined by first team selection Ronnie Rivers while the second team consists of offensive lineman Dontae Bull, wide receiver Jalen Cropper and defensive end David Perales.
Defensive tackle Kevin Atkins and quarterback Jake Haener each had a place on the third team. Rounding out the recognitions were linebacker/husky Justin Houston, wide receiver Keric Wheatfall and defensive back Evan Williams on the fourth team.
Three of the nine selections are "Super Seniors" in Atkins, Rivers and Wheatfall. Atkins leads the team in career games played (46) and career starts (32), Rivers enters the season as the active FBS career leader in touchdowns (44) and Wheatfall is a returning starter that averaged 72.6 receiving yards per game in 2020.
Despite being a third-team pick, earlier this year Athlon Sports named Haener as one of the nation's top quarterbacks on the rise in 2021.
Consistent with the 2020 All-Mountain West team and the Athlon Sports' 2021 forecast, Rivers finished as a first-team pick, as did Perales a second-team pick. Atkins, Cropper, Haener, Wheatfall, Williams, as well as Levelle Bailey, were each honorable mention selections last December.
The Athlon Sports All-MW team is based on its own forecasts for how players will perform in 2021. Career statistics and awards matter in the evaluation but choosing players for the 2021 all-conference team is largely based on predicting and projecting the best for the upcoming year.
The 2021 Athlon Sports All-Mountain West team was led by 15 selections from Nevada and Boise State, while San Jose State (13), Hawai'i (11), San Diego State (11) and Wyoming (10) also owned double-digit picks. Fresno State was joined by Utah State and Colorado State, each having nine selections on the Mountain West All-Conference Team for 2021.
Athlon Sports All-Mountain West Team
First-Team Offense
RB: Ronnie Rivers
Second-Team Offense
WR: Jalen Cropper
OL: Dontae Bull
Second-Team Defense
DL: David Perales
Third-Team Offense
QB: Jake Haener
Third-Team Defense
DL: Kevin Atkins
Fourth-Team Offense
WR: Keric Wheatfall
Fourth-Team Defense
LB: Justin Houston
S: Evan Williams
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
The group is headlined by first team selection Ronnie Rivers while the second team consists of offensive lineman Dontae Bull, wide receiver Jalen Cropper and defensive end David Perales.
Defensive tackle Kevin Atkins and quarterback Jake Haener each had a place on the third team. Rounding out the recognitions were linebacker/husky Justin Houston, wide receiver Keric Wheatfall and defensive back Evan Williams on the fourth team.
Three of the nine selections are "Super Seniors" in Atkins, Rivers and Wheatfall. Atkins leads the team in career games played (46) and career starts (32), Rivers enters the season as the active FBS career leader in touchdowns (44) and Wheatfall is a returning starter that averaged 72.6 receiving yards per game in 2020.
Despite being a third-team pick, earlier this year Athlon Sports named Haener as one of the nation's top quarterbacks on the rise in 2021.
Consistent with the 2020 All-Mountain West team and the Athlon Sports' 2021 forecast, Rivers finished as a first-team pick, as did Perales a second-team pick. Atkins, Cropper, Haener, Wheatfall, Williams, as well as Levelle Bailey, were each honorable mention selections last December.
The Athlon Sports All-MW team is based on its own forecasts for how players will perform in 2021. Career statistics and awards matter in the evaluation but choosing players for the 2021 all-conference team is largely based on predicting and projecting the best for the upcoming year.
The 2021 Athlon Sports All-Mountain West team was led by 15 selections from Nevada and Boise State, while San Jose State (13), Hawai'i (11), San Diego State (11) and Wyoming (10) also owned double-digit picks. Fresno State was joined by Utah State and Colorado State, each having nine selections on the Mountain West All-Conference Team for 2021.
Athlon Sports All-Mountain West Team
First-Team Offense
RB: Ronnie Rivers
Second-Team Offense
WR: Jalen Cropper
OL: Dontae Bull
Second-Team Defense
DL: David Perales
Third-Team Offense
QB: Jake Haener
Third-Team Defense
DL: Kevin Atkins
Fourth-Team Offense
WR: Keric Wheatfall
Fourth-Team Defense
LB: Justin Houston
S: Evan Williams
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Players Mentioned
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