Fresno State Athletics
MW announces preseason honors
7/21/2022 8:00:00 AM | Football
Fresno State earned a handful of preseason honors by the Mountain West, including the preseason Offensive Player of the Year
LAS VEGAS - The Mountain West Conference announced its 2022 preseason all-conference team and preseason players of the year on Thursday. The announcement saw Fresno State earn the Offensive Preseason Player of the Year in quarterback Jake Haener along with five total selections to the all-conference team.
Joining Haener (QB) on the preseason all-conference team are wide receiver Jalen Cropper, running back Jordan Mims, offensive lineman Dontae Bull and defensive back Evan Williams. Each Bulldog represented on the 2022 preseason All-Mountain West team earns the honor for the first time in their career.
Fresno State's five preseason all-conference selections are its most in a season since having five in 2014 - Cody Wichmann, Tyeler Davison, Ejiro Ederaine, Derron Smith and Garrett Swanson.
Haener is the first Bulldog to be named Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year since Derek Carr in 2013. The Bulldogs' signal caller earned the honor after firing 4,096 yards passing and 33 touchdowns and leading Fresno State to a 10-3 year on the field a season ago. Haener was also selected as the league's preseason all-conference quarterback.
Fresno State was picked to finish first in the West Division, as voted upon by the league's media. For more on the preseason predicted order of finish, visit here.Â
Notes on Fresno State's Preseason All-Conference selections:
Jake Haener, Quarterback
- 2021 second team All-Mountain West quarterback
- 2021 Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist. Haener was also a midseason addition to the Maxwell Award and Manning Award watch lists last season.Â
- Haener threw for 4,096 yards and 33 touchdowns while completing 329-of-490 pass attempts last season. He was second in the conference in total offense, total offensive plays, total offensive yards, total offensive touchdowns, passing average per game, passing yards, passing attempts, pass completions, and passing touchdowns.
- Haener joined Derek Carr and David Carr as the only Bulldogs to throw for 4,000 yards in a season in program history.Â
- His numbers in completions (329), attempts (490), completion percentage (.671) and passing touchdowns (33) are all the fourth-most in a single season in program history.Â
- Haener had eight 300-yard passing performances this season, the third-most in a season by a Bulldog quarterback.
- He threw for 455 yards on 39-of-53 attempts at then-No. 13 UCLA (Sept. 18). His performance that night at the Rose Bowl will be one that is remembered forever in the history books as he led the Bulldogs to a 40-37 come-from-behind victory while battling injury. Haener's 39 completions that night were the fifth-most in a game, his 53 attempts were the 11th most, and his 455 yards passing are the 12th most in a game in program history.
- Fresno State's offense ranked in the Top 30 in the FBS in total offense (No. 14), passing offense (No. 9), first down offense (No. 14), team passing efficiency (No. 18), scoring offense (No. 26) and red zone offense (No. 30) under Haener's direction.
- Haener led Fresno State to two wins over ranked opponents in 2021, both on the road. It was the first time Fresno State defeated two Top 25 opponents in a season for the first time since 2004, and the first time both wins came on the road in the 100 year history of the program.
- 2022 preseason recognitions include - Maxwell Award watch list, Davey O'Brien Award watch list, Shrine Bowl 1000, first team All-Mountain West (Phil Steele and Athlon Sports) and fourth team All-American by Phil Steele.
Jalen Cropper, Wide Receiver
- 2021 second team All-Mountain West wide receiverÂ
- Cropper was the team's leading receiver in all categories -Â totaling 85 receptions for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 69.15 yards per game.
- Cropper ranked in the top 10 in the Mountain West in receptions per game (No. 4), receiving touchdowns (T-No. 2), receiving yards per game (No. 6), receptions (No. 3), and receiving yards (No. 6).
- Had a season-best 141 yards receiving at then-No. 13 UCLA, leading Fresno State to its 40-37 win and scoring the game-winning touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game … put up 141 yards on 14 catches at the Rose Bowl. His 14 receptions tie for the fourth-most in a game in program history.
- He tied the single-game program record and the Mountain West record with four receiving touchdowns against UNLV (Sept. 24). Cropper finished the game with 10 catches for 108 yards and four touchdowns. The Bulldog was the first of six players from across the FBS to score four receiving touchdowns in a game, a mark that led the country through the season.
- He had 21 receptions against Power Five opponents, the most in the conference through the 2021 regular season. He also had two touchdown receptions against those opponents, tied for the most in the conference in the regular season.
- His 2021 season numbers broke into the top 10 among the program's best for a single season - 85 receptions (tied for 7th all-time), 11 receiving touchdowns (tied for 8th all-time).
- 2022 preseason recognitions include - Biletnikoff Award watch list, Shrine Bowl 1000, first team All-Mountain West (Phil Steele and Athlon Sports).Â
Jordan Mims, Running back
- Mims finished the 2021 season as the team's second-leading rusher with 127 carries for 710 yards and six touchdowns. He added 25 receptions for 324 yards and four touchdowns.
- Mims had three 100-yard rushing performances this season, the most by a Bulldog in a season since 2019.Â
- He totaled 1,319 all-purpose yards in 2021, averaging 101.5 all-purpose yards per game … ranked sixth in the Mountain West in all-purpose yards on the year.
- He had a career-high 186 yards rushing at then-No. 21 San Diego State (Oct. 30). Mims scored two touchdowns in the win over the Aztecs and had a season-long 59 yard run against SDSU. His 186-yard rushing performance was the 28th-best in a game in program history.
- Mims had 103 yards receiving and one touchdown on four catches against New Mexico (Nov. 13). He remains the only Bulldog running back since 2000 to register a 100-yard receiving game.
- Mims was named the PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl Offensive Most Outstanding Player after recording 165 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries and 71 yards and one touchdown on five receptions in the bowl game versus UTEP. His three touchdowns scored in the bowl game tied the program record for most TDs scored in a bowl game. He tied the record with Stephone Paige who scored three in the 1982 California Bowl.
- 2022 preseason recognitions include - Doak Walker Award watch list, Shrine Bowl 1000, first team All-Mountain West (Athlon Sports) and second team All-Mountain West (Phil Steele).
Dontae Bull, Offensive Line
- Bull was the starting left tackle in 11 games, and appeared in all 13 games of the season.
- He blocked for the top offense in the Mountain West and the No. 14 offense in the FBS.
- Fresno State averaged 464.85 offensive yards per game behind Bull's protection.
- Fresno State scored an average of 33.4 points per game behind Bull's coverage.
- The Bulldogs averaged 137.2 rushing yards per game and 326.7 passing yards per game.
- Bull was a part of an offensive line unit that allowed 25 sacks on the quarterback, its least in a season since 2019.
- 2022 preseason recognitions include - Shrine Bowl 1000, first team All-Mountain West (Phil Steele) and third team All-Mountain West (Athlon Sports).
Evan Williams, Defensive Back
- 2021 first team All-Mountain West defensive backÂ
- Williams finished the season as the team's leading tackler with 93 tackles (60 solo).
- Notably, Williams recorded five 10-tackle games, the most by a Bulldog defensive back since 2016.
- He led the team with three interceptions, grabbing a conference-best two at Wyoming (Oct. 16) and one at then-No. 21 San Diego State. Williams ranked No. 36 in the FBS in total interceptions last season.
- Williams picked up a career-high 13 tackles (10 solo) at then-No. 21 San Diego State, leading the 'Dogs to the win with 13 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, one interception and two broken up passes against the ranked Aztecs.
- A critical leader of a Bulldog defense who only allowed 20.5 points per game this season while also holding two opponents scoreless.
- 2022 preseason recognitions include - Shrine Bowl 1000, first team All-Mountain West (Phil Steele and Athlon Sports).
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