Fresno State Athletics
2023 Fresno State Football All-Mountain West Selections
SECOND TEAM
Morice Norris Jr.
Carlton Johnson
Devo Bridges
Mose Vavao
HONORABLE MENTION
Erik Brooks
Tre Watson
Levelle Bailey
- Starting linebacker in each of Fresno State’s games this season
- Had a single season career-best three interceptions this season, the second-most on the team and in the Mountain West.
- It is tied for the most INTs by a linebacker in the nation this season and the most by a linebacker in the MW since 2021.
- Bailey ranks second on the team with 74 tackles. He led the team in forced fumbles (2), and added 4.0 TFLs, five pass breakups, and three interceptions.
- Bailey tied for second in the MW in fumbles forced
- Was responsible for the game-winning defensive play in three different games this season – PBU at Purdue, interception in double overtime against Eastern Washington and an interception in the final seconds against UNLV
- Has the highest pass coverage grade among linebackers in the Mountain West (87.6) and sixth in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Had a career-high 11 tackles against Nevada
- Recorded at least three tackles in each game this season
- Led the team in tackles in three games this season
- MW Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 4)
- Voted as the defensive team captain by his teammates
Morice Norris Jr.
- Norris Jr. started all 12 games as Fresno State’s nickelback, but played several defensive positions throughout the course of the game, lining up at safety, corner and off the edge.
- Led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and nine pass breakups
- Ranks No. 2 in the MW in passes defended, totaling 11 for an average of one per game
- Was the MW’s leading defensive back with 3.5 sacks.
- Has 9 quarterback pressures, most by a defensive back (cornerback or safety) in the Mountain West, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Has the highest coverage grade among Mountain West cornerbacks (76.1) and third highest among safeties that played 80% of a team’s snaps, according to PFF.
- Has the highest run defense grade among Mountain West cornerbacks (77.8) and third highest among safeties that played 80% of a team’s snaps, according to PFF.
- Norris Jr. is one of six players in the MW to be among the Top 50 in total tackles and Top 20 in sacks in the league, joining three linebackers and two defensive linemen
- Grabbed the game-winning interception at Utah State
- Fourth on the team with 55 tackles
Carlton Johnson
- Johnson was tied for No. 1 in the Mountain West with four interceptions, leading all cornerbacks in the statistic
- Tied the MW and Fresno State program record with three interceptions at Arizona State, all against different quarterbacks
- Adds seven broken up passes on the year
- Ranks No. 2 in the MW in passes defended, totaling 11 for an average of one per game
- Nearly doubled his single-season career-high with 53 tackles this season, the fifth-most on the team
- Adds 1.0 TFL
- Has played 740 snaps, the most of any cornerback in the Mountain West.
- Was the MW Defensive Player of the Week, the Jim Thorpe National Player of the Week and the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week after his record-breaking performance against the Sun Devils
Devo Bridges
- Bridges was the only Bulldog on the defensive line to start each game this season
- Is the most versatile defensive lineman in the Mountain West, the only one who has played more than 300 snaps at defensive end and more than 100 snaps as a tackle.
- Led the team with 7.0 tackles for loss
- Led the Bulldogs’ defensive line with 49 tackles, a single-season career-high for the senior
- Had a career-high nine tackles against Eastern Washington
- Had at least two tackles in every game this season
- With a pick at Utah State, Bridges became the first Bulldog defensive lineman to grab an interception since Nov. 2022 and just the second since 2018
- Has played 638 defensive snaps, the most of any defensive lineman in the Mountain West and the fifth most in the Group of Five, according to Pro Football Focus.
Mose Vavao
- Vavao has been Fresno State’s starting right guard in each game this season
- Has played 760 offensive snaps without being called for a penalty.
- Vavao is the only offensive guard in the Mountain West and one of four in the Group of Five to play 650 or more snaps without a penalty, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Has 98.2 pass blocking efficiency grade by Pro Football Focus, second among offensive guards in the Mountain West with 400 or more pass blocking snaps.
- Has allowed just one sack, second among offensive guards in the Mountain West with 400 or pass blocking more snaps.
- Voted an offensive team captain by his teammates
HONORABLE MENTION
Erik Brooks
- Started in eight of 12 games played for the Bulldogs
- Led the Bulldogs in receiving yards with a single-season career-best 711 yards on 55 catches
- Had a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns in Fresno State’s season-opening win at Purdue, the fifth-most receiving yards in a game by any MW player this season and the most against an Autonomous-5 opponent by any receiver in the conference
- Had two 100-yard receiving games this season (the firsts of his career), both against Autonomous-5 opponents in Purdue and Arizona State.
- Brooks is one of two receivers in the MW to say they had two 100-yard games against Autonomous-5 opponents this season.
- Ranked No. 10 in the MW in receptions per game and receiving yards per game
- Brooks led the team in receiving yards five times this season
- Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll - Week 1
- Voted as an offensive team captain by his teammates
- Fresno State’s starting quarterback in 10 of 11 games played, missing one game to injury and coming into the game late in the fourth quarter against UNM
- Despite seeing significant action in only 10 games this season, Keene ranks No. 3 in the MW in passing yards (2,596) and passing yards per game (236.00).
- Keene led the MW consistently this season in completion percentage
- Keene is No. 2 in the MW with 21 passing touchdowns, tying for 14th most in a season in program history
- Keene has three games with four passing touchdowns, the most by any QB in the conference. No other QB has more than one. His three games with four passing touchdowns is already enough for fourth most in a career by any Bulldog QB in program history.
- Had the best debut by any Bulldog quarterback in program history, throwing for a career-high 366 yards and four touchdowns, completing 31-of-44 pass attempts in Fresno State’s season-opening win at Purdue
- Threw at least one touchdown in each game started this season
- Had two 300-yard passing performances this season, the third-most among MW quarterbacks this season. He entered the Top 10 in Fresno State program history in most 300-yard passing games in a season.
- Started in eight of 11 games played, missing a game to injury and seeing limited action against Arizona State and Kent State.
- In his first game back to full health, Sherrod rushed for a then-career-high 123 yards on 12 carries against Nevada.
- Had a career-long rush with a 72 yard run against Nevada. It was the 29th longest run from scrimmage in Fresno State history
- No. 6 in the MW and led the team in rushing yards with a single season career-high 876 yards rushing on 152 carries.
- Had the most carries without a fumble among MW running backs
- Sherrod totaled 10 touchdowns for a team-high (nine rushing, one receiving), the 8th most in the MW
- Had four 100-yard rushing performances in his first year as Fresno State’s premier running back
- Is No. 9 in the MW in all-purpose yards, averaging 98.20 yards per game this season.
- Had Fresno State’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2008 with a 95-yard return against Boise State
- Totaled 255 all-purpose yards (132 yards rushing, 28 receiving, 95 kickoff return) against the Broncos, the 10th most in a game in Fresno State history
- Also added 31 catches for 135 yards in the receiving game
- MW Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 6) and Hornung Award National Player of the Week (Nov. 7)
- Spomer was Fresno State’s starting left tackle in 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury at San Jose State (Nov. 11)
- Spomer has a 98.6 pass blocking efficiency grade by Pro Football Focus, second among offensive tackles in the Mountain West and fourth highest among tackles in the Group of Five.
- Allowed just nine quarterback pressures in 407 pass blocking snaps, third among offensive tackles in the Mountain West while playing 91 and 29 more snaps than the tackles that are ranked first and second.
Tre Watson
- Fresno State’s starting tight end in all 12 games this season.
- Watson had a single season career-high 359 yards on 35 catches in 2023
- He made it into the end zone four times this season, after not having scored a touchdown in his career as a Bulldog up to that point
- Watson’s four receiving touchdowns are the second most among tight ends in the MW
- Watson led the Bulldogs in receiving yards at Utah State (Oct. 13) with a career-high 76 yards on five catches. It was the first time a tight end led Fresno State in yards receiving since 2018.
- Against Utah State, Watson recorded two receiving touchdowns. It was the first time a Bulldog tight end had two receiving TDs in a game since 2015.
- Watson had at least one catch in 10 of 11 games this year
- Has 19 receptions that resulted in a first down, second among tight ends in the Mountain West, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Has 147 yards after the catch, second among tight ends in the Mountain West, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Ranks second among Mountain West tight ends with 50 or more pass blocking snaps efficiency (98.2), according to Pro Football Focus, allowing just two quarterback pressures.