NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Two Montana Tech football players garnered spots on the Associated Press' NAIA All-America second team, the AP announced Friday.

Seniors Landers Smith and Brandon Spencer both made the team, which is nominated and voted upon by a panel of NAIA athletics communications professionals.

Smith, a running back from Charlo, finished the season with 1,347 yards and 23 touchdowns on 247 carries, all statistics that ranked top five in the NAIA. He also caught 13 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. A first-team All-Frontier Conference performer, Smith was also the conference offensive player of the week twice. His marks for touchdowns, yards, and carries all rank in the program's all-time single-season top five.

Spencer, a center from Lolo, was the key to a lot of that ground-game success for the Orediggers. The second-team American Football Coaches' Association All-American and first-team All-Frontier Conference pick helped Tech's offense in the NAIA's top 10 in scoring, rushing yards, yards per carry, yards per completion, first downs, third-down percentage, fourth-down percentage, and time of possession. He and the Oredigger O-line allowed just nine sacks in 12 games this season.

Montana Tech finished the season with a 9-3 record and reached the NAIA Football Championship Series for the second-straight season.

The Orediggers earned the No. 7 seed in the national playoff and earned a first-round bye in the bracket. No. 10 Northwestern (Iowa) defeated the Diggers, 32-29, in the second round on November 30.

Visit Montana Tech athletics' home online, GoDiggers.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news and coverage of the Orediggers. Give Montana Tech athletics a like on Facebook, and follow the Orediggers on X at @MTechDiggers.
 

2024 NAIA Associated Press All-America Teams

First-team offense
Quarterback — Zack Chevalier, Morningside (Iowa), junior, 6-2, 205, Santa Clarita, California.
Running backs — Gunner Yates, Southern Oregon, sophomore, 6-0, 205, Coquille, Oregon; Ernest Ceasar, Texas Wesleyan, senior, 5-6, 175, Beaumont, Texas.
Linemen — Jude Guerrier, Keiser (Florida), junior, 6-2, 339, Boca Raton, Florida; Marcus Lombard, Montana Western, senior, 6-1, 300, Laie, Hawaii; Zach Sibila, Marian (Indiana), senior, 6-3, 285, Zionsville, Indiana; Blake Gossett, Georgetown (Kentucky), senior, 6-2, 280, Louisville, Kentucky; Jordan Scott, Pikeville (Kentucky), graduate, 6-2, 306, Belfry, Kentucky.
Tight end — Blake Lamb, Olivet Nazarene (Illinois), senior, 6-2, 236, Cincinnati.
Wide receivers — Drew Sellon, Morningside (Iowa), sophomore, 6-0, 185, Fremont, Nebraska; Gerald Monroe, Graceland (Iowa), junior, 5-10, 185, Glenn Heights, Texas; Jacob Gathright, Benedictine (Kansas), senior, 5-10, 160, Oceanside, California.
All-purpose player — Luke Armstrong, Kansas Wesleyan, junior, 5-11, 190, Carlsbad, California.
Kicker — Seth Simpson, Baker (Kansas), junior, 6-0, 185, Lee's Summit, Missouri.
First-team defense
Linemen — Quincy Robinson, Bluefield (Virginia), senior, 6-3, 240, Wilmington, North Carolina; Jackson Filer, Grand View (Iowa), junior, 6-3, 245, Des Moines, Iowa; Josh King-Bradley, Kansas Wesleyan, junior, 6-0, 250, Mont Belvieu, Texas; Nicolas Engler, St. Thomas (Florida), graduate, 6-4, 250, Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Linebackers — Isaac Pingel, Morningside (Iowa), senior, 6-1, 215, Spencer, Iowa; Parker Fryar, Northwestern (Iowa), senior, 6-3, 230, Waukee, Iowa; Aven Jones, Taylor (Indiana), senior, 6-0, 224, New Palestine, Indiana.
Defensive backs — Dijion Walls, Morningside (Iowa), senior, 6-1, 185, Hazelwood, Missouri; Deveon Moses, Dakota State (South Dakota), junior, 6-0, 180, Houston; Nehemiah Figueroa, McPherson (Kansas), senior, 5-11, 185, Boyertown, Pennsylvania; Jayden Heartwell, Dickinson State (North Dakota), senior, 6-1, 205, Anchorage, Alaska; Daylon Henson, Concordia (Nebraska), junior, 6-0, 200, Pearland, Texas.
Punter — Kelen Meyer, Doane (Nebraska), junior, 6-2, 210, Ord, Nebraska.
Second-team offense
Quarterback — Michael Palandri, Montana Western, junior, 6-1, 215, Maple Valley, Washington.
Running backs — Rontavious Farmer, St. Thomas (Florida), senior, 5-10, 195, Port St. Lucie, Florida; Landers Smith, Montana Tech, senior, 6-0, 230, Charlo, Montana.
Linemen — Aidan Queen, Morningside (Iowa), senior, 6-4, 270, Fremont, Nebraska; Brandon Spencer, Montana Tech, senior, 6-3, 315, Lolo, Montana; Jayson Weiland, Grand View (Iowa), senior, 6-3, 290, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Will Angel, Indiana Wesleyan, senior, 6-1, 286, Liberty, Missouri; Kyree Watkins, Friends (Kansas), senior, 6-0, 275, Atlanta.
Tight end — Carson Ochoa, Carroll (Montana), junior, 6-3, 235, Yorba Linda, California.
Wide receivers — David Hayes, St. Thomas (Florida), senior, 6-4, 188, Tampa, Florida; Eli Nourse, Montana Western, sophomore, 5-10, 170, Dillon, Montana; Matthew Holthusen, Southwestern (Kansas), junior, 5-11, 180, Wichita, Kansas.
All-purpose player — Tyson Denkert, Midland (Nebraska), junior, 5-10, 200, Kenesaw, Nebraska.
Kicker — Eli Stader, Northwestern (Iowa), senior, 6-0, 225, Cedar Grove, Wisconsin.
Second-team defense
Linemen — Dylan Dahlgren, Dickinson State (North Dakota), sophomore, 6-3, 210, Soldotna, Alaska; Trystin Voss, Northwestern (Iowa), junior, 6-2, 260, Rogersville, Missouri; Bam Brima, Keiser (Florida), senior, 6-5, 270, Worcester, Massachusetts; Hunter Peck, Carroll (Montana), senior, 6-2, 245, Windsor, Colorado.
Linebackers — Bradley Myers, Evangel (Missouri), senior, 5-11, 215, Lee's Summit, Missouri; John Argo, Grand View (Iowa), junior, 6-0, 220, Davenport, Iowa; Clayton Mosher, Indiana Wesleyan, senior, 6-0, 208, Stow, Ohio.
Defensive backs — Caleb Walker, St. Thomas (Florida), graduate, 5-10, 182, Tampa, Florida; Cody Moser, Northwestern (Iowa), senior, 6-3, 195, Rock Valley, Iowa; Justin Carcel, Keiser (Florida), junior, 5-9, 173, Port St. Lucie, Florida; Javhi Blomquist, Benedictine (Kansas), senior, 5-9, 180, San Diego; Brayden Johnson, Bethel (Tennessee), junior, 6-2, 213, Syracuse, Indiana.