HELENA -- Twenty Montana Tech football players garnered All-Frontier Conference East Division honors, the league office announced Thursday. 

It was the most all-conference honorees in Montana Tech program history. 

The Orediggers were well-represented on the league's superlative list as wide receiver Levi Torgerson took home player of the year honors, quarterback Jarrett Wilson won the offensive player of the year award, linebacker Tel Arthur won player of the year honors on defense, and right tackle Jacob Graves was named offensive lineman of the year. 

Head coach Kyle Samson won coach of the year honors for the Orediggers, while defensive coordinator Montell Allen was voted assistant coach of the year. 

Eleven of those Orediggers — Wilson, Torgerson, Arthur, Graves, running back Wykece Johnson, center Zach Tierney, tight end Derek Pearse, defensive end Anthony Okes, defensive end Cole Graham, safety Payton Gonser, and kicker Casey Kautzman — earned first-team accolades. 

Tech landed six players — Kautzman at punter, running back Nate Milanowski, left guard Thomas Walkup, linebacker Tyler Kovick, safety Jace Thompson, and cornerback Christian Hansen — on the second team, and four players — wide receiver Nick Michelotti, right guard Chaise Meyer, defensive tackle Dominic Umile, and linebacker Kellan Beller — earned honorable mentions. 

Torgerson, a senior from Great Falls, was one of the most productive offensive players in the NAIA throughout the regular season. He took the opening kickoff of the year 100 yards for a touchdown in the Orediggers' win over then-No. 5 Montana Western and never looked back. The receiver broke Montana Tech's records for receptions in a season with 83 (second in the NAIA), receiving touchdowns with 12 (sixth in the NAIA), and all-purpose yards with 1,888 (leads the NAIA). Torgerson has accounted for 17 touchdowns so far this season — 12 receiving, three passing, and two returning. His 1,044 receiving yards rank sixth in the country. He was the Frontier's special teams player of the week September 1 and the offensive player of the week September 22. 

Wilson, a sophomore from Polson, has been the model of efficiency in his first year as the Orediggers' starting quarterback. The left-hander leads the NAIA in completion percentage (76.5) and pass efficiency (203.4). Wilson has completed 166 of 217 pass attempts for 26 touchdowns while throwing just one interception. He's also rushed 88 times for 381 yards and five scores. He also caught a touchdown pass. Wilson was voted the Frontier's offensive player of the week October 6 and November 17. 

Arthur, a senior from Missoula, led the team and ranked ninth in the Frontier Conference with 72 tackles on the NAIA's fourth-best scoring defense. He registered double-digit tackles in two games, both Oredigger wins over ranked opponents. The middle linebacker also has 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and three pass breakups on his stat line. Arthur earned Frontier defensive player of the week honors September 22. 

Graves, a senior from Kuna, Idaho, played a key role in the NAIA's 12th-best scoring offense as a staple at right tackle. In pass protection, he's led Montana Tech to the second-best pass yards per attempt and 20th-most rushing yards in the nation. 

Johnson, a senior from Lexington, Miss., rushed for a team-best 835 yards (25th in the NAIA) on 182 carries in the Mississippi State transfer's first season with the program. His 10 rushing touchdowns ranked second in the league and 20th in the country. Johnson earned Frontier offensive player of the week award September 8 and 15. 

Tierney, a sophomore from Butte, took over starting center duties for the Orediggers and flourished, helping Montana Tech's offense rank second in pass yards per attempt and 20th in rushing yards. 

Pearse, a graduate student from Post Falls, Idaho, ranked third on the squad with 23 catches and 310 yards, both career-highs. His three touchdowns were also third on the team, and Pearse's run-blocking prowess helped the Orediggers have one of the most efficient rushing attacks in the NAIA. 

Okes, a sophomore from Great Falls, led the team and was 10th in the NAIA with eight sacks for 56 yards as a menace in the pass-rushing game. He posted a team-leading 11 tackles-for-loss, hurried the opposing quarterback eight times, and broke up three passes. Okes' 38 tackles were sixth on the team. 

Graham, a freshman from Helena, broke out in his first collegiate season, making 35 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and five sacks. He also recovered a team-best two fumbles, one for a touchdown, and forced another. 

Gonser, a senior from Great Falls, was all over the place for the Oredigger defense, ranking second on the team with 58 tackles and three interceptions. The safety broke up eight passes and made one tackle-for-loss. 

Kautzman, a junior from Butte, handled both kicking and punting duties in his first season at Tech. The Montana State transfer made nine of 11 field goal attempts and was 52-for-53 on PAT attempts, ranking 10th in the NAIA in points among kickers. He punted 34 times for an average of 38.6 yards. Kautzman put 19 of those punts inside the opponent's 20-yard-line with just three touchbacks. He was the Frontier's special teams player of the week October 13. 

Milanowski, a senior from Grand Rapids, Mich., made himself known as both a rushing and receiving threat in his first year after transferring from Miami (Ohio). He totaled 385 rushing yards on 77 totes with five touchdowns and caught 11 passes for 115 yards. Also a force on special teams, Milanowski blocked two kicks and was the conference's special teams player of the week September 8. 

Walkup, a senior from Bozeman, continued to be a stalwart in the offensive trenches in his third season as a starter, helping Tech to top-20 NAIA rankings in scoring, total offense, passing efficiency, and rushing yards. 

Kovick, a sophomore from Helena, ranked fourth on the team with 49 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss. He was in on 1.5 sacks, made an interception, broke up four passes, forced a fumble and recovered one as well. 

Thompson, a senior from Fort Benton, was third on the squad with 53 tackles, making four behind the line of scrimmage. The safety deflected nine passes and blocked a field goal attempt, earning Frontier special teams player of the week honors September 15. 

Hansen, a junior from Butte, tied for the team lead with 10 pass breakups despite missing three games due to injury. He was in on 27 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss while also making a sack. Hansen also blocked a kick. 

Michelotti, a sophomore from Helena, ranked second on the Orediggers with 32 receptions, totaling 593 yards and 10 touchdowns (tied for second-most in a single-season in program history). He topped 50 receiving yards in seven ballgames. 

Meyer, a junior from Missoula, excelled in his first season with a starting role, helping Montana Tech become one of the most efficient offenses in the NAIA. 

Umile, a sophomore from Missoula, held down the middle of the defensive line, piling up 31 tackles, six TFL, and 2.5 sacks. He also intercepted a pass, broke up two more, and hurried the quarterback twice. 

Beller, a sophomore from Stevensville, made 29 tackles and two tackles-for-loss at the linebacker position. He also snagged two interceptions and broke up a pair more pass attempts.  

Samson, in his fifth season running the program, guided Montana Tech to a program-record 11 wins and the first unbeaten regular season since 1904. The playcaller on offense, Samson's Orediggers moved the ball as well as any team in the NAIA. Tech enters the postseason ranked in the country's top 10 in passing yards per attempt, passing touchdowns, third- and fourth-down conversion percentage, and red zone efficiency and the top 20 in scoring, total offense, rushing yards, and first downs. His Orediggers got it done in the classroom, too, with more than one-third of the team making the academic all-conference team. 

Allen, in his second year as Tech's defensive coordinator, presided over the NAIA's fourth-best scoring defense. The Orediggers ranked 11th in the country in fewest yards allowed, third in fewest rushing yards allowed, and 20th in interceptions. 

Montana Tech wrapped up its first undefeated regular season since 1904 and its first conference championship since 2016 last week, checking in with an 11-0 record and a perfect 6-0 record in Frontier East play. 

The Orediggers earned the No. 3 seed in the NAIA Football Championship Series and will play host to a to-be-determined opponent Saturday, November 29 in the second round of the postseason.

2025 Frontier Football Postseason Awards – EAST DIVISION
Frontier Player of the Year:  Levi Torgerson – Montana Tech
Frontier Offensive Player of the Year:   Jarrett Wilson – Montana Tech
Frontier Defensive Player of the Year:  Tel Arthur – Montana Tech
Frontier Offensive Lineman of the Year:  Jacob Graves – Montana Tech
Frontier Long Snapper of the Year:  Tyler Anderson – Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
Frontier Assistant Coach of the Year:  Montell Allen – Montana Tech
Frontier Coach-of-the-Year:  Kyle Samson – Montana Tech
 

Dakota State (S.D.):  Maddox Kihne (WR), Kacey Cauley (DL), Adrian Villanueva (K), Tamareon Foster (DB)
Dickinson State (N.D.):  Landen Thompson (OL), Wyatt Anderson (DL)
Mayville State (N.D.):  Kelby Azure (TE), Aaron Gilmet (OL), Marcus Johnson (DL)
MSU-Northern: Alphonse Joseph (DL), Manase Tupou (DL), Colter Woldstad (RB)
Montana Tech:  Nick Michelotti (WR), Chaise Meyer (OL), Dominic Umile (DL), Kellan Beller (LB)
Rocky Mountain (Mont.):  Trey Smith (DB), Sean Tutty (DB)
Valley City State (N.D.):  Joey Cave (QB), Jake Deutsch (WR), Taylor Jones (OL), Tommy Cox (OL), Aiden Russell (LB)

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