Six Wildcats earn Big Sky All-Conference honors

OGDEN - Six Weber State football players have earned All-Big Sky Conference honors following the 2024 season.

Damon Bankston, Kemari Munier-Bailey, Gavin Ortega, and Jacob Sharp were all named to the All-Big Sky Second Team. Garrett Beck and Brayden Wilson earned honorable mention all-conference honors.

Bankston earned All-Big Sky honors for the second time in his career. He finished third in the Big Sky and 15th in the nation in rushing yards per game this season at 100.4. He played in 11 games for the Wildcats and finished with 177 carries for 1,104 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The 1,104 yards is the 13th most in a season in WSU history. It is also the third most of a player in the Big Sky and the 19th most of a player in the country this season. He also served as a team captain this season.

He ran for over 100 yards five times this season and had a career-best 234 yards at Sacramento State, the 10th most in a game in Weber State history.

Bankston has played in 38 games over the last four seasons at Weber State and finished the season ranked sixth in Weber State history in career rushing yards with 2,324. He has 22 career rushing touchdowns.

Kemari Munier-Bailey, a senior transfer to Weber State this season, made an immediate impact with the Wildcat defense. He played in all 12 games for the Wildcats and finished the regular season tied for the most tackles for loss in the conference and second in sacks.

He is eighth in the nation in tackles for loss and had 18.5 this season, which is tied for the sixth-most in a season in Weber State history. He had at least one tackle for loss in eight games this season and had a career-high six tackles for loss with three sacks in Weber State's win at Northwestern State, which earned him the National Defensive Player of the Week honor.

He also had nine sacks on the season, tied for the ninth most in a season in school history, and finished the season ranked 22nd in the country in sacks. He had at least one sack in six games this season.

He also had nine quarterback hurries and two pass breakups during the season.

Munier-Bailey played two seasons at Idaho in the Big Sky, then one season at Fresno State, before transferring to Weber State in the summer of 2024.

Gavin Ortega earned All-Big Sky honors for the first time in his career. He started all 12 games for Weber State on the offensive line. He played the left guard position and helped block for all-conference performer Damon Bankston and the Wildcat rushing attack which finished third in the Big Sky in team rushing.

Ortega, a junior from Bellingham, Washington, has played in 29 games in his three seasons at Weber State.

Jacob Sharp finished his five-year career at Weber State by earning all-conference honors for the first time.

Sharp was the only senior on offense on this year's team and finished the season second in the Big Sky and ninth in the country with 10 receiving touchdowns. He was sixth in the conference in receiving yards per game at 70.8. Sharp had 56 receptions for 850 yards on the year. The 10 receiving touchdowns are tied for the third most in a season in Weber State history.

He had at least one touchdown reception in seven games and had three at Sacramento State adn two in WSU's overtime win at No. 8 Montana.

Sharp, a senior from Vallejo, California, played in 36 games in his Wildcat career, which began during the 2019 season. He finished his career in the WSU all-time top 25 in receptions and receiving yards.

He had 1,778 receiving yards, which ranks as the 20th most in Weber State history. He also had 117 career receptions which is 25th in school history, and had 18 career touchdowns, tied for the fourth most in a Wildcat career.

Garrett Beck finished his Wildcat career as an all-conference performer for the first time, picking up All-Big Sky honorable mention honors.

He played in 11 games for the Wildcats this season and finished third on the Wildcat team in tackles with 55. He had 24 solo tackles and 31 assisted tackles and had at least four tackles in all 11 games he played. He also had two sacks and four tackles for loss. He also forced and recovered a fumble in overtime that sealed Weber State's win at Montana on October 5.

Beck was a team captain this season. The senior from Meridian, Idaho, played in 48 games in his Wildcat career that began in the Big Sky Championship season in the spring of 2021. He finished his career with 182 total tackles with 93 solo and 89 assisted tackles. He also had 13 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks and had three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He twice returned fumble recoveries for touchdowns.

Brayden Wilson picked up All-Big Sky honors for the second straight season. He played in all 12 games for the Wildcats this season.

He led the Wildcat defense with 57 tackles this season, recording 25 solo and 32 assisted tackles. He had at least three tackles in 11 games and had a season-high eight against Northern Arizona. He also recorded 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Wilson, a junior from Kaysville, Utah and Farmington High School, has played in 37 games in his Wildcat career that started in the spring 2021 season. He has 30 career tackles for loss with 12.5 career sacks. He also has 138 career tackles with 66 solo tackles and 72 assisted tackles, and has one fumble recovery.

2024 Weber State Football All-Big Sky Conference honors

Second Team honors

Damon Bankston	Junior	Running back
Kemari Munier-Bailey	Senior	Defensive End
Gavin Ortega	Junior	Offensive Line
Jacob Sharp	Senior	Wide Receiver

Honorable Mention honors

Garrett Beck	Senior	Linebacker
Brayden Wilson	Junior	Defensive End

Weber State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Damon Bankston

Garrett Beck

Kemari Munier-Bailey

Gavin Ortega

Jacob Sharp

Brayden Wilson

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