December 23, 2025
FARGO, N.D. – The Victory Sports Network has released its 2025 NAIA Football All-America teams and individual awards for the season. A total of 23 Frontier Conference athletes from six different schools were listed on the All-America teams, including the First-, Second-, Third-, and Honorable Mention teams.
Kyle Samson of Montana Tech earned his first Coach of the Year accolades from the Victory Sports Network. The sixth-year head coach guided the Orediggers to the most successful regular season in program history, boasting a 12-1 record, the Frontier Conference East Division championship, and the No. 3 seed in the NAIA Football Championship Series. Five of MT’s 12 wins came against teams rated in the NAIA’s Top 25.
The VSN NAIA Football team is compiled by Jason Dannelly of Victory Sports Network. Nominations are automatically taken from First Team selections from the All-Conference teams in the NAIA. Input on the selections comes from coaches, SIDs, and media members around the NAIA. The final selections are made by Dannelly.
Below is the list of Frontier Conference athletes listed on the 2025 VSN NAIA All-America teams (position – name – school):
First Team
Offensive Lineman: Ashton Patterson – College of Idaho
Offensive Lineman: Jacob Graves – Montana Tech
Tight End: Carson Ochoa – Carroll (Mont.)
Wide Receiver: Levi Torgerson – Montana Tech
Wide Receiver: Eli Nourse – Montana Western
Defensive Back: Braeden Orlandi – Carroll (Mont.)
Linebacker: Tel Arthur – Montana Tech
Second Team
Running Back: Rylie Byington – College of Idaho
Defensive Back: Payton Gonser – Montana Tech
Defensive Lineman: Tyler Walker – Montana Western
Punter: Ethan Cutler – Eastern Oregon
Third Team
Defensive Back: Tanner Steele – College of Idaho
Honorable Mention
Offensive Lineman: Nathan McClelland – College of Idaho
Quarterback: Michael Palandri – Montana Western
Quarterback: Jarrett Wilson – Montana Tech
Tight End: Derek Pearse – Montana Tech
Wide Receiver: Travis Mariero – College of Idaho
Defensive Back: Dee’Shon Swafford – College of Idaho
Defensive Back: Deveon Moses – Dakota State (S.D.)
Defensive Lineman: Forrest Suero – Carroll (Mont.)
Defensive Lineman: Tucker French – College of Idaho
Linebacker: Brett Tommasini – Carroll (Mont.)
Linebacker: Jace Fitzgerald – Montana Western