(Read this story at CSURams.com)
Colorado State punter Hayden Hunt and offensive lineman Fred Zerblis were each selected to the 2016 Preseason All-Mountain West Football Team on Tuesday morning. The Rams are one of seven league schools to have multiple players selected among the 26 total picks. The announcement was made exclusively on Facebook Live from Mountain West Media Days at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
A year ago, Hunt put up eye-popping statistics and was named to several publication’s All-America teams and was one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award – awarded annually to college football’s top punter. He ranked fifth nationally with an average of 46.0 yards per punt, while the Rams’ team net punting average of 42.0 ranked fourth in all of college football and led the nation late in the year. Of Hunt’s 52 punts, 15 went at least 50 yards, 24 were marked down inside opponents’ 20-yard line, 18 were fair caught and just one was a touchback. He ranked first among the award’s 10 semifinalists for percentage of punts inside the 20 and fewest touchbacks, second for net average and fourth four gross average. This summer, he has already been named to ESPN and Sporting News’ All-America first teams.
The league, however, features two of the top punters in the country. Despite being one of two returning finalists for the 2015 Ray Guy Award, the other returner is San Jose State punter Michael Carrizosa, who was also named to the league’s preseason all-conference team along with Hunt.
Zerblis, a senior from Grayson, Ga. who is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, has started all 26 games over the past two seasons. In 2015, he earned All-Mountain West second-team honors by vote of media and coaches, and first-team recognition by Phil Steele. He helped CSU to a third consecutive bowl game appearance by blocking for an offense that ranked third in the Mountain West with 417.0 yards per game, and was among the nation’s leaders for tackles for loss allowed (4.62 per game; 11th), sacks allowed (1.17 per game; 22nd), third-down conversions (46.0 percent, 20th), fourth-down conversions (58.8 percent, 36th), first downs (23.15 per game, 33rd) and red-zone offense (87 percent, 44th). A year prior, in 2014, Zerblis blocked for a 4,000-yard passer and 1,200-yard rusher, helping the Rams top 500 yards in a game five times, including twice surpassing the 670-yard mark. CSU’s offense set season school records for total yards, yards-per-game average and passing touchdowns.
Zerblis is one of five offensive linemen named to the preseason team. This summer, he has also been named to preseason first teams by Athlon Sports, ESPN, Lindy’s, Phil Steele and Sporting News.