SPOKANE, Wash. – With Big Sky Football Media Day set for Monday, three Inland Northwest players are already receiving recognition heading into the 2026 season.
Eastern Washington safety Jaylon Jenkins and defensive lineman Isaiah Perez were both named to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team, while Idaho safety Brayden Rice earned preseason honors as the conference’s special teams selection.
Jenkins enters the season after a breakout 2025 campaign that earned him First Team All-Big Sky honors. The Federal Way native intercepted five passes, tied for second-most in the conference, while totaling 52 tackles and 13 passes defended. The senior has also picked up preseason All-America recognition and was named to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list.
Perez also returns after a standout season for the Eagles. The Othello native set an Eastern Washington single-season record with four blocked kicks while leading the team with four sacks. He added 41 tackles and five tackles for loss on his way to earning preseason all-conference recognition.
For the Vandals, Rice is the program’s lone preseason All-Big Sky selection. The Lewiston native earned the conference’s special teams honor after emerging as one of the league’s top coverage players in 2025. Rice finished last season with 23 tackles and was a Second Team All-Big Sky selection.
The preseason honors come just over a month before the start of the 2026 season, with both Eastern Washington and Idaho looking to climb the Big Sky standings this fall.
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