The Western Athletic Conference announced its 2022 preseason all-conference selections and preseason coaches' poll on Monday ahead of Tuesday's WAC Football Media Day.  
 
Utah Tech landed two players on the all-WAC preseason all-conference list, both coming on defense, in sophomore safety Tyrell Grayson and sophomore linebacker Will Leota. 

Grayson (6-0, 175; Fresno, Calif./Central HS) returns to the Trailblazer defensive backfield after a stellar freshman campaign, which culminated with him earning second team all-WAC and 2021 HERO SportsFreshman FCS All-America honors. 
 
Grayson started in 10 of 11 games played and closed the 2021 regular season as the unofficial NCAA Division I FCS leader in solo tackles with 79. He also led the conference in total tackles with 103, and finished the season with one sack and 3.5 tackles for loss to go with two interceptions, three forced fumbles and five pass break-ups.
 
Grayson recorded a team-high five double-digit tackle games last season, highlighted by a school record-tying 19 total tackles (15 solo) at UC Davis (9/25). The freshman was also named WAC Defensive Player of the Week (10/11) after he racked up 14 tackles (8 solo) and forced a fumble at Montana (10/9).

Leota (6-2, 190; Salem, Utah/Salem Hills HS), who also earned second team all-WAC accolades last season, started in seven of the 10 games he played as a true freshman and finished third on the team in tackles with 54 (15^th in the WAC), including 15 solo stops. He finished his first collegiate campaign ranked fourth on the Blazer defense with 4.5 TFLs and registered his first collegiate sack at then-No. 1 Sam Houston (11/6).

Leota enjoyed a break-out game at Montana (10/9), against which he collected a career-high 11 tackles and recorded his first career interception.
 
Stephen F. Austin was the overwhelming choice to win the WAC championship this season, as the Lumberjacks received four of the five first place votes to finish with 16 points in the coaches' poll. SFA also placed a league-best 14 players on the all-WAC preseason team lists (6 offense/4 defense/4 special teams), and claimed both the conference Preseason Offensive (WR Xavier Gipson) and Special Teams (PK Chris Campos) Player of the Year awards. 
 
Abilene Christian placed second in the poll with 12 points, while Tarleton State received the other first place vote to finish third with 10 points. WAC newcomer Southern Utah followed in fourth with seven points, and UT wound up fifth with five points. 
 
Defending WAC champion Sam Houston is not eligible to defend its conference title and was not listed in the 2022 WAC preseason poll. The Bearkat program is competing in its final WAC and NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) season ahead of its transition next season to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Conference USA. 
 
The WAC will officially kick off its second FCS football season with the conference's Media Day on Tuesday, July 19, at The Woodlands, Texas. 
 
Head coaches and student-athletes from all six WAC schools will meet at The Woodlands Marriott for a full day of activity. In addition to live team press conferences, which will be streamed live ESPN+, coaches and student-athletes will participate in one-on-one interviews, along with other activities. 
 
Utah Tech head coach Paul Peterson, along with senior offensive lineman Nate Aceves, and sophomore defensive lineman Syrus Webster, will represent the Trailblazers. UT's media availability will begin with a formal press conference from 10:30 a.m.-to-11 a.m. (CT), followed by one-on-one interviews from 11 a.m.-12 noon (CT).