RENO, Nev. - Seven members of the Nevada football team earned All-Mountain West honors Tuesday, with safety Bentlee Sanders being named to the First Team and nose tackle Dom Peterson named to the Second Team.

Wide receiver B.J. Casteel, offensive lineman Grant Starck, running back Toa Taua, linebacker Drue Watts, and nickel Tyson Williams each earned Honorable Mention.

For Peterson, it is his fourth-career All-Mountain West honor, and second selection to the Second Team, while Taua earns his third All-MW honor, and Williams his second. Peterson, in addition to his second-team selections in 2020 and this season, was named to the First Team in 2019 and honorable mention in 2021. Taua, the 2018 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, is a two-time honorable mention (2019, 2022) with a second-team honor (2020). Williams earned his first honorable mention in 2020.

Sanders' selection to the All-Mountain West First Team adds to a banner year for the fifth-year safety. He is one of nine players in the country with five interceptions, just one back of the national lead (six). Sanders' ballhawking was a major key to Nevada's defense in 2022, as he had a hand in eight of the Pack's 19 takeaways on the season (five interceptions, three forced fumbles which were each recovered by the Pack).

Through the end of the regular season (Nov. 26), Sanders leads the Mountain West in interceptions (five), forced fumbles (three, sharing the lead), and solo tackles (66), while his 82 total tackles rank 13th among all Mountain West defenders.

Peterson earned his fourth All-Mountain West nod with another dominant season anchoring the Wolf Pack's front four. Peterson wrapped his final season with 6.0 sacks (10th in the conference) and 13.0 tackles-for-loss among his 34 total tackles. His disruptive play in the trenches contributed also to Nevada's takeaways, as Peterson forced a pair of fumbles on strip sacks, and led the Mountain West, and ranked tied for third in the country, with three fumble recoveries.

Peterson's 2022 campaign also saw him rise up Nevada's career rankings in multiple categories. He finishes his career ranked second in Wolf Pack history with 55.5 tackles-for-loss, and third with 28.0 sacks. 

Taua claimed his third All-Mountain West honor with a career year in 2022. The fifth-year running back set career highs in rushing yards (911), carries (217), rushing touchdowns (11), receptions (41), and all-purpose yards (1,206), while posting four 100-yard rushing performances. Taua's all-purpose yardage ranks fifth in the Mountain West, while he also ranked in the MW top 10 in rushing touchdowns (T-3), total touchdowns (T-4, 12), carries (fourth), rushing yards (seventh), and receptions (T-10), with his 41 also leading all Mountain West running backs.

Along with Peterson, Taua's 2022 campaign also lifted him into multiple Nevada career top 10s. Taua ends his career ranking fifth in rushing attempts (855), sixth in rushing yards (3,997), and ninth in rushing touchdowns (33).

Williams was named All-Mountain West Honorable Mention for the second time in his career on the strength of a 2022 campaign in which he ranked second on the team with 65 tackles (44 solo). He posted six games with at least six tackles this season, highlighted by a career-high of 11 Sept. 10 against Incarnate Word. Williams ranked third on the Pack in both tackles-for-loss (7.5) and sacks (2.0), while ranking second in forced fumbles (two).

Casteel, Starck, and Watts each earned the first All-Mountain West honor of their careers. Casteel, a transfer from Arizona, finished the campaign as Nevada's leading receiver, finishing with team highs of 48 catches, 581 yards, and four touchdowns. He recorded one 100-yard receiving game, going for 149 yards and a touchdown on seven catches Oct. 29 at San José State. Casteel came on in the season's second half, pulling in 39 receptions and three touchdowns over the season's last seven contests.

Starck, at left tackle, was the only member of Nevada's offensive line to start all 12 contests, anchoring a unit which had nine different starting combinations over the course of the season.

Watts, a redshirt freshman linebacker, appeared in all 12 games, making nine starts, and finished fourth on the team with 57 tackles (39 solo). Watts, who finished with 9.0 tackles-for-loss on the year (second on the team), had a streak of eight games with at least one TFL during the season, while also accounting for 3.0 sacks and an interception.

2022 Mountain West Football Postseason Awards and All-Mountain West Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Brad Roberts, Air Force
Defensive Player of the Year: Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jack Browning, San Diego State
Freshman of the Year: Taylen Green, Boise State
Coach of the Year: Andy Avalos, Boise State

All-Mountain West First Team

OFFENSE
Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team
QB        Jake Haener                  Sr.       Fresno State
WR       Tory Horton                   Jr.         Colorado State
WR       Jalen Moreno-Cropper  Sr.        Fresno State
WR       Elijah Cooks                  Sr.        San José State
RB        Brad Roberts*                Sr.        Air Force
RB        Jordan Mims                 Sr.         Fresno State
TE        Caleb Phillips                Sr.         Hawai'i
OL        Isaac Cochran               Sr.         Air Force
OL        John Ojukwu*                Sr.         Boise State
OL        Ilm Manning                   Sr.        Hawai'i
OL        Alama Uluave                Sr.        San Diego State
OL        Alfred Edwards              Sr.        Utah State
PK        John Hoyland                So.       Wyoming
KR        Jordan Byrd*                 Sr.        San Diego State

DEFENSE
Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team
DL        David Perales                Sr.        Fresno State
DL        Jonah Tavai                   Sr.        San Diego State
DL        Viliami Fehoko**            Sr.        San José State
DL        Cade Hall*                     Sr.        San José State
LB        Caden McDonald          Sr.        San Diego State
LB        Kyle Harmon**               Sr.        San José State
LB        Austin Ajiake                  Sr.        UNLV
LB        Easton Gibbs                 So.       Wyoming
DB        JL Skinner                     Sr.        Boise State
DB        Jack Howell                   So.       Colorado State
DB        Bentlee Sanders          Sr.        Nevada
DB        Patrick McMorris*          Sr.        San Diego State
P          Jack Browning                Sr.        San Diego State
PR        Jordan Byrd                   Sr.        San Diego State

*Two-Time First-Team Selection | **Three-Time First-Team Selection

All-Mountain West Second Team

OFFENSE
Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team
QB        Chevan Cordeiro          Jr.         San José State
WR       Nikko Remigio              Sr.         Fresno State
WR       Tyrell Shavers               Sr.        San Diego State
WR       Brian Cobbs                  Sr.        Utah State
RB        George Holani               Jr.         Boise State
RB        Calvin Tyler, Jr.              Sr.        Utah State
TE        Mark Redman                Jr.         San Diego State
OL        Everett Smalley             Jr.         Air Force
OL        Cade Beresford             Sr.        Boise State
OL        Bula Schmidt                 Sr.        Fresno State
OL        Micah Vanterpool           Sr.        Hawai'i
OL        Cade Bennett                 So.       San Diego State
PK        Daniel Gutierrez             Sr.        UNLV
KR        Christian Washington     Fr.        New Mexico

DEFENSE
Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team
DL        Scott Matlock*               Sr.        Boise State
DL        Mohamed Kamara        Sr.        Colorado State
DL        Dom Peterson*            Sr.        Nevada
DL        Adam Plant, Jr.              Sr.        UNLV
LB        Vince Sanford*              Sr.        Air Force
LB        Ezekiel Noa                   Sr.        Boise State
LB        DJ Schramm                 Sr.        Boise State
LB        Michael Shawcroft         Sr.        San Diego State
DB        Trey Taylor                    Jr.         Air Force
DB        Evan Williams               Sr.        Fresno State
DB        A.J. Haulcy                   Fr.         New Mexico
DB        Ike Larsen                    Fr.         Utah State
P          Aaron Rodriguez           Jr.         New Mexico
PR        Nikko Remigio              Sr.         Fresno State

*Two-Time Second-Team Selection | ** Three-Time Second-Team Selection

2022 Honorable Mention
Air Force:              Haaziq Daniels, QB; TD Blackmon, LB; Camby Goff, S; Matthew Dapore, PK; David Cormier, WR
Boise State:          Jonah Dalmas, PK; Taylen Green, QB; Caleb Biggers, CB; Ashton Jeanty, RB; Tyreque Jones, DB
Colorado State:      Tory Horton, PR; Jacob Gardner, OL; CJ Onyechi, DL; Dequan Jackson, LB; Chigozie Anusiem, DB
Fresno State:         Levelle Bailey, LB; Jacob Spomer, OL; Raymond Pauwels, Jr., TE; Malachi Langley, LB; Mose Vavao, OL
Hawai'i:                Blessman Ta'ala, DL; Dedrick Parson, RB; John Tuitupou, DL; Tylan Hines, RB; Peter Manuma, S
Nevada:                Toa Taua, RB; Drue Watts, LB; Tyson Williams, DB; Grant Starck, OL; B.J. Casteel, WR
New Mexico:         Jerrick Reed, S; Cody Moon, LB; J.C. Davis, OL; Reco Hannah, LB; Donte Martin, CB
San Diego State:    Jalen Mayden, QB; Jesse Matthews, WR; Keshawn Banks, DE; Dez Malone, CB; Dallas Branch, CB
San José State:      Tre Jenkins, S; Dominick Mazotti, TE; Justin Lockhart, WR; Chase Williams, DB; Nehemiah Shelton, CB
UNLV:                   Eliel Ehimare, DL; Aidan Robbins, RB; Nohl Williams, DB; Doug Brumfield, QB; Leif Fautanu, OL
Utah State:            Hunter Reynolds, S; Chandler Dolphin, OL; Daniel Grzesiak, DE; MJ Tafisi, LB, Terrell Vaughn, WR
Wyoming:              Clayton Stewart, P; DeVonne Harris, DE; Treyton Welch, TE; Cam Stone, CB; Andrew Peasley, QB