Fresno State offensive lineman the center of attention in second senior season

Fresno State center Jacob Spomer, in his second senior season after suffering a serious leg injury, has gained some overdue recognition as one of the top linemen in the Mountain West Conference.

Spomer was the only Bulldogs’ player to make the all-conference first team, which was announced on Tuesday. He is only the fourth Fresno State offensive lineman to make that list since joining the league following tackle Austin Wentworth in 2012 and ‘13, tackle Christian Cronk in 2018 and tackle Alex Akingbulu in 2021.

Linebacker Jadon Pearson and cornerback Al’zillion Hamilton were second-team selections for the Bulldogs and defensive end Finn Claypool, nickel Simeon Harris, defensive tackle Deijon Laffitte, running back Rayshon Luke and wideout Josiah Freeman were honorable mention picks.

UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea was selected as the Mountain West offensive player of the year, San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson and New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck were co-defensive players of the year and Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa was chosen as the special teams player of the year.

New Mexico coach Jason Eck was the coach of the year, and Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado the freshman of the year.

Spomer moved inside this year after playing as an undersized (6-foot-3, 290-pound) left tackle in his first three seasons with the Bulldogs, transferring in from Diablo Valley College.

At center, he was the second-highest rated run and pass blocking offensive lineman in the conference, by Pro Football Focus. Spomer did not allow a sack and had only eight quarterback pressures in pass protection, the fewest of any center in the conference. He also was the Bulldogs’ highest-graded run blocker, leading the way for a run game that averaged 210.5 rushing yards and produced nine rushing touchdowns over the final four games as Fresno State secured bowl eligibility for a fifth year in a row.

Spomer was the Bulldogs’ highest-graded lineman in 2023 before suffering the leg injury at San Jose State, in his 24th consecutive start at left tackle. He missed the final three games, but returned in 2024 in a Week 10 game against Hawaii and started the final four games of the season. The Bulldogs’ 41-14 victory at San Jose State to end the regular-season marked his 40th career start.

This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 6:39 PM.