COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on Thursday, July 31 released its 2025 RMAC Football Preseason Poll and its All-RMAC Preseason Football Team, showing the Mountaineers tied for first in the team voting and with seven players on the preseason all-conference squad, including 2024 RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Ricky Freymond.

The announcements were part of the league's annual Media Day, hosted on Thursday by Metropolitan State University of Denver at its CAVEA Theater.

Conducted by the league office and voted on by the RMAC head coaches, the team polling has Western accumulating five first-place votes and a total of 76 points to tie for the top spot with Colorado State University Pueblo, who also received five first-place tallies as the returning RMAC champion. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team in the polling.

An All-American defensive end for the Mountaineers, Freymond is joined on the All-RMAC preseason defensive team by fellow linemen Jaydon Young and Mikey Smith, as well as outside linebacker Cameron Cooper.

All-American quarterback Drew Nash is joined on the preseason offensive team by offensive lineman Zach Brumfield and tight end Daniel Parsek.

Freymond was voted to the 2024 RMAC All-Conference first team last fall, Smith was voted to the second team, and Cooper – the RMAC Defensive Rookie of the Year – and Young were included on the honorable mention All-RMAC football team.

Nash was voted the 2024 first team RMAC quarterback, with both Parsek and Brumfield selected for the second team.

Western opens its 2025 schedule with a Thursday, August 28 home game against visiting West Texas A&M, under the lights at Mojo Field at Mountaineer Bowl at The Rady Family Sports Complex.