Another day brings another set of accolades for Eastern Washington football! Today, three Eagles were distinguished on the Stats Perform FCS All-American Teams: Efton Chism III earned a first-team selection, Michael Wortham was named to the second team, and Derek Ganter Jr. made the All-Freshman team.
Efton Chism III received his second first-team honor this week after being named an AP All-American yesterday. He also secured Big Sky All-Conference first-team recognition last month. Chism had a record-breaking senior season, racking up 120 receptions for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Hailing from Monroe, Washington, Chism broke Cooper Kupp’s previous record of 117 catches in a single season during his final game against No. 21 Northern Arizona on November 23rd. He also set a program and FCS record with a 53-game streak of catches during this same game.
Chism averaged 10.0 catches per game, the second-best average behind Kupp’s 10.63 in the 2015 season. His 1,311 receiving yards rank 10th all-time, and his 13 touchdowns are tied for 10th.
In his career, Chism ranks second in both total receptions (346) and receptions per game (6.53), third in receiving yards (3,852), and fourth in touchdowns (37). He also recorded 56 career punt returns, placing him fourth in the EWU history. Chism concluded his career with 12 games of over 100 receiving yards and eight games with 10 or more receptions.
Michael Wortham received second-team all-purpose player honors, setting a program record for kickoff return yards this season. The North Highlands, California native recorded 1,093 kickoff return yards, averaging 28.8 yards per return and scoring a 100-yard touchdown against No. 11 Idaho on October 26th. He surpassed the previous record of 973 return yards set by Vernon Williams in 1988.
Over his career, Wortham ranks fourth all-time in kickoff return yards with a total of 1,829. His average of 28.6 yards per return is second in program history.
This season, Wortham demonstrated his versatility, accumulating 313 rushing yards, 209 receiving yards, and 88 passing yards, while finding the end zone seven times (five rushing touchdowns, one receiving, and one kickoff return score). He also threw two touchdown passes in just nine attempts during the season.
Wortham earned All-Conference honors as an all-purpose player and was named a second-team kick returner by the Big Sky. Prior to the season, he was predicted to be a third-team selection by Stats Perform.
Derek Ganter Jr. wrapped up his breakout season at safety, leading Eastern Washington with 95 total tackles and 55 solo tackles. His total tackle count ranked fifth in the Big Sky, while his solo tackles placed him third. Over the 2024 season, Ganter averaged 7.9 tackles per game, standing at 52nd in the FCS. He played in all 12 games for EWU, making nine starts.
During a road game against the Vandals, Ganter achieved a career-high 15 tackles. He also recorded 11 tackles in games against No. 6 UC Davis on October 19th and No. 2 Montana State on November 2nd. Ganter was third on the team with four pass breakups and also recorded his first career sack and forced fumble against UC Davis.
This selection to the Stats Perform All-Freshman team marks Ganter Jr.’s second such honor this offseason, as he also made the FCS Football Central freshman All-American team. He was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which recognizes the nation’s top freshman, finishing eighth in the voting with 22 total points from various place votes.
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