For Immediate Release
Monday, October 26, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NPI Ranking
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#3 Bubba Tann III (RB, 5-11, 195, Sr., Aurora, Colo. / Cherry Creek HS) - Sioux Falls
- Led the NSIC in rushing yards and points scored with 211 rushing yards and 20 points
- Ran for a career-high 211 yards on 22 carries, averaging 9.6 yards per carry
- Scored three rushing touchdowns and added a two-point conversion in a 49-29 win over Minot State
- Recorded a career-long 63-yard touchdown run
- Helped power a Sioux Falls offense that totaled 579 yards, including 312 rushing yards
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#51 Jayce Walrath (LB, 6-2, 235, 5th, Rice, Minn. / Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) - Minnesota Duluth
- Recorded nine solo tackles, including a sack, in a 27-12 win at UMary
- Forced a fumble that led to a turnover
- Intercepted a two-point conversion attempt and returned it the length of the field to regain the lead at 13-12
- Named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#40 JT Frieders (K, 6-0, 180, Sr., Geneva, Ill. / Geneva Community HS) - Sioux Falls
- Converted both field-goal attempts in a 49-29 win over Minot State
- Made a game-long 33-yard field goal
- Went a perfect 5-for-5 on extra-point attempts
- Accounted for an NSIC high 11 points through the kicking game
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Breylon Blount (Augustana)
- Recorded 16 rushing attempts for 71 yards in Augustana’s 45-0 win over Southwest Minneso-ta State
- Ran for two touchdowns
- Scored the Vikings’ second and fourth touchdowns of the game
- Added 3 receptions for 15 receiving yards
Connor Carver (Bemidji State)
- Went 7-of-16 passing for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-0 shutout of Jamestown
- Rushed for 87 yards on 11 carries, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt
- Added a 35-yard punt that pinned Jamestown inside the 20-yard line
- Accounted for 270 total offensive yards, more than Jamestown’s entire team total (249)
Mitchell Thompson (Minnesota State)
- Led the Mavericks to a 35-0 win over No. 22 Wayne State with a strong performance passing and rushing
- Carried 19 times for 88 yards and two rushing touchdowns
- Completed 8 of 12 passes for 104 yards
- Marked the fourth time this season he has scored two rushing touchdowns in a game
- Directed an offense that totaled 388 yards without committing a turnover
Brandon Hines Jr. (Minot State)
- Recorded his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season with 149 yards on 12 carries
- Broke off a career-long 75-yard touchdown run
- Added one reception for 7 yards
Hank Kraft (Northern State)
- Rushed for 110 yards, recording his sixth 100-yard game of the season
- Scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter of Northern State’s 14-13 win over MSUM
- Averaged 4.8 yards per carry with a long run of 18 yards
- Leads the NSIC in rushing yards per game and ranks second in all-purpose yards per game
- Ranks fourth nationally in total rushing yards and rushing yards per game
AJ Moore (Winona State)
- Led the team with 142 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in a win over Concordia-St. Paul
- Rushed for 124 yards in the first half
- Recorded a season-long 60-yard touchdown run
DEFENSE
Chase Leary (Augustana)
- Recorded three tackles in a 45-0 shutout victory over Southwest Minnesota State
- Made a tackle on the Mustangs’ opening drive
- Intercepted a pass six plays later and returned it 26 yards
- Recovered a fumble on SMSU’s opening possession of the second half
- Helped Augustana record its second straight shutout victory
Levi Daniel (Bemidji State)
- Had a career-best performance in Bemidji State’s 33-0 shutout of Jamestown
- Totaled eight tackles, including four solo and four assisted stops
- Added a tackle for loss and a 13-yard sack, leading the team in both categories
- Recorded one pass breakup
- Helped hold Jamestown under 250 total yards and just 3.3 yards per play
Travis Biery (UMary)
- Made several impact plays in UMary’s upset bid against Minnesota Duluth
- Finished with seven tackles
- Intercepted a pass in the red zone
- Blocked a field goal attempt
- Added a tackle for loss
Jason Dandridge (Minnesota State)
- Finished with three solo tackles and a tackle for loss
- Returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown in Minnesota State’s 35-0 win over No. 22 Wayne State
- Provided the game’s first score late in the first quarter with the pick-six
- Helped hold Wayne State to 177 total yards, 11 first downs, and 61 rushing yards
- Contributed to Minnesota State’s first shutout since 2021
Gabe Gutierrez (Northern State)
- Recorded five tackles, including a sack, in Northern State’s 14-13 victory over MSU Moor-head
- Registered three solo tackles
- Leads the NSIC in tackles for loss and sacks
- Ranks second nationally in sacks per game and fourth in tackles for loss per game
Owen McCloud (Sioux Falls)
- Led the NSIC with 14 tackles during the weekend
- Recorded 10 solo tackles and four assisted tackles in Sioux Falls’ 49-29 win over Minot State
- Helped contain the conference’s top rushing offense
- Accounted for more than 21 percent of Sioux Falls’ total tackles
Blake Schraufnagel (Winona State)
- Led Winona State with 11 total tackles in a win over Concordia-St. Paul
- Recorded eight solo tackles
- Set a new career high with 11 tackles
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kyle Nadler (Bemidji State)
- Accounted for nine of Bemidji State’s 33 points in a shutout win over Jamestown
- Connected on two field goals, including a career-long 37-yarder and a 32-yard kick
- Handled six kickoffs for 361 yards with one touchback
- Averaged 60.2 yards per kickoff
- Made three PAT attempts
Tristan Ulmer (MSU Moorhead)
- Punted seven times for 293 yards, averaging 41.9 yards per punt against Northern State
- Recorded a long punt of 56 yards
- Pinned Northern State inside its own 20-yard line four times
- Added a 17-yard rush for a first down
Matt Maldonado (Minnesota State)
- Averaged 42.0 yards on three punts for 126 total yards in a 35-0 win over No. 22 Wayne State
- Placed two punts inside the 20-yard line, including one that pinned the Wildcats at their own 4-yard line
- Made a 48-yard field goal, the first field goal of his Minnesota State career
- Handled six kickoffs for 372 yards and one touchback
- Averaged 62.0 yards per kickoff
Last Week's Results
Football Pages
NSIC Football Players of the Week
8/31/26
O: #21 Hank Kraft - Northern State
D: #98 Travis Biery - University of Mary
SP: #6 Neal May - Augustana
9/8/26
O: #21 Hank Kraft - Northern State (2)
D: #54 Jake Adams - Northern State
SP: #25 Jake Pecina - Augustana
9/14/26
O: #12 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana
D: #96 Vegas George - University of Mary
SP: #14 Connor Fournier - Minnesota State
9/21/26
O: #12 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana (2)
D: #30 Jude Onuoha - Concordia-St. Paul
SP: #39 Drew Henson - Minnesota Duluth
9/28/26
O: #2 Connor Carver - Bemidji State
D: #7 Beau Giblin - Sioux Falls
SP: #47 Mathias Yaggie - Winona State
10/5/26
O: #17 Drew Huebner - MSU Moorhead
D: #44 Jack Hawkinson - Minnesota State
SP: #25 Jake Pecina - Augustana (2)
10/12/26
O: #17 Drew Huebner - MSU Moorhead (2)
D: #51 Jayce Walrath - Minnesota Duluth
SP: #7 Brayden Chaney - Wayne State
10/26/26
O: #3 Bubba Tann III - Sioux Falls
D: #51 Jayce Walrath - Minnesota Duluth (2)
SP: #40 JT Frieders - Sioux Falls
About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 128 individual national champions. For additional information, visit
NorthernSun.org.
About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.
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