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2023 NAIA Football All-America Teams Announced

2023 NAIA Football All-America Teams Announced

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Concordia (Neb.) wide receiver Austin Jablonski and Grand View (Iowa) defensive lineman Tristin Waugh headline the 2023 AFCA NAIA Coaches' All-America Teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.

Bethel University's J. D. Dixon was named to the first team. Joaquin Collazo III and Demetrice Gilbert were named to the second team. 

Dixon leaves the program as the all-time leader in receiving yards with 3, 3373. Dixon had 75 receptions this season which ranks number one in program history. His 1, 2156 yards were the most ever in a season. His 19 touchdown receptions last year were the most in program history.

Collazo had 37 touchdown passes this season. That is a program record. The senior from Melbourne, Florida had 3, 359 passing yards which Is the most ever by a Wildcat signal caller in one year. He finished with 66 career touchdowns which is second all-time in program history. 

 Gilbert had 17 career interceptions which is the most in program history.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

Friends (Kan.) offensive lineman Keegan Martin earned his fourth AFCA All-America honor, making him just the third player in NAIA history to accomplish the feat. Martin earned his first three All-America honors while at Bethel (Kan.) in the spring and fall of 2021 and 2022. He joins OUAZ (Ariz.) teammates Dustin Rivera (OL-2018-19-S21-F21) and Austin Bohn (P-2018-19-S21-22). 

The AFCA's NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of two head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.

 

2023 AFCA NAIA COACHES' ALL AMERICA TEAM - FIRST TEAM

Offense    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Jalyn Gramstad

Northwestern (Iowa)

QB

Jr.

Lester, Iowa

Dederrian Williams

Indiana Wesleyan

RB

Sr.

Lake Placid, Fla.

Darius Neal

Georgetown (Ky.)

RB

Jr.

Lexington, Ky.

Justin Pringle

Saint Xavier (Ill.)

WR

Gr.

Romeoville, Ill.

J.D. Dixon

Bethel (Tenn.)

WR

Jr.

Waverly, Tenn.

Austin Jablonski

Concordia (Neb.) 

WR

Jr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Keegan Martin #

Friends (Kan.)

OL

Sr.

Yale, Okla.

Ja'Kobe Hinton

Benedictine (Kan.)

OL

So.

Katy, Tex.

Garrett Rehberg

College of Idaho

OL

R-Sr.

Boise, Idaho

Parker Beck 

Dordt (Iowa)

OL

Sr.

Spirit Lake, Iowa

Earon Garcia *

Southwestern (Kan.)

OL

Sr.

Wichita, Kan.

 

Defense    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Tristin Waugh

Grand View (Iowa)

DL

Sr.

Fairfield, Iowa

Nicholas Engler 

St. Thomas (Fla.)

DL

Sr.

Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Krew Mathern *

Dickinson State (N.D.)

DL

Sr.

Dickinson, N.D.

Noah Turnbull

Southern Oregon

DL

Sr.

Bend, Ore.

Bradley Myers

Evangel (Mo.)

LB

R-Jr.

Lee's Summit, Mo.

Canon Karn

Baker (Kan.)

LB

Jr.

Holton, Kan.

AJ Hemphill

Ottawa (Kan.) 

LB

Jr.

Strasburg, Colo.

Lonell Boyd Jr. 

Morningside (Iowa)

DB

R-Jr.

St. Louis, Mo.

Nate Frey

Marian (Ind.)

DB

R-Sr.

Carmel, Ind.

Kaysan Barnett

Rocky Mountain (Mont.)

DB

Jr.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Wendol Philord

Keiser (Fla.)

DB

Sr.

Miramar, Fla.

 

Specialists    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Andrew Almos

Montana Tech

P

R-So.

Great Falls, Mont.

Landon Reeves

OUAZ (Ariz.)

PK

Sr.

Idalou, Texas

Seeger DeGayner *

Concordia (Mich.)

AP

Sr.

Grand Blanc, Mich.

Brooks Gardner

Tabor (Kan.)

LS

Sr.

Hillsboro, Kan.

 

2023 AFCA NAIA COACHES' ALL AMERICA TEAM - SECOND TEAM

Offense    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Joaquin Collazo III

Bethel (Tenn.)

QB

Sr.

Melbourne, Fla.

Rontavious Farmer

St. Thomas (Fla.)

RB

Jr.

Palm Bay, Fla. 

Konner McQuillan

Northwestern (Iowa)

RB

Sr.

Leavenworth, Kan.

Dillon Hester 

Evangel (Mo.)

WR

R-Jr.

Strafford, Mo.

Arlandes Mitchell

MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)

WR

So.

Independence, Mo.

Rex Ryken

Mount Marty (S.D.)

TE

Jr.

Yankton, S.D.

Lucas Doyle

Indiana Wesleyan

OL

Gr.

Greenwood, Ind.

Scarlee Jean

Keiser (Fla.)

OL

Sr.

Riviera Beach, Fla.

Colin Cox 

Saint Xavier (Ill.)

OL

Jr.

Joliet, Ill.

Hunter Mecham

Carroll (Mont.)

OL

R-Sr.

Las Vegas, Nev.

Blake Gossett

Georgetown (Ky.)

OL

Sr.

Louisville, Ky. 

 

Defense    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Paul Vandal *

Jamestown (N.D.)

DL

Sr.

Jamestown, N.D.

Riley Gerhardt *

Valley City State (N.D.)

DL

Sr.

Valley City, N.D.

Heath Baker

Benedictine (Kan.)

DL

Jr.

Atchison, Kan.

Emmanuel Olaitan

Faulkner (Ala.)

DL

So.

Marietta, Ga.

Chad Holleran

Georgetown (Ky.)

LB

Sr.

Frankfort, Ky.

Jaelin Willis 

Keiser (Fla.)

LB

So.

Fort Myers, Fla.

Casey Rauch

Concordia (Mich.)

LB

Sr.

Alexandria, Ky.

Pop McGhee

Louisiana Christian

DB

Jr.

Opelousas, La.

Nehemiah Figueroa

McPherson (Kan.)

DB

R-Jr.

Boyertown, Pa.

Cody Moser

Northwestern (Iowa)

DB

Jr.

Rock Valley, Iowa

Demetrice Gilbert

Bethel (Tenn.)

DB

Sr.

Atlanta, Ga.

 

Specialists    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Logan Burke

OUAZ (Ariz.)

P

Gr.

Katy, Texas

Job Matossian

Cumberlands (Ky.)

PK

So.

Maryville, Tenn.

Trey Dixon

Sterling (Kan.)

AP

So.

Killeen, Texas

MJ Montgomery 

Briar Cliff (Iowa)

LS

Sr.

Norfolk, Neb.

2023 NAIA COACHES' ALL AMERICA TEAM - THIRD TEAM

Offense    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Michael Palandri

Montana Western

QB

R-So.

Maple Valley, Wash.

Bryan Stiemke

Ave Maria (Fla.)

RB

Jr.

Bel Air, Md.

Wynton Ruth

Ottawa (Kan.)

RB

Sr.

Little Rock, Ark.

David Hayes 

St. Thomas (Fla.)

WR

Jr.

Tampa, Fla.

Jacob Gathright

Benedictine (Kan.)

WR

Jr.

Oceanside, Calif.

Michael Storey

Northwestern (Iowa) 

WR

Sr.

Spencer, Iowa

Rex Ryken 

Mount Marty (S.D.)

TE

Jr.

Yankton, S.D.

Scotty Woodruff

Dickinson State (N.D.)

OL

Jr.

Torrington, Wyo.

CJ Anoa'i

Evangel (Mo.) 

OL

Jr.

Springfield, Mo.

Ryan Junkermeier

Bethel (Kan.)

OL

Sr.

Plainville, Kan.

Marcus Lombard

Montana Western

OL

R-Jr.

Laie, Hawaii

Riley Lindberg

Morningside (Iowa)

OL

Sr.

Fremont, Neb.

 

Defense    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Zach Myers 

Evangel (Mo.) 

DL

Jr.

Lee's Summit, Mo.

Isaac Abeo

Indiana Wesleyan 

DL

Gr.

Fishers, Ind.

Jessup Leakey

Dordt (Iowa) 

DL

R-Sr.

Independence, Mo.

Devin Adams 

Peru State (Neb.)

DL

Sr.

Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Joey Mohap

Roosevelt (Ill.)

DB

Jr.

Longview, Texas

Howard Huerta 

William Penn (Iowa)

DB

Jr.

Panorama City, Calif.

Kellen Neal

Reinhardt (Ga.)

DB

Sr.

Buford, Ga.

Abraham Stoesz

Dordt (Iowa)

DB

Sr.

Mountain Lake, Minn.

Isaac Pingel 

Morningside (Iowa)

LB

Jr.

Spencer, Iowa

Kemon Reese 

St. Francis (Ill.)

LB

Jr.

Bellwood, Ill.

Nate Ewell

Grand View (Iowa)

LB

Jr.

Waterloo, Iowa

 

Specialists    

Name

School

Pos.

Class

Hometown

Logan Collier

Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)

AP

Jr.

Nashville, Tenn. 

Nathan Hamilton

Grand View (Iowa)

PK

R-Sr. 

Bettendorf, Iowa

Vincent McTique 

St. Mary (Kan.)

P

So.

Sparks, Nev.

 

PREVIOUS ALL-AMERICAN KEY
* 2022 AFCA NAIA All-American
# 2021 AFCA NAIA All-American