Wisconsin-River Falls quarterback Kaleb Blaha is offensive player of the year and North Central (Illinois) lineman John Sullivan is defensive player of the year on The Associated Press Division III All-America team announced Thursday.
Kicker Dominic Bourgeois of Susquehanna is special teams player of the year, running back Bryan Ferreira of Endicott is rookie of the year and North Central’s Brad Spencer is coach of the year.
Blaha, a fifth-year senior from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, leads an offense that averages 46.9 points per game and leads Division III with 558.8 yards per game. Blaha is the national leader in total offense (401.5 ypg) and ranks among the leaders in passing touchdowns (35).
Sullivan, a senior from Lake Villa, Illinois, has made 61 tackles, 19.5 for loss, and recorded 6.5 sacks, six pass breakups and 13 hurries.
Bourgeois, a junior from Baltimore, was 20 for 20 on field goals, including five of 40-plus yards. Ferreira, a freshman from Woburn, Massachusetts, ran for 1,044 yards and 14 touchdowns. He went over 100 yards five times, including a 247-yard outing against Nichols.
Spencer is 57-1 in four seasons as North Central’s head coach, including 13-0 entering Saturday’s national semifinal against John Carroll. He led North Central to national titles in 2022 and 2024 and to the national championship game in 2023.
The All-America team and individual honors are chosen by a panel of sports information directors from Division III football schools.
First-team offense
QB — Kaleb Blaha, UW-River Falls, senior, Coon Rapids, Minnesota.
RB — Montie Quinn, Curry, senior, Goose Creek, South Carolina.
RB — Isaiah Simmons, Brockport, junior, Buffalo, New York.
L — Michael Nwosu, Johns Hopkins, senior, Perry Hall, Maryland.
L — Giovanni Kennedy, Mount Union, senior, Avon, Ohio.
L — Cortez Jones, North Central (Ill.), junior, Lansing, Illinois.
L — Caleb Bayer, Trinity (Texas), senior, Grandview, Texas.
L — Quentin Lehman, Ohio Northern, junior, Dalton, Ohio.
TE – Reed Breckheimer, Carroll, senior, Hilbert, Wisconsin.
WR — Thomas Skokna, North Central (Ill.), senior, Hindsdale, Illinois.
WR — Robby Ballentine, DePauw, senior, Crown Point, Indiana.
WR — Albert Rundell, Bethel, junior, Watertown, Minnesota.
First-team defense
L — John Sullivan, North Central (Ill.), senior, Lake Villa, Illinois.
L — Zach Frank, St. John’s, senior, Lino Lakes, Minnesota.
L — Michael Clark, Berry, senior, McDonough, Georgia.
L — Kaleb Brown Mount Union, senior, La Plata, Maryland.
LB — Gage Timm, UW-River Falls, senior, Shawano, Wisconsin.
LB — Daniel Eliasek, Randolph-Macon, senior, Midlothian, Virginia.
LB — Keenan Tyler, Wartburg, senior, Decorah, Iowa.
LB — Aden Wiser, Cortland, senior, Highland, New York.
DB — Rahmareon Roby, North Central (Ill.), senior, Lena, Illinois.
DB — Devin Williams, Bethel, senior, Fridley, Minnesota.
DB — Carson Bourdo, Johns Hopkins, senior, Traverse City, Michigan.
DB — Dylan Connors, Wesleyan, senior, West Milford, New Jersey.
DB — Gavin Smith, Central, senior, Audubon, Iowa.
First-team special teams
Returner/all-purpose — B.J. Stewart, Mary Hardin-Baylor, senior, Shreveport, Louisiana.
K — Dominic Bourgeois, Susquehanna, junior, Baltimore.
P — Chase Lanham, Southwestern, freshman, Frisco, Texas.
LS — PJ Pollock, Susquehanna, senior, Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
Second-team offense
QB — Garret Wilson, North Central (Ill.), sophomore, Edmond, Oklahoma.
RB — Eddie Williams, Alma, senior, Eastpointe, Michigan.
RB — Nahjiir Seagraves, N.C. Wesleyan, junior, Southern Pines, North Carolina.
L — Hayden Philpot, Hardin-Simmons, senior, Decatur, Texas.
L — Dain Walter, UW-La Crosse, New Giarus, Wisconsin.
L — Jerred Durian, North Central (Ill.), senior, Aurora, Illinois.
L — Quinn Sholar, Wabash, senior, Indianapolis.
L — Dave Casas, Delaware Valley, senior, Manahawkin, New Jersey.
TE — Logan Frederick, Utica, senior, Little Falls, New York.
WR — Tyren Montgomery, John Carroll, graduate, The Woodlands, Texas.
WR — Gary Lewis, Franklin and Marshall, senior, Summit, New Jersey.
WR — Eli Aston, Mount St. Joseph, sophomore, Cincinnati.
Second-team defense
L — Dominick Williams, East Texas Baptist, senior, Houston.
L — Peter Johanik, Wheaton (Ill.), senior, West Chicago, Illinois.
L — Galen Limantour, Susquehanna, junior, Durham, Pennsylvania.
L — JP Chaney, Aurora, junior, Batavia, Illinois.
LB — Aiden McMahon, St. John’s, junior, Maple Grove, Minnesota.
LB – Jason Bateman, Eastern, junior, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
LB — Kaiden Roden, Hardin-Simmons, junior, Quinlan, Texas.
LB — Brian Wall, Hanover, sophomore, Sellersburg, Indiana.
DB — Ethan Burrows, Adrian, junior, Essexville, Michigan.
DB — Colin Moore, Wheaton (Ill.), junior, Wheaton, Illinois.
DB — Joe Spirra, Ithaca, sophomore, Bridgewater, New Jersey.
DB — Harrison Foster, Hardin-Simmons, junior, Sweetwater, Texas.
DB — Kosta Thrasivoulou, Mount Union, senior, North Ridgeville, Ohio.
Second-team special teams
Returner/all-purpose — Noah Garcia, Hardin-Simmons, Abilene, Texas.
K — Aidan Ellison, North Central (Ill.), senior, Naperville, Illinois.
P — Vicente Lyon, Hobart, senior, Yorktown Heights, New York.
LS — Zach Hansen, Illinois Wesleyan, juior, Manteno, Illinois.
Third-team offense
QB — Bay Harvey, Johns Hopkins, graduate, Lenk, Switzerland.
RB — Dario Belizaire, Salisbury, Cambridge, Maryland.
RB — Rahshan La Mons, Susquehanna, sophomore, Smyrna, Delaware.
L — Reed Richards, Berry, junior, Powder Springs, Georgia.
L — Aidan Kingsbury, Wheaton (Ill.), senior, Shoreview, Minnesota.
L — Luke Schumacher, Coe, senior, Kenosha, Wisconsin.
L — Myles Bridges, Randolph-Macon, junior, Henrico, Virginia.
L — Thomas Smith, Montclair State, senior, Toms River, New Jersey.
TE — Joey Gendreau, St. John’s, senior, Shorewood, Minnesota.
WR — Dylan Wheeler, St. John’s, senior, St. Paul, Minnesota.
WR — Cole Crotty, Johns Hopkins, junior, Hermosa Beach, California.
WR — Alejandro Tavarez, Trinity (Texas), junior, San Antonio.
Third-team defense
L — Liam Danitz, Hope, senior, West Branch, Michigan.
L — Tyler Sordillo, Springfield, junior, Hull, Massachusetts.
L — Jake Walker, Wartburg, junior, Waverly, Iowa.
L — Phil Conant, Bethel, juior, Saint Francis, Minnesota.
L — Angus Leary, Bowdoin, sophomore, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.
LB — Jesse Ruisch, Susquehanna, senior, Fogelsville, Pennsylvania.
LB — Matt Conroy, Shenandoah, senior, Bel Air, Maryland.
LB — Caleb Brubaker, Grove City, senior, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
LB — TJ Scannell, Trinity (Texas), senior, San Antonio.
DB — Nazair Jean-Lubin, Cortland, junior, Freeport, New York.
DB — Chris Winslow, University of New England, senior, Springfield, Massachusetts.
DB — Colin Kaufmann, Baldwin Wallace, senior, Avon, Ohio.
DB — Noah Wheeler, Grove City, sophomore, McKinney, Texas.
DB — Eli Douglas, Utica, senior, Ausable Forks, New York.
Third-team special teams
Returner/all-purpose — Tim McReynolds, Huntingdon, senior, Geneva, Alabama.
K — Michael Stack, UW-La Crosse, senior, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
P — Tanner Philpott, Simpson, sophomore, Waukee, Iowa.
LS — Owen Thornton, Middlebury, senior, Merrimac, Massachusetts.
Individual honors
Offensive Player of the Year: Kaleb Blaha, QB, UW-River Falls.
Defensive Player of the Year: John Sullivan, DL, North Central (Ill.)
Special Teams Player of the Year: Dominic Bourgeois, K, Susquehanna.
Rookie of the Year: Bryan Ferreira, RB, Endicott.
Coach of the Year: Brad Spencer, North Central (Ill.)
Voting panel
Ira Thor (New Jersey City; Chair), Mark Albanese (Pacific Lutheran), Max Berkowitz (Springfield), Ashley Birchmeier (Hanover), Ryan Briggs (Grove City), Kim DeRitter (Kean), Lindsay Dietmeier (Wisconsin-Platteville), Tristan Durgin (U. of New England), Matt Eaker (Washington & Lee), Fran Elia (Cortland), Joe Flaherty (Central (Iowa)), Lance Franey (Redlands), Tim Glon (Ohio Northern), Daniel Graham (Susquehanna), Chad Grubbs (Hardin-Simmons), Brent Harris (Wabash), Geoff Henson (Olivet), Brian Kipley (Aurora), Ryan Klinkner (Saint John’s (Minn.)), Ernie Larossa (Johns Hopkins), Justin Lutes (Ithaca), Kathy Lynch (Framingham State), Brett Marhanka (Wheaton (Ill.), Joseph Marvin (Brevard), Maxx McNall (Wesleyan), Dan Mouw (Eastern), Justin Parker (Trinity (Texas)), Brock Reisler (Midwest Conference), BJ Schneck (Greenville).
Note: Team announced in memory of Michael Scala (1970-2022), Montclair State University and AP All-America voter (2017-2021), and Lenny Reich (1973-2022) of Mount Union.
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Eric Olson, The Associated Press
