September 1st, 2026 6:00am
D2Football.com is pleased to announce the players of the week for week zero of the 2026 season. This week’s honorees are Cephus Harris, who set new school records in Davenport's opener, Carter Daniels, who was making his first defensive start for CSU Pueblo, and Neal May who helped boost Augustana to a 63-point performance.
Cephus Harris, RB, Davenport
Cephus Harris set a new single-game rushing record at Davenport in the Panthers’ 32-20 victory over Gannon. Harris, a senior from Clinton Township, Michigan, carried 26 times for 351 yards. He also scored three touchdowns while averaging 13.5 yards per carry. In the third quarter he had touchdown runs of 75 and 84 yards . As a team, the Panthers rolled up 420 total rushing yards.
Carter Daniels, LB, CSU Pueblo
Carter Daniels made his first start for the Thunderwolves’ defense a memorable one. He contributed 16 total tackles, which was the third highest individual total in division II last week. Among his stops were 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fourth quarter interception that he returned for a touchdown. Carter Daniels is a sophomore from Centennial, Colorado.
Neal May, KR / PR, Augustana
Special Teams played a large role in Augustana’s 63-58 opening night win at Missouri Western. Neal May provided a spark in the kick off and punt return games. He returned three kickoffs for 87 yards and two punts for 98 yards, for a total of 185 return yards. Early in the third quarter, May returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game. Neal May is a junior from Bradley, Illinois.
Past Players of the Week