September 8th, 2026 10:00am
D2Football.com is pleased to announce the players of the week for week zero of the 2026 season. This week’s honorees are Northern State running back Hank Kraft, West Alabama defensive back Legend Doggett and Chadron State punter Tristan Hite.
Offense
Hank Kraft, RB, Northern State
For the second week in a row, Northern State’s Hank Kraft led the NSIC in rushing. He carried the ball 21 times and amassed 247 yards while also scoring three total touchdowns. Kraft kicked off the scoring with a 92-yard scoring run in the first quarter. He added a 53-yard scoring rush in the fourth quarter. In between, he also caught a three yard pass for a touchdown. It was one of six pass receptions on the day. Kraft, a fifth-year player from Timber Lake, South Dakota, has rushed for 482 yards and six touchdowns through only two games.
Defense
Legend Doggett, DB, West Alabama
West Alabama trailed 23-17 entering the fourth quarter at Lenoir-Rhyne, but rallied with 17 points in the final period. Both touchdowns were scored by defensive back Legend Doggett. With 8:06 remaining in the game, Doggett picked up a fumble forced by teammate Joseph Harper and raced 40 yards to the end zone. The touchdown put the Tigers ahead by a single point. In the final two minutes of the game,, Lenoir-Rhyne was driving to potentially retake the lead but Doggett sealed the victory with an 80-yard interception return for his second touchdown of the day. In total, Doggett registered three tackles, a tackle for loss, two fumble recoveries, one interception, one pass breakup and two touchdowns. Legend Doggett is a graduate student from McDonough, Georgia.
Special Teams
Tristan Hite, P, Chadron State
Tristan Hite helped Chadron State control the field position battle in a close victory over Nebraska-Kearney. Hite averaged 45.3 yards on six punts, with a long of 70 yards. Four of his punts were downed inside the 20 yard line, three of which were inside the opponent 10-yard line. His final kick of the night pinned UNK at their own five yardline, allowing the Eagles to maintain field position and secure a three-point victory. Through two games, Hite has had nine punts downed inside the opponent 20-yard line. Tristan Hite is a fifth year player from Grant, Nebraska.
Week Zero
Offense: Cephus Harris, RB, Davenport
Defense: Carter Daniels, LB, CSU Pueblo
Special teams: Neal May, KR / PR, Augustana