Offense
Quarterback
Heid accounted for an amazing 51 scores this fall. His great talent as a deep ball passer, coupled with his ability to scamper for big gains as a runner, made him one of the top quarterbacks on the Division II Football landscape. Heid ends his career having the most total yards of any signal-caller in the history of the Northern Sun.

Running Back (2)
The running back position saw strong seasons from players such as Gena Adams (BSU) and Max Simmons (SMSU), but two players set themselves apart from the others.

Mickey led the NSIC in rushing yards by a wide margin on his way to finishing 2nd
Preston rushed for 1,155 yards and 14 scores, while being a top all-purpose threat for the Warriors in each of his 4 years. Preston, while slight in frame, was a very elusive player that defenses struggled to contain.

Wide Receiver (2)
Gibson caught 90 balls for 1,549 yards, 17 scores. Gibson led the conference in receiving yards and had some huge games against the better teams in the league. Gibson is a big target that quickly became a difficult defend, and enters the 2017 season as one of the more high profile players at the D2 level.

Tight End

Doherty was far and away the top pass-catcher at the tight end position in the NSIC. He caught 37 balls for 543 yards and 8 touchdowns. Doherty was the one player at this position that got talked about by opposing coaches as if he was a highly respected wide receiver.

Offensive Line (5)nd in the voting for the Upshaw Award, given for the top lineman at the D2 level.

Green, also an Upshaw Award Finalist, was probably the most high-motor blocker in the NSIC.

Hein, the older brother of star BSU QB Jordan Hein, was the blocking leader for one of the conferences most high-powered offensive attacks.

A longtime star on one of the top offenses during the last few seasons.

The center was signal-caller upfront for the fantastic Coo running game.

Offensive Athlete

A wide receiver, Parsons had yet another 1,000 yard season playing for an offense that was less than spectacular. Parsons, a converted quarterback, used a combination of his ability to gain separation, paired with a knack to go up and get a ball to be the most consistent receiver in the league the past two campaigns.

Defense
Defensive End (2)
Players like Ryan Dahleen (MSUM) and Westly Johnson (USF) both had strong years, but fell just short of making the NSIC Elite team.

Perrizo had a breakout year, netting 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. His speed around the edge has made him a feared player for opposing offensive lineman.
Bryson Hamilton (SR) - Augustana
Hamilton, who missed the final two weeks due to a leg injury, was a top performer at the defensive end spot with both his pass rush and run support abilities. Hamilton finished with 7 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss through 9 games.

Defensive Tackle (2)
Linebacker (3)
A special teamer in previous years, Mehling put his incredible motor and speed to use as a mike-backer and ended up being the top defender in the Northern Sun. Mehling was far and away the leading tackler and playmaker on a team that went unbeaten in the regular season. Mehling led the NSIC in solo stops, while also adding 5 sacks and a pick-6.

While the UMD had challenges this season, Bates was one of the top performers in the conference. Bates had 11 sacks in the regular season, along with a league leading 17 tackles for loss, while being the leading tackler on the Bulldogs.
Kirby Hora (SO) - Augustana
Hora has become the young leader of the Viking defense. Hora was the top tackler in the NSIC this season, averaging 10 stops per contest.

Cornerback (2)
The defensive back position had several players who had strong years such as Donnell Vercher (Minot), Damon Benham (BSU), Cam Montgomery (WSC), and Cliff Redmond (USF), but I favored the players listed below:


(Pictured: Channing Barber. Photo: MW)


Barber led the NSIC in passes defended (18), while coming down with 4 interceptions. Barber scored 3 times as a defender this year and was the best player at creating points off turnovers.

Olszewski was far and away the top tackler on a decent BSU defense. Olszewski ending up 5th overall in tackles in the NSIC, while netting 3 picks, and while being the top punt-returner in the conference.

Safety (2)

One of the most athletic defenders in the NSIC. Spencer was the top tackler on the best defense in the conference, despite missing time due to injury. Spencer makes plays all over the field and is maybe the most underrated player in the conference.
nd best defender and tackler on a top defense while being the hardest hitter in the Northern Sun.


Defensive Athlete

A linebacker, Imperiale was one of the best overall defenders in the conference while being a leader on the best defense in the NSIC. Imperiale was 2nd on WSU in tackles, while also netting 4 sacks.


(Pictured: Beau Bofferding. Photo: Duluth News Tribune)

Kick Returner

Bofferding was the Swiss Army Knife for UMD this year, a dynamic player for the Bulldogs as a rusher and receiver and also on special teams. Bofferding made plays in the Bulldogs biggest games, finishing the year with 19 touchdowns.
Kicker
Jonas Schenderlein (SO) - Concordia
Schenderlein was a perfect 28 for 28 on PAT attempts, while also making 7 of his 11 field goal tries.
Punter

La Deaux was the top punter in Division II this season, finishing the year with an outstanding 47.1 yards per punt.

NSIC Most Valuable Player