WACO, TEXAS — Morningside quarterback Ryan Kasdorf and Dakota State linebacker Ben Kullos headline the 2015 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team announced today by the American Football Coaches Association. 

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.

The Great Plains Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Kasdorf led the nation in passing with 3,953 yards, led the nation in total offense with 4,359 yards and led the nation in passing efficiency with a 191.1 rating. Kullos, who was the North Star Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year, led the nation in total tackles with 181, and tackles for loss with 26.5. His 181 total tackles broke the single-season school record and he recorded the single-game school record of 25 tackles versus Waldorf on September 12. 

2015 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team

Offense

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)

WR Krishawn Hogan 6-4 210 Jr. Marian (Ind.) Mark Henninger Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central)

WR Clarence Clark 5-10 185 So. Baker (Kan.) Mike Grossner Phoenix, Ariz. (Brophy Prep)

WR Rob Lockhart 6-1 185 Sr. Faulkner (Ala.) Charlie Boren Delray Beach, Fla. (West Boca Raton)

OL Jeff Lindenmoyer 6-4 285 Sr. Ave Maria (Fla.) Marty Quinn St. Johns, Fla. (Bartram Trail)

OL Hea Tuifua 5-10 240 Sr. William Penn (Iowa) Todd Hafner Salt Lake City, Utah (Highland)

OL Josh James 6-6 315 Sr. Carroll (Mont.) Mike Van Diest Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (Coeur d’Alene)

OL Gus Hancock 6-3 280 Sr. St. Francis (Ind.) Kevin Donley Spencer, Ind. (Owen Valley)

OL Meyer Bohn 6-2 265 Sr. Dickinson St. (N.D.) Pete Stanton Bismarck, N.D. (Century)

QB Ryan Kasdorf 6-1 215 Sr. Morningside (Iowa) Steve Ryan Newhall, Calif. (Notre Dame)

RB Nolan Saraceni 5-10 195 Jr.  Montana Tech Chuck Morrell Billings, Mont. (Billings Senior)

RB Quan Weaver 5-11 200 So. Pikeville (Ky.) Allan Holland Jr. Frankfort, Ky. (Frankfort)

Defense

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)

DL D’Vonn Brown 6-4 260 Jr. Southwestern Assemblies (Texas) Frank Tristan Houston, Texas (Lamar Consolidated)

DL Mike Erpelding 6-2 210 Sr. Grand View (Iowa) Mike Woodley Algona, Iowa (Algona)

DL Dylan Delk 6-3 220 Sr. Tabor (Kan.) Mike Gardner Peabody, Kan. (Hillsboro)

DL Sam Van Ginkel 6-5 241 Jr. Northwestern (Iowa) Kyle Achterhoff Rock Valley, Iowa (Western Christian)

LB Aaron Cooper 6-4 233 Jr. Kentucky Christian Steve Barrows Mayfield, Ky. (Graves County)

LB Ben Kullos 5-9 210 Sr. Dakota St. (S.D.) Josh Anderson Peoria, Ariz. (Liberty)

LB Alden Mann 5-10 200 Jr. Wayland Baptist (Texas) Butch Henderson Wimberley, Texas (Wimberley)

LB AJ Wilson 6-1 240 Sr. Montana Western B.J. Robertson Helena, Mont. (Capital)

DB *Adam Sauder 6-3 220 Sr. Taylor (Ind.) Ron Korfmacher Grabill, Ind. (Leo)

DB Nate Moore 5-9 170 Jr. College of Idaho Mike Moroski Meridian, Idaho (Mountain View)

DB Julius Rucker 6-2 200 Jr. Southern Oregon Craig Howard Portland, Ore. (Westview)

Specialists

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)

P *David Strickland 6-0 228 Sr. Point (Ga.) Mike McCarty Opelika, Ala. (Beulah)

PK Matt Cotiguala 6-2 180 Sr. St. Ambrose (Iowa) Mike Magistrelli Orland Park, Ill. (Lyons Township)

APStephen Simms5-8175Jr.Saint Xavier (Ill.)Mike FeminisValparaiso, Ind. (Valparaiso)

*-2014 AFCA All-American

Team Background: The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — FBS and FCS. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively.

From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006.

Selection Process: The AFCA’s NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of three 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.

AFCA NAIA Player Selection History: NAIA players who were selected to AFCA All-America teams were named to the AFCA College Division team from 1967-71. In 1972, the AFCA College Division was split to College I and College II. Players from NAIA Division I teams were placed in AFCA College I, while players from NAIA Division II were placed in AFCA College II. That process lasted until 1996, when College I and College II were renamed Division II and Division III. From 1996-2005, all NAIA players who were selected as Coaches’ All-Americans were placed on the AFCA Division II team. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.

Top Teams: Carroll (Mont.) has been represented a total of 19 times with 17 different players on AFCA Coaches’ All-America Teams to lead all schools in NAIA. In second behind Carroll (Mont.) is Georgetown (Ky.), who has had 14 different players selected as All-America on 17 different occasions. Trailing Carroll (Mont.) and Georgetown (Ky.) are: Morningside (11/11), Saint Xavier (9/9), Southern Oregon (8/8), Northwestern (Iowa) (8/7), Saint Francis (Ind.) (8/7), Missouri Valley (8/6), Baker (7/7), Grand View (7/7), St. Ambrose (7/7), Montana Tech (7/6), Bethel (Tenn.) (7/5), Marian (6/6), Benedictine (Kan.) (6/5), MidAmerica Nazarene (6/5), St. Francis (Ill.) (6/5), Faulkner (5/4), Friends (5/4), Nebraska Wesleyan (5/4), Dakota Wesleyan (4/4), Hastings (4/4) and Jamestown (4/4).

First Time School: Offensive lineman Jeff Lindenmoyer of Ave Maria, defensive lineman D’Vonn Brown of Southwestern Assemblies of God, linebacker Aaron Cooper of Kentucky Christian, linebacker Alden Mann of Wayland Baptist and defensive back Nate Moore of the College of Idaho have earned All-America honors for their schools, for the first time, in 2015.

Consecutive Years: Carroll (Mont.) has had at least one player named to the AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team for 11 straight seasons, from 2005 to present, the longest streak by any team in NAIA. Following Carroll (Mont.) is Morningside with 10 straight selections (2006-present). Grand View is third on the list with seven straight AFCA All-Americans from 2009 to present.

Repeat After Me: Defensive back Adam Sauder of Taylor and punter David Strickland of Point earned AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America honors for the second consecutive season in 2015.

Georgetown (Ky.) has had the most repeat selections with three players (Clay Hamblen, DB, 2006-07; Chris Reed, OL, 1987-88; and Chris Hogan, DL, 1991-92).

Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Johnny Bailey is the only player to earn Coaches’ All-America honors in four consecutive years at any level. Bailey was a four-year pick at running back in 1986-87-88-89 in Division II.

Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 14 seniors, nine juniors and two sophomores.

Two Players, Two Schools:  Punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein are the only players to earn Coaches’ All-America honors at two different schools. Bounds was named to the AFCA College Division I team in 1990 while playing for West Texas A&M. He transferred to Texas Tech after West Texas dropped football and earned I-A All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991. Zuerlein was named to the Division II Coaches’ All-America Team in 2009 while playing for Nebraska-Omaha. He transferred to Missouri Western State after Nebraska-Omaha dropped its football program and earned Division II honors in 2011 as a Griffon.