2023 NJCAA All-American | Football
The 2023 NJCAA All-American teams were announced Tuesday following the National Championship Game last week. Iowa Central and Iowa Western had multiple players selected to the First Team, Second Team and Third Team All-American.
Iowa Western tops the ICCAC with eight All-Americans after finishing the season 12-1 and winning a second consecutive national title. Iowa Central wrapped up their season with an impressive victory over No. 5 Snow in the Game One Bowl to finish with a 7-4 record. They finished ranked No. 7 in the country and had five players selected as All-American.
Iowa Western had three players selected to the First Team All-American, all of which played defense. Defensive lineman Clev Lublin finished the season with 55 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 23.5 tackles for loss. Joining his fellow lineman is Jaylen Pettus who touted 9 sacks, 40 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss. At defensive back Joshua Pierre-Louis led the nation in interceptions and contributed 41 tackles to a strong Reivers defense. Pierre-Louis was the ICCAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
Iowa Central had two players selected to First Team All-American. ICCAC Offensive Player of the Year Mario Sanders averaged 85.6 receiving yards a game totaling 942 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year. Joining Sanders is offensive lineman Jonathan Young who played every game for the Tritons this season and was effective at protecting the quarterback.
Featured on the Second Team All-American for the Reivers was quarterback Hunter Watson who was the MVP of the National Championship Game last week.
Watson threw for 1904 yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 717 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground over the course of the season.
Freshman running back Johnathan Humpal joined Watson on the Second Team with 808 rushing yards and nine touchdowns this year.
Linemen Luke Eckardt and Kemari Copeland also made the Second Team.
Eckardt plays on the offensive side of the ball and helped protect fellow All-American Watson out in every game this year. Copeland played with a strong defensive linemen group but managed to also put-up good numbers with 4.5 sacks and 38 tackles.
Defensive back Eli West was the only Second Team All American inclusion for the Tritons. He had 51 tackles on the year and made one interception.
Iowa Central had two players make Third Team All-American, Dodge Sauser and Dan Knudsen.
On the offensive line Sauser helped the Tritons greatly in their pass-first offense. Knudsen was a captain for his team this season. He played linebacker and helped to lead the defense while also contributing 59 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Making Third Team All-American for the Reivers was defensive lineman Walt Gray. Gray was part of an amazing defensive line that led the nation in sacks with 62 total, of which he contributed eight. Gray also provided 18 tackles and two forced fumbles.
In total 13 ICCAC players were selected as All-Americans this season. Six of these selections were offensive players and seven were defensive.