D2football.com Elite 100 List

GOLDEN, Colo. - Five more All-America awards have rolled in for Colorado School of Mines football as D2football.com announced its year-end Elite 100 list this week.

The Orediggers had four first-teamers - receiver Max McLeod, tackle Levi Johnson, linebacker Nolan Reeve, and punter Blake Doud - plus second-team quarterback John Matocha. It is the fourth All-America team released this offseason with Mines have multiple representatives on each.

McLeod becomes the 10th player in program history to be a consensus first-team All-American across four or more teams, also earning the honor from the Associated Press, D2CCA, and AFCA this postseason. McLeod was the nation's best receiver in 2023 setting Mines single-season records for receiving yards with 1,656 and catches with 115. He had 16 touchdowns averaging 14.4 yards per catch and 110.4 yards per game, including 10 100+ yard games and two in the postseason with a 215-yard effort vs. Augustana and 153 on a career-high 14 receptions in the national final vs. Harding. McLeod recorded only the second 1,500-yard season and the only 100-catch season in Mines history. 

Johnson, now a first-team choice by the AP, D2CCA, and D2football.com, was the program's first-ever Gene Upshaw Award winner as the nation's top senior lineman. Johnson protected Harlon Hill finalist John Matocha while also bulldozing the way for the running back duo of Noah Roper and Landon Walker, who combined for 1,750 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2023. Mines' offense ranked among the nation's best in multiple categories, including in the top three in total offense, scoring offense, team passing efficiency, completion percentage, first downs, and third-down offense. 

Reeve finished as a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award as D-II's top defender and is Mines' first defensive consensus all-American since Marc Scheichl in 2010. The RMAC Defensive Player of the Year also earned honors from the AFCA, D2CCA, and Associated Press, leading the Mines defense with 64 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 10.0 sacks while generating four forced fumbles and two recoveries including one for a touchdown. His 10 quarterback hurries also led the team. A four-time all-RMAC selection in his career, Reeve compiled 239 career tackles, 55.5 tackles for loss, and 42.5 sacks, the latter number representing the most among active college football players. One of the most productive and impactful defensive players in Mines history, Reeve was responsible for 15 career turnovers including 12 forced fumbles and three recoveries; he had double-digit sacks in each of his last three seasons and 10+ tackles for loss in all four of his campaigns. 

Doud, also named an all-American by both the Associated Press and D2CCA, adds D2football.com's top punter honor as well after a standout redshirt sophomore season. A two-time D2football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week and a three-time RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2023, Doud became Mines' first RMAC Special Teams Player of the Year since 2013, excelling in his first year starting. Doud led the RMAC by two full yards in punting average at 46 yards per punt on 41 boots; that total includes 15 beyond 50 yards and 19 inside the 20-yard line, and he had the RMAC's longest punt of the year at 77 yards. Opponents managed only nine punt returns against the Orediggers this season, averaging 3.9 yards per. Doud's average would have led the nation but Mines did not punt enough for him to be ranked in the national stats; the Orediggers led NCAA Division II in net punting at 41.1 yards per punt.

Matocha earns his record-setting 10th career all-America honor overall, now the most in program history. He joins an elite group of Mines athletes from across all sports to have earned double-digit all-America awards and is only the 10th Oredigger to do so, while also being the only four-season all-American in Mines Football history. Matocha already had been named to the Associated Press, AFCA, and D2CCA teams this postseason. In his final season, Matocha finished second in the Harlon Hill Award voting as D-II's national player of the year as he led Mines at quarterback. A four-time RMAC Player of the Week and the NFFCC Week 7 Player of the Week this year, Matocha was the NCAA Division II leader in passing efficiency (174.5) and ranked second overall in passing yards with 4,298. Selected as the D2CCA and RMAC Offensive Player of the Year, he closed out this season completing 333-of-471 passes for 4,298 yards and 43 touchdowns. Matocha added 106 carries for 449 rushing yards and five scores across 15 games. He ended his career as college football's all-time leader in both passing and total touchdowns.