D2football.com Elite 100 Watch List

GOLDEN, Colo. - With the football season less than two weeks away, a quartet of Colorado School of Mines Orediggers have been named preseason all-America as members of the D2football.com Elite 100 watch list.

Right tackle Levi Johnson, quarterback John Matocha, and receiver Max McLeod were named to the web site's Elite 100 First Team, while defensive end Zach Hester made the Elite 100 Squad list. 

Hester heads into his final season as one of the nation's most disruptive defensive ends, compiling 98 tackles, 14 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, and six total turnovers since entering the rotation in 2019. Last season, Hester had his biggest numbers yet with 47 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble return; he also had a blocked punt on special teams. Hester is a two-time all-RMAC selection and was a 2021 D2CCA Second-Team All-Region pick. 

Johnson has been a mainstay on the Mines offensive line since the middle of the 2021 season, starting 24 consecutive games at right tackle and anchoring a line that in 2022 helped Mines lead the nation in scoring offense, red zone offense, and first towns while ranking top-10 in total offense, passing offense, and fewest tackles for loss allowed. While protecting Matocha, Johnson has also helped produced consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons in front of the record-setting Michael Zeman. Last year Johnson was a Don Hansen Honorable Mention All-America and D2CCA First-Team All-Region selection.

Matocha returns as the defending national player of the year, winning the 2022 Harlon Hill Award and D2football.com's Offensive Player of the Year honors to go with consensus all-America honors. Also named the Lindy's D-II preseason MVP, Matocha is coming off a record-setting junior-eligibility season that included 4,778 passing yards, 52 touchdowns, and 5,221 total yards as he led NCAA Division II in passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass efficiency, and points responsible for. He crossed 10,000 passing yards and 100 touchdowns for his career last season and enters his final year with 10,708 yards and 119 touchdowns.

McLeod had a breakout 2022 as Matocha's favored aerial target, earning AP Second-Team All-America honors with 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air. McLeod ranked second nationally in receiving touchdowns and third in yards, catching at least one touchdown in 11 different games including two postseason hat tricks against CSU Pueblo and Shepherd. This season, he was named to the Lindy's Preseson Second-Team All-America team and he is D-II's returning leader in both receiving yards and touchdowns from last year.

#2 Mines opens the season against #3 Grand Valley State on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. at Marv Kay Stadium.