D2football.com Elite 100
Don Hansen All-America

GOLDEN, Colo. - Four Orediggers have been named to two all-America teams to round out the 2024 football postseason awards as D2football.com and Don Hansen have announced their teams.

Punter Blake Doud and receivers Flynn Schiele and Max McLeod appeared on both organization's lists, while offensive tackle Nic Van de Graaf was named an honorable mention selection by Don Hansen. Doud earned first-team honors from D2football.com and second-team from Don Hansen; Schiele was on the Squad list for D2football.com and honorable mention for Don Hansen; and McLeod was a Don Hansen second-teamer and on the Squad list for D2football.com. 

In December, all four were named to at least one other all-America team as the AFCA included Doud on their first team and McLeod on their second team, and the Associated Press and D2CCA had Doud and Van de Graaf on their first team, plus Schiele on the second team.

Doud, the RMAC and NFFCC Colorado Special Teams Player of the Year, led NCAA Division II in punting at 46.6 yards per punt, and was a three-time RMAC Specialist of the Week this season. Mines leads the nation in net punting at 42.8 yards per attempt as opponents had only 13 returns off 41 punts in 2024. Doud put 19 of his 41 punts inside the 20, had 13 of 50+ yards, and a long of 80 yards. Doud was an AP, D2CCA, and D2football.com First-Team All-American, along with a First-Team Academic All-American, in 2023.

McLeod finished his career fourth on the NCAA D-II all-time receiving yards list, compiling 4,688 yards and 54 touchdowns. He is Mines' all-time record holder in yards and #2 in Mines and RMAC history in TDs, and in 2024 earned First-Team All-RMAC honors ranking in the NCAA D-II top-20 in receiving yards (9th, 1078), yards per game (10th, 98.0), receptions per game (8th, 6.5), and receiving TDs (18th, 10). His 72 catches led the RMAC. McLeod is the first receiver in program history - and only the third player at any position - to earn all-America honors in three consecutive seasons, having been an AP and Don Hansen all-American in 2022 and a consensus first-teamer in 2023. 

Van de Graaf finished fourth in the Gene Upshaw Award voting for the nation's best senior lineman. Van de Graaf was a 2024 First-Team All-RMAC and D2CCA First-Team All-Region honoree starting all 11 games for the Orediggers at left tackle, and was 2024 D2football.com Elite 100 Watchlist Squad member and Lindy's Preseason All-American. The team co-captain ended his career as a four-time all-RMAC selection, starting 51 times (the second-most ever by an Oredigger and most by a lineman), and he blocked for three Harlon Hill finalists in his career: running back Michael Zeman (2021 finalist) and quarterback John Matocha (2022 winner and 2023 runner-up). 

Schiele, a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee this year, picks up more honors after earning D2CCA First-Team All-Super Region 4 and First-Team All-RMAC honors this season. He ranked in the national top-10 in receiving yards and touchdowns with a region-best 1,195 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 108.6 yards per game. Schiele produced his second consecutive 1,000-yard season, and set D-II's biggest receiving game of the season with 297 yards against Black Hills State. He caught multiple touchdowns in five games including three versus BHSU and two each against South Dakota Mines, Adams State, #8 Western Colorado, and Fort Lewis.