SIOUX FALLS, SD (NSUWolves.com) – The D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List was released with 2-time All-American Jake Adams named to the defensive first team. The list is selected by the staff of D2Football.com with input from numerous sitting head coaches and professional football scout Josh Buchanan.
Adams was named the NSIC North Division Preseason Defensive Player of the Year last week as released by the league office. He is a 2-time NSIC All-Conference selection, 2-time Don Hansen All-American, 2-time Elite 100 recipient, 2-time all-region performer, and All-American with the D2CCA, Associated Press, and Walter Camp. In 27 career games played for the Wolves, Adams broke the NCAA Division II-era tackles record with 303 heading into 2026. In addition, he broke the school record with 147 tackles in the fall of 2024 and finished the year second in the country in total tackles and third in tackles per game.
The list was revealed on August 12 in a special edition of Inside D2Football, hosted by Matt Witwicki and Chuck Bitner.
D2FOOTBALL.COM ELITE 100 WATCH LIST
| First Team – Offense | |||
| QB | Judd Novak | Kutztown | |
| RB | Dawson Forgy | Wayne State | |
| RB | Andrew Miller | Harding | |
| WR | Shea Ruddy | Hillsdale | |
| WR | Hank Brown Jr. | Sioux Falls | |
| TE | Klayton Sattler | Augustana | |
| OL | Jamari Mason | Johnson C. Smith | |
| OL | Kaleb McCullough | Northwest Missouri | |
| OL | Tyler Leopold | Indianapolis | |
| OL | Jarvis Windom | Ferris State | |
| OL | Will Hart | Wingate | |
| First Team – Defense | |||
| DL | Freddie Retter | Kutztown | |
| DL | Gaven Haselhorst | Fort Hays State | |
| DL | Derrick Drayton | Albany State | |
| DL | Adom LeDuc | Saginaw Valley | |
| LB | Landon Boss | Emporia State | |
| LB | Jake Adams | Northern State | |
| LB | Mikey Blandin | Newberry | |
| DB | Marvelous Owens | Northeastern State | |
| DB | Preston McQueen | Minnesota Duluth | |
| DB | Jacob Tueimeh | Tiffin | |
| DB | Everette Dingle | East Stroudsburg | |
| First Team – Special Teams | |||
| K | Elijah Guyton | West Alabama | |
| P | Jay Todd Baker | Southern Arkansas | |
| AP | Kellen Reed | Grand Valley | |
| Second Team – Offense | |||
| QB | Andrew Schuster | Grand Valley | |
| RB | JayJay Jordan | Slippery Rock | |
| RB | Cephus Harris | Davenport | |
| WR | Denny Furlong | Findlay | |
| WR | Carter McElhany | Ouachita Baptist | |
| TE | Dane Petersen | Wayne State | |
| OL | Carter Geerts | Minnesota Duluth | |
| OL | Nico Traczyk | Ashland | |
| OL | Tyler Luzan | Central Washington | |
| OL | Ethan Lett | North Greenville | |
| OL | Cobe Williams | Harding | |
| Second Team – Defense | |||
| DL | Tim Allen | Ferris State | |
| DL | Kyree Butler | Kutztown | |
| DL | Ashton Blose | East Stroudsburg | |
| DL | Justin Sobczak | Harding | |
| LB | Owen Fitzgerald | Assumption | |
| LB | Jacob Vance | Hillsdale | |
| LB | Ian Loomis | Western Colorado | |
| DB | Vincent Cooley | Davenport | |
| DB | Jamal Spiyee | Minnesota State | |
| DB | Christion Stokes | Findlay | |
| DB | Gibson Leafgreen | Colorado Mesa | |
| Second Team – Special Teams | |||
| K | Austin Schmitt | Pittsburg State | |
| P | Lucas LeSieur | Colorado School of Mines | |
| AP | Taariik Brett | Ferris State | |
| SQUAD – Offense | |||
| QB | Jett Huff | Central Oklahoma | |
| QB | Dylan Hair | Truman State | |
| QB | Gunner Hensley | Augustana | |
| QB | Ethan Hamby | Northwood | |
| QB | Rahsaan Matthews Jr. | Virginia State | |
| QB | Wyatt Bower | Ferris State | |
| QB | Donnie Smith | Northeastern State | |
| RB | Kieran Falzon | Southern Connecticut State | |
| RB | Sam Backer | Minnesota State | |
| RB | Noah Dobert | Northern Michigan | |
| RB | Bobby Smith | Johnson C. Smith | |
| RB | KJ Smothers | Frostburg State | |
| RB | Johntarrious Thomas | Edward Waters | |
| RB | Hunter Patterson | West Liberty | |
| RB | Isaiah Harris | Nebraska Kearney | |
| WR | Charlie Guinade | Mars Hill | |
| WR | Que Kennedy | UNC Pembroke | |
| WR | Darius Cyprian | Kentucky State | |
| WR | Traylen Suel | UTPB | |
| WR | Marcellus Honeycutt Jr. | CSU Pueblo | |
| WR | Davon Jones | Clarion | |
| TE | Connor Shamany | IUP | |
| OL | Josh Crummitt | Shepherd | |
| OL | Leon Wesley | Valdosta State | |
| OL | Brandon Devries | Michigan Tech | |
| SQUAD – Defense | |||
| DL | Nijawn Sterling | Western Oregon | |
| DL | Jake Fredericks | Bentley | |
| DL | William Stemler | Chadron State | |
| DL | Drew Johnson | Western Colorado | |
| LB | Julius Pascal | Valdosta State | |
| LB | Jefferson Mobry | Minnesota State | |
| LB | JC Heim | Washburn | |
| LB | Jack Talkington | Ashland | |
| LB | Jack Weltha | Truman State | |
| LB | Brycen Indell | Central Washington | |
| LB | Jimmy Downs | Grand Valley | |
| LB | Justin Crutchmer | Ouachita Baptist | |
| LB | Alvin Contreras | Indianapolis | |
| LB | Trevon French | Edward Waters | |
| LB | Carter Mazalewski | Frostburg State | |
| LB | Jax Hertel | Northern Michigan | |
| LB | Blake Carr | Pittsburg State | |
| LB | Malachi Thomas | California (PA) | |
| DB | Tyler Schultze | Emporia State | |
| DB | Jason Dandridge | Minnesota State | |
| DB | Eli Liapis | Indianapolis | |
| DB | Miles Hill | West Texas | |
| DB | Caden Bolte | Bemidji State | |
| RS | Tre Roberson | Lenoir Rhyne | |
| RS | Zyaire Tart | Virginia Union | |