Fort Hays State senior defensive lineman
Gaven Haselhorst was named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List on Wednesday evening (Aug. 12). He was one of four defensive linemen named to the first team. Haselhorst was an All-America Honorable Mention selection by the Don Hansen Football Committee, as well as a D2Football.com Elite 100 Team member, for the 2025 season. He was a unanimous All-MIAA first team selection last year.
Haselhorst joins Emporia State's Landon Boss as the two student-athletes from the MIAA named to the defensive first team on this year's watch list. Boss was the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. The MIAA also had one offensive first team selection, that being offensive lineman Kaleb McCullough of Northwest Missouri State.
Haselhorst, a Hays native, is coming off a strong 2025 season, when he led the Tigers in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (9.5). He recorded 39 total tackles for the season from his defensive end position, while also forcing three fumbles, and notching an interception and a fumble recovery.
This is the third-straight year the Tigers have had a student-athlete named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List.
Below is the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List for 2026.
| 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 |
