Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Dec. 7, 2023 - North Central College junior quarterback Luke Lehnen has been selected as one of five finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, the premier individual award in NCAA Division III Football. The finalists for the 30th annual award, presented by Stearns Bank and the J-Club of Saint John's University (Minnesota), were announced Thursday by D3football.com.
Heading into Saturday's NCAA Division III Football Championship semifinal at Wartburg College, Lehnen (an exercise science major) has completed 150 of 196 passes (76.5 percent) for 3,006 yards and 43 touchdowns with just one interception. The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year and D3football.com Region 5 Offensive Player of the Year this season, Lehnen has also rushed for 714 yards (8.3 per carry) and 11 scores.
Lehnen's passer efficiency rating of 276.7 is the highest among any quarterback in college football and is on pace to break the Division III and all-divisions single-season record of 230.4, set by the University of Mount Union's De'Angelo Fulford in 2019. Lehnen is also on pace to establish new Division III single-season records for yards per completed pass (20.0), yards per pass attempt (15.3) and percentage of passes completed for touchdowns (21.9).
The current record of 19.7 yards per completion was set by David Parker of Bishop College (Texas) in 1981, while the record for yards per attempt (12.9) was set by Willie Seller of Saint John's University (Minnesota) in 1993. Mount Union's Bill Borchert set the current national record for percentage of passes completed for touchdowns (17.3) in 1997.
Lehnen ranks second in North Central's history and 21st all-time in Division III in touchdown passes (114) while ranking third at North Central in passing yards (8,999) and fourth in completions (535). Lehnen is also the Cardinals' all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks, ranking sixth in program history in rushing touchdowns (34) and 10th in rushing yards (2,212).
Lehnen is North Central's seventh Gagliardi Trophy finalist, joining Dominic Sulo (2008), Peter Bulandr (2011), Broc Rutter (2018 and 2019), Andrew Kamienski (2021) and Ethan Greenfield (2022). Rutter won the Gagliardi Trophy in 2019 and Greenfield was named the winner last season. North Central is one of just four Division III institutions with multiple Gagliardi Trophy winners.
Nominations were submitted by colleges across the country, and the 20 semifinalists were selected by the J-Club Board of Directors. The Gagliardi Trophy national-selection committee is comprised of 16 Division III coaches, four Division III administrators, eight regional notable voters and eight national voters with Division III backgrounds. Each casts a ballot ranking the semifinalists. The fan vote on D3football.com also counts as one vote.
Other finalists are Gustavus Adolphus College (Minnesota) wide receiver Jake Breitbach, Wartburg linebacker Owen Grover, Trinity University (Texas) quarterback Tucker Horn and Mount Union quarterback Braxton Plunk.
The winner of the 30th Gagliardi Trophy will be announced on Friday, Dec. 15 prior to the Division III national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, in Salem, Virginia.
No. 1-ranked North Central (13-0) takes on No. 3-ranked Wartburg (13-0) Saturday at Walston-Hoover Stadium with a spot in the Stagg Bowl on the line. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Central time with a live broadcast to be provided by ESPN+ (subscription required).
Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.
