DII Report: Breaking down the DII football preseason top 25 — Winona State
Let's go team by team and see why each was considered for the preseason top 25.
Welcome back to the DII Report. Today, we continue our deep dive into each DII football team in the Lindy’s preseason top 25 with a look at Winona State.
If you have read some of the previous team roundups, you know it is important to remember how quickly things change in DII football. The transfer portal rages on, and while several players moved on to the FCS or Division I, there were many key in-division transfers. That being said, the preseason top 25 I had to submit back in April for publication is slightly different. So, I circled back with the coaches, got some updates, and present to you the preseason top 25. These won’t necessarily be released in the exact order of rankings (meaning I am not going No. 25 through No. 1 in order), but to be honest, that order can still change before opening kickoff.
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Winona State football 2023: What to know
Rookie head coach Brian Bergstrom had quite the debut for Winona State. He led the Warriors to an 8-4 record and the program’s first DII football championship berth since 2017. Though the Warriors were one of four NSIC teams to make the playoffs — and have their work cut out to repeat that performance — the number of returners to this promising team earned Winona State the No. 23 ranking in the Lindy’s preseason top 25.
The offense scored 27 points per game last year and return seven regular starters from that squad. Leading rusher, running back Ty Gavin, is back to lead the charge after rushing for 853 yards and four touchdowns. What will really help this offense mature in its second year under Bergstrom is a veteran offensive line, returning Noah Pappas, Mason Carnell, and Alec Morris to keep the backfield protected.
Defensively, the team returns 10 starters. Leading the way is Lindy’s preseason All-American, linebacker Clay Schueffner. Schueffner led the team with 122 tackles last year, adding three interceptions as well. Anchoring the defensive line will be Darius Manuel (5.5 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss) and Kyjuan Vengrowsky (3.5 sacks). AJ Lacy is back to lead the secondary after recording 36 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and six pass breakups in 2022. Lineback Myles Hawthorne, who was third on the team in tackles last year, just adds to the veteran depth on this team.
The NSIC is one of the toughest divisions in DII football. Now that teams can go out of conference, Winona State opens with a tough matchup against Saginaw Valley State but has Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, Augustana (SD), Sioux Falls, and Minnesota State to contend with just to make the playoffs. We’ll see if all that experience can figure out how to navigate that gauntlet.
Player of the year/All-America watch:
Ty Gavin, RB
Clay Schueffner, LB
AJ Lacy, DB
Jacob Scott, K
Tristan Root, P
NFL Draft prospects:
Clay Schueffner, LB
AJ Lacy, DB
Darius Manuel, DL
Previous top-25 breakdowns
Shepherd
UIndy