KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Northwestern (Iowa) quarterback Tyson Kooima and St. Andrews defensive back Dawandrick Crockett headline the 2021 Spring AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
Kooima, who helped lead Northwestern (Iowa) to the NAIA national championship game, leads the nation in total offense (4,424 yards), passing yards (3,882) and is second in pass efficiency (188.4). He earned Great Plains Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors. Crockett, who became St. Andrews’ second AFCA All-American, leads the nation in passes defended with 17 and is tied for the national lead with six interceptions on the season. He recorded 23 total tackles and one tackle for loss.
Earning All-American honors for the third time from Northwestern was Shane Solberg. The 3-time GPAC All-Conference selection leads the NAIA in receptions and receiving yards. Solberg has eight 100-yard games, and two 200-yard games this season. The former Nighthawk holds several NWC records in career receiving yards, career receiving touchdowns, career receptions, single season receptions, single season receiving yards, and single season receiving touchdowns.
Another Red Raider named to the All-American team was Noah Van’t Hof. Van’t Hof was also named to the GPAC All-Conference team and ranks 4th in the NAIA in tackles and led the GPAC in tackles. The former Wildcat is tied for ninth in the NAIA with four interceptions and currently has 11 passes defended.
Dordt had two athletes on the list.
Noah Clayberg (Junior; Pella, Iowa) was named to the first-team after leading the nation in total rushing with 1,209 yards and he was third in the nation with 3,098 total offensive yards. Clayberg averaged 7.4 yards per carry and scored 17 touchdowns on the ground. He completed 157-247 passes for 1,889 yards and 16 passing touchdowns. Clayberg was named quarterback on the second-team all-GPAC team and claimed a spot on the All-American unit as an all-purpose player.
Alex Huisman (Junior; Pella, Iowa) earned second-team recognition and played offensive tackle for a Defender team that ran for 320 yards per game and was second in the nation in total rushing yards per game and total rushing offense. Huisman helped the Defenders gain 532 yards per game on offense and scored 481 points. Huisman was named all-GPAC first-team at the conclusion of the fall season.
2020-21 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team – First Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Tyson Kooima 6-1 196 Sr. Northwestern (Iowa) Matt McCarty Hull, Iowa (Western Christian)
RB *JD Woods 5-8 200 Sr. Baker (Kan.) Jason Thoren Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence)
RB *Ke’von Johnson 5-6 158 Jr. Roosevelt (Ill.) Jared Williamson Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic)
WR Jon Cole 5-10 176 Sr. Arizona Christian Jeff Bowen Dallas, Tex. (Trinity Christian)
WR Reid Jurgensmeier 6-3 220 Sr. Morningside (Iowa) Steve Ryan Wahoo, Neb. (Bishop Neumann)
TE Jaylen Arnold 6-3 230 Jr. Keiser (Fla.) Doug Socha La Mesa, Calif. (Helix)
OL Keegan Martin 6-1 255 So. Bethel (Kan.) Terry Harrison Yale, Okla. (Yale)
OL Alex Hoffman 6-6 295 Sr. Carroll (Mont.) Troy Purcell Draper, Utah (Juan Diego)
C #Dustin Rivera 6-0 275 Sr. Southwestern (Kan.) Brad Griffin Buckeye, Ariz. (Buckeye)
OL Jalen Stone 6-6 315 R-Sr. Pikeville (Ky.) Allan Holland Jr. Shelbyville, Ky. (Martha Layne Collins)
OL *Andrew Rupcich 6-7 305 Sr. Culver-Stockton (Mo.) Tom Sallay Wonder Lake, Ill. (McHenry)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Chase Van Wyck 6-2 250 R-Sr. Eastern Oregon Tim Camp Napavine, Wash. (Napavine)
DL Teon Burroughs 5-11 260 Sr. Reinhardt (Ga.) James Miller Folkston, Ga. (Charlton County)
DL Alex Hinojosa 6-2 240 Sr. Concordia (Mich.) Joshua Schumacher Allen Park, Mich. (Allen Park)
DL Jacob Garcia 6-0 250 Sr. Ottawa (Kan.) Dr. Kent Kessinger Corpus Christi, Tex. (W.B. Ray)
LB Jason Freeman 5-10 220 R-So. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) Eric Hehman Zion, Ill. (Benton Township)
LB Nate Wieland 6-2 230 Jr. Grand View (Iowa) Joe Woodley Iowa City, Iowa (City)
LB DJ White 6-4 250 Jr. Georgetown (Ky.) Bill Cronin Madisonville, Ky. (North Hopkins)
DB Cory Rahman 6-2 195 Sr. Southeastern (Fla.) Cesar Rivas-Sandoval Orlando, Fla. (Foundation Academy)
DB Taeson Hardin 6-0 180 Jr. College of Idaho Mike Moroski Oak Harbor, Wash. (Oak Harbor)
DB Dawandrick Crockett 5-11 170 Jr. St. Andrews (N.C.) David Harper Rock Hill, S.C. (Rock Hill)
DB Chase Turner 5-9 190 Sr. Point (Ga.) Julius Dixon Buford, Ga. (Mill Creek)
Specialists
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P #Austin Bohn 6-4 195 Gr. Ottawa (Ariz.) Mike Nesbitt Erie, Colo. (Erie)
PK Slater Gifford 6-6 215 Sr. Waldorf (Iowa) Will Finley West Burlington, Iowa (West Burlington)
AP Noah Clayberg 5-11 210 Jr. Dordt (Iowa) Joel Penner Pella, Iowa (Pella)
2020-21 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team – Second Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Cameron Dukes 6-1 210 Sr. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) Chris Oliver Shepherdsville, Ky. (Bullitt Central)
RB Malik Nesbitt 5-10 205 Jr. Avila (Mo.) Marc Benavidez Savannah, Ga. (Savannah)
RB Keyshawn Wyatt 5-5 165 Sr. Southwestern (Kan.) Brad Griffin Dallas, Tex. (Grapevine Faith)
WR *Anthony Turner 6-4 205 Sr. Grand View (Iowa) Joe Woodley Hartwell, Ga. (Hart County)
WR Jaret Lee 6-0 180 Sr. Dickinson St. (N.D.) Pete Stanton Dickinson, N.D. (Trinity)
WR Shane Solberg 6-0 190 Sr. Northwestern (Iowa) Matt McCarty Boyden, Iowa (Boyden-Hull)
OL Kel Lee McPeck 6-5 320 Sr. Arizona Christian Jeff Bowen Mentone Beach, Calif. (Redlands)
OL PJ Schubert 6-4 325 R-Jr. Eastern Oregon Tim Camp Pendleton, Ore. (Pendleton)
C Matt Dey 6-0 275 Sr. Dickinson St. (N.D.) Pete Stanton Sidney, Mont. (Sidney)
OL Alex Huisman 6-6 270 Jr. Dordt (Iowa) Joel Penner Pella, Iowa (Pella Christian)
OL Jared Allen 6-1 295 Sr. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) Eric Hehman Valdosta, Ga. (Valdosta)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Niklas Gustav 6-3 240 Sr. Morningside (Iowa) Steve Ryan Hamburg, Germany (Aquinas)
DL Marshaun Jones 6-0 290 Sr. Valley City St. (N.D.) Dennis McCulloch Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Park Center)
DL Bernard Buhake 6-7 245 Sr. St. Ambrose (Iowa) Mike Magistrelli Arlington, Tex. (Mansfield Summit)
DL Marcus Omosule 6-0 260 Sr. Georgetown (Ky.) Bill Cronin Miamisburg, Ohio
LB Josh Seabolt 5-9 210 Jr. Bethel (Kan.) Terry Harrison Cimarron, Kan. (Cimarron)
LB Lane Napier 6-0 220 Sr. Concordia (Neb.) Patrick Daberkow David City, Neb. (Aquinas Catholic)
LB Brett Shepardson 6-2 224 Sr. Benedictine (Kan.) Joel Osborn Weston, Mo. (West Platte)
DB *Sage Chen-Young 5-9 184 Jr. Keiser (Fla.) Doug Socha Wellington, Fla. (Wellington)
DB Brenden Flowers 6-0 185 Sr. Grand View (Iowa) Joe Woodley Chicago, Ill. (Oak Park River Forest)
DB Riley Tucker 6-0 187 So. Arizona Christian Jeff Bowen Burleson, Tex. (Desert Mountain)
DB Noah Van’t Hof 6-2 200 Jr. Northwestern (Iowa) Matt McCarty Lester, Iowa (West Lyon)