BIG RAPIDS - Four members of the 2024 NCAA Division II National Champion Ferris State University Bulldogs earned All-America honors by being named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Team, and head coach Tony Annese was named National Coach of the Year.
The team captured its third NCAA DII National Championship in the past four seasons. The Bulldogs concluded the year with a 14-1 overall record and beat Valdosta State 49-14 in the national title game on Dec. 21 in McKinney, Texas.
D2Football, which is the nation’s leading source covering Division II football, unveiled its top 100 All-America list as part of its postseason awards show. The D2Football.com Elite 100 Team was selected by the staff of D2Football.com with input from head coaches and professional football scouting veteran Josh Buchanan.
The team includes first and second team selections for offense, defense and special teams along with 25 Squad players for offense and defense. Squad players are equivalent to honorable mention selections in similar national recognition lists.
D2Football also announces major awards for the offensive and defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Coordinators of the Year.
Junior offensive guard Lawrence Hattar, a Construction Management major from Livonia, earned All-America First Team honors for the Bulldogs. He was previously named to the American Football Coaches Association D2 All-America First Team squad this year.
Junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a Business Administration major from Grand Rapids, earned D2 Football Elite 100 All-America Second Team laurels. Chambliss, who finished third in the Harlon Hill Trophy voting for the D2 Player of the Year Award, previously garnered Associated Press All-America First Team recognition as an all-purpose standout and was a AFCA All-America Second Team pick at quarterback.
Ferris State has two representatives on the D2 Elite 100 All-America Squad in junior linebacker Sefa Saipaia, a Data Science and Analytics major from Fort Collins, Colorado and junior safety Justin Payoute, a Criminal Justice major from Miami Gardens, Florida.