Northern Colorado Football Earns 29 Academic All-Colorado Honors

4/2/2026 1:13:00 PM | Football

By: Brooke Richards, Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado football placed 29 student-athletes on the 2025 Academic All-Colorado teams, as announced by the Colorado Chapter of the National Football Foundation on Thursday.

The Bears had 26 selections named to the Academic All-Colorado First Team and three earn honorable mention recognition, highlighting the program's continued commitment to excellence both in the classroom and on the field.

Leading the way for Northern Colorado was linebacker Zach Nowatzke, who was recognized as one of eight finalists for the Colorado Chapter/NFF Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

The first-team honorees for UNC include Leo Blumentritt, Darrell Bryant Jr., Dominic Butts, Cam Chapa, Fisher Clements, Ezra Ekubam, Eric Gibson Jr., Justin Guin, Keenan Guthrie, Liam Huber, Levi Johnson, Brody Judd, Levi Little, Brooks Maile, Ayden Merrihew, Evan Morris, Brayden Munroe, Zach Nowatzke, Quintin Robinson, Zion Sauvao, KJ Smedley, River Stout, Blake Weslin, Jacob Willig, Luke Wooten and Jack Ziebell.

Jack Bacon, Mikhail Benner and Maddox Broughton earned honorable mention accolades for their efforts in the classroom.

To qualify for Academic All-Colorado First Team honors, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher, while honorable mention selections carry a GPA between 3.00 and 3.29 and are regular contributors on the field.

Overall, a record 299 student-athletes across the state were recognized, marking the highest total in the history of the Academic All-Colorado program.

Northern Colorado continues to demonstrate its dedication to developing well-rounded student-athletes, excelling in competition, the classroom and the community.

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