Wayne State College redshirt junior running back Dawson Forgy is one of 36 players in NCAA Division II football to be nominated for the 2025 Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II College Football Player of the Year.  Forgy is one of eight nominations from Super Region 3 announced Tuesday by the Little Rock, Arkansas Touchdown Club.
            Forgy, a 5-11, 200-pound redshirt junior running back from Winterset, Iowa (Winterset HS), was named All-NSIC South Division First Team Offense after setting numerous single season rushing and scoring records for the Wildcats, rushing for 1,400 yards on 241 carries (5.8 avg) with 19 TD's.  He led the NSIC in rushing yards, yards per game (127.3), rushing TD's (19), total touchdowns (21) and all-purpose yards per game (163.4). 
            Forgy tied a single season school record with seven 100-yard games, highlighted by a 223-yard performance and two TD's in a 27-17 win at MSU Moorhead.  He had a single-game school record five rushing TD's with 181 yards in a 42-13 win at Sioux Falls.  He was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week twice and ranks third in NCAA Division II in rushing TD's and total TD's, fifth in rushing yards and sixth in rushing yards per game and all-purpose yards per game.
            Forgy set a new single season school record scoring 126 points and 21 total touchdowns, recorded the second-most all-purpose yards in a single season with 1,798 and ranks sixth in NCAA Division II this season in all-purpose yards per game (163.5). 
            Sports information directors at the 159 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions nominate and vote on the award.  The 36 initial candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on Monday, December 1.
            The group of 36 candidates includes 16 quarterbacks, 10 running backs, three wide receivers, three linebackers, a defensive lineman, a safety, a tight end and a punter/kicker. 
            The winner of the 2025 award will be announced on Friday, December 19.
            The Hill Trophy is named for the late Harlon Hill – the former University of North Alabama standout – who excelled with the Lions from 1950-53 before going on to fame in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears.           
            Wayne State ended the season at 7-4 overall, winners of their last four games that included wins over #9 Minnesota State and #13 Augustana.  The Wildcats finished as NSIC South Division champions with a 5-1 division mark.