Wayne State saw eight players named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Football Team announced Tuesday morning.  The award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom, maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.50 or higher while also playing in 90 percent of games or start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games.
            Two players were repeat selections – graduate student linebacker Alex Kowalczyk (2022) and junior defensive end Luke Lambert (2024) – while juniors Dawson Forgy and Kaden Johnson along with sophomores Jackson Bos, Brennan Hayes, Tanner Houck and Jes Krcil were each first-time honorees. Kowalczyk, Forgy, Lambert and Krcil each advance to the All-American ballot with All-American honorees to be announced Tuesday, January 27th. 
            Kowalczyk, a 5-11, 220-pound graduate student linebacker from Sioux Falls, S.D. (O'Gorman HS), maintained a 4.00 grade point average earning a master's degree in business administration, also earned the honor in 2022 while also being named Academic All-American Second Team.  This season on the field, Kowalczyk was named All-NSIC First Team for the third time in his WSC career recording 80 tackles (5^th-NSIC) while tied for third in the league with 9.5 tackles for loss for 27 yards and tied for third with three interceptions for 14 yards.  He was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week in his final collegiate game after recording 16 tackles in a 38-31 win over #13 Augustana November 15^th.
            Forgy, a 5-11, 200-pound junior running back from Winterset, Iowa (Winterset HS), recorded a 3.92 grade point average majoring in exercise science. On the field, Forgy set a single-season rushing record at WSC this season gaining 1,400 yards on 241 carries (5.8 avg) with 19 TD's, leading the NSIC in rushing yards, yards per game (127.3), rushing TD's and total touchdowns (21) and all-purpose yards per game (163.4).  Forgy earned All-NSIC First Team and D2CCCA All-Super Region 3 honors while being selected Don Hansen Division II All-American honorable mention and named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Team.
            Johnson, a 6-1, 220-pound junior linebacker from LaVista (South Dakota State/Papillion LaVista HS), produced a 3.77 grade point average majoring in construction management.  He accounted for 32 tackles while playing in all 11 games this season, recording 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks with two interceptions for 16 yards, four quarterback hurries and one forced fumble.  He had a career-high 10 tackles with two tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble at Concordia-St. Paul November 1^st.  
            Lambert, a 6-2, 285-pound junior defensive lineman from Greenwood (Ashland-Greenwood HS), is a repeat selection after posting a 3.77 grade point average majoring in construction management.  This season Lambert ranked fourth on the Wildcat defense with 50 tackles and tied for eighth in the NSIC with 4.5 sacks for 30 yards.  He had a season-high eight tackles with three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for 10 yards with a forced fumble vs. Nebraska-Kearney August 28^th. 
            Bos, a 6-2, 240-pound sophomore defensive end from Norfolk (Norfolk HS), maintained a 3.93 grade point average majoring in construction management.  He appeared in all 11 games for the Wildcats this season and was credited with 11 tackles, four tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks for 13 yards to go with one quarterback hurry.  Bos recorded two sacks for 11 yards vs. Southwest Minnesota State September 27. 
            Hayes, a 5-10, 205-pound sophomore running back from Creston, Iowa (Creston HS), accounts for a 3.91 grade point average majoring in pre-physical therapy.  On the field, Hayes rushed for 728 yards on just 106 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per carry and ranked ninth in the NSIC in rushing and tied for seventh with eight TD's this season.  He had three 100-yard games, highlighted by 184 yards and two TD's on just 13 carries in a 35-20 win over #9 Minnesota State October 25^th and added a 134-yard, three touchdown performance on 24 carries in a season-ending 38-31 victory over #13 Augustana November 15^th. 
            Houck, a 6-2, 235-pound sophomore tight end from Elkhorn (Elkhorn HS), majors in accounting at WSC and carries a 3.96 grade point average.  This season, Houck played in all 11 games at tight end and on special teams and recorded four catches for 38 yards. 
            Krcil, a 6-1, 220-pound sophomore linebacker from Carlisle, Iowa (Carlisle HS), recorded a 3.92 grade point average majoring in criminal justice.  On the field, he was voted NSIC Defensive Player of the Year and All-NSIC First Team Defense after leading the Wildcats in tackles with 81 despite missing the final three games due to injury.  At the time of his injury, Krcil was second in the league in tackles while leading the NSIC in tackles for loss (12.5) and tied for third in sacks (4.5-33) and forced fumbles with two.  Other post-season honors for Krcil this season included D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team, Don Hansen Division II All-American honorable mention and D2Football.com Elite 100 Team.
            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.