We haven't even reached the DII men's and women's basketball championships yet, which means the 2025 DII football season is eons away, at least in sports years. That said, there's no time like the present to guess what next season can look like.
Full disclosure: I wasn't going to do the annual way-too-early preseason Power 10 this year. DII football is undergoing a ton of change from rosters to coaching staffs to a new league to Super Regional transformation. In short, it's even too early for me to figure out what's happening.
This past weekend, I was chatting with D2Football's Matt Witwicki and he asked where my annual way-too-early picks were. I told him I can't remember a time that there was so much uncertainty in DII football and I thought it was best to pass this year — to end the tradition. He then asked, ever so kindly, who he would make fun of without the absurdly early picks.
Fair point. And here we are.
DII FOOTBALL CENTRAL
🏈 The final Power 10 of 2024
🏈 How the tournament was won
🏈 Harlon Hill winner and history
If you are new to the way-too-early DII football Power 10, here's what you need to know. I haven't started talking to coaches yet. There are no metrics at which to peruse. The only "research" I do for this is looking at those spring rosters posted and assessing the returning talent. If schedules are posted, that is helpful, but not necessary. This year, I'm not doing Nos. 1-10, but listing the teams that should be on your radar: 10 that should be in the Power 10 come August, a few that just missed, and then what I am sure will be considered some "snubs," but I see as question marks that can still improve their stock by August.
Most importantly, I'm not looking to be right but simply start the conversation. Spring ball hasn't even started and there is still a whole wave of signings coming. DII football is fluid right now, but there is enough we know to get the conversation going.
At least, I think.
10 teams that should be in the DII football preseason Power 10
Ferris State. Tony Annese is still there. All-American, Harlon Hill Trophy finalist, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is still there. That's all I need. The Bulldogs are your preseason No. 1 and Super Region Three favorites... and yes, I think have a very good chance to win it all again.
Central Oklahoma. Right now, the Bronchos have a top 5 quarterback in Jett Huff returning. They also have arguably the best wide receiver in DII, Terrill Davis, back to catch Huff's passes. Oh yeah, Jaylen Cottrell, who was sixth in DII in rushing with 17 total touchdowns is slated to return as well. This could very well be a top-three team come August.
Harding. This isn't an insult to the players who have gone through the program, but Paul Simmons' system is darn near unstoppable. He finds the players to run the ball down your throat year in and year out, and I don't think anything will change in 2025. Especially when you consider quarterback Cole Keylon, all-purpose wizard Braden Jay, leading rusher Andrew Miller, and defensive monsters like Ty Dugger are all back in Searcy, Arkansas.
Slippery Rock. I've seen this story before. The Rock is losing their Harlon Hill Trophy finalist quarterback. The Rock is losing their All-American wide receiver. The Rock is losing a record-setting defensive stalwart. Well, despite all that, The Rock hasn't missed a tournament since 2017, and I see no reason for that streak to end this year. It still feels like head coach Shawn Lutz is underrated.
West Florida. The Argonauts finished 7-3 last year with a very new-look roster. Well, their top two running backs are back, as are their top two wide receivers and quarterback. Defensively, it may look like they take a few losses, but the Argos fought through some injuries and should have those players back. Imagine a "down" year being 7-3? You'd be foolish to sleep on West Florida.
CSU Pueblo. The ThunderWolves lose quite a bit, so I can understand if this seems high. But they do return likely All-American wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff, quarterback Roman Fuller, and leading tackler Gary Seidenberger. The pieces are there that this could be a restructure rather than a rebuild. Head coach Philip Vigil has done more than enough to believe he will only move forward after two impressive seasons at the helm. Pueblo agrees, locking up their head coach for five more years this offseason.
Grand Valley State. Do you know the last time the Lakers finished worse than five games over .500? You have to go back more than a decade to the 2014 season when they finished 6-5. They also have a four-year playoff streak and have made the playoffs 18 times since 2001, winning four national titles in the 2000s. They've seen coaches come and go, All-Americans head to the NFL, and still win. Expect more of the same this year.
Charleston (WV). This is probably very high, but there is good reason. The Golden Eagles are coming off that upset loss to Ashland in the first round of the playoffs, so there is a chip on their shoulder. More importantly, right now, Chavon Wright is on the roster, and coming off a record-setting 2,200-yard, 38-touchdown season, well, that's enough to get them in a top 10 with so much other turnover in the rest of the division. Add in quarterback Ean Hamric — plus a few others — and this team has a strong core for 2025.
Western Colorado. I slept a bit on the Mountaineers last season, but they were a last-second drive away from playing for a Super Region Four title. Drew Nash is back under center, and he has a slew of his top receiving threats back as well. There is plenty of experience back on that defense as well, including D2Football's defensive player of the year Ricky Freymond. The RMAC could have some surprise teams this year, but it should be a fun race between the ThunderWolves and Mountaineers.
Kutztown. The Golden Bears are building a nice foundation and should continue to be competitive if all the pieces to the puzzle return. It starts under center with quarterback Judd Novak, but he has several of his weapons that have been together through two straight PSAC championships. They fell short of their return to the semifinals on a crazy two-point conversion from Slippery Rock that ended the game. That loss stung, and if all that experience is back, it will serve as a chip on their shoulders.
In the conversation
Angelo State. The Rams were stunned by Bemidji State in the first round last year and have a very tough "non-con" against Fort Hays State and Emporia State to start the season. But quarterback Braeden Fuller should be back under cent. After a breakout, Harlon Hill-finalist campaign, he should remain a weapon with both his arm and legs. If he is the leader of this team, the Rams can make some noise.
Cal (PA). The Vulcans were one game away from reaching the semifinals but ran into the red-hot Slippery Rock team. They lose starting quarterback Davis Black but have their top running back and wide receiver back along with a slew of key pieces from the defense. The other teams I am considering here — Minnesota State, Lenoir-Rhyne, Wingate, etc. — have much more significant turnover, so I think that keeps the Vulcans in the conversation.
Carson-Newman. I looked to the Eagles' SAC counterparts in Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate for this spot. The personnel losses those two programs suffered led to a few too many question marks to be in the conversation right now. The Eagles are the polar opposite, a roster full of freshmen, sophomores and juniors who should all be back after a 9-3 season that ended with a return to the tournament. That includes All-American running back Hayden Sullins who led that high-volume rushing attack.
Central Washington. This is very high for a team that finished outside my top 20 in 2024. But I think the Wildcats have built something special and could very well keep that momentum going. If Tyler Flanagan — the two-time LSC back of the year — and quarterback Kennedy McGill are back, they have enough firepower to get off to a hot start. Sure, they need to replace All-Universe defensive back Tanner Volk, but they have quite a few of their top defenders back to try.
Miles. The Golden Bears made the tournament and even won a game once there. This defense was for real and the offense was littered with sophomores and juniors last year. If the majority of that unit returns, Miles is in great shape for a repeat SIAC run. With the new automatic qualifier for conference champions, they should be back in the tournament once again.
Question marks
Augustana (SD). Talk about finding a new identity. This roster will suffer a ton of turnover. But the Vikings are typically a competitive program. You can expect them to be good, but top-25 good? Well, that's the question.
Bemidji State. Brandon Alt, a three-time Harlon Hill nominee, left entering 2024 and quite honestly, I thought the Beavers were done. But there they were, right back in the playoffs, winning at least one tournament game for the fourth year in a row. Now they lost quarterback Sam McGath. Is there someone else waiting in the wings? They have done enough for me not to rule them out, but we certainly have to wait and see.
Minnesota State. It seems like the Mavericks are almost always good, but did you watch the tournament last year? This team won games on talent, sure, but there was a ton of grit and heart that kept this team alive, eking out one dramatic last-second victory after the other. Quarterback Hayden Ekern was one of the strongest beats of that heart, and now that he's moved on to the coaching ranks at Central Oklahoma, what do the Mavs look like without him?
Pittsburg State. There was a ton of turnover here. That doesn't mean the Gorillas run battling at the top of the MIAA is done, but they open their season with Ferris State, Central Oklahoma and Grand Valley State all in a row. It takes time for new faces to meld. Can the Gorillas survive that three-game learning curve?
Valdosta State. The last time the Blazers had a coaching change (which to be fair, has been quite often over the past seven seasons) they finished 5-6 — a rarity for any Blazers' team to finish below .500. As of right now, the coaching staff is in flux, and they lost a ton of key pieces from their 2024 championship game run. There are tons of questions here.
Virginia Union. This is a simple question. The Panthers had a historic season last year, finally winning that playoff game and then winning one more before falling to Valdosta State. They have had a nice little run the past few seasons, but what will they look like post-All-American running back Jada Byers and his career 6,000 yards and 71 career rushing touchdowns?
