The FCS Daily Dose is a blog-style article series featuring an assortment of news, rumblings, quick hitters, and commentary on various topics.
A new Daily Dose will be published multiple times a week.
Bronson Yoder’s Return A Big Boost For W&M
Part of our FCS summer preview series involves ranking the Top 25 returning players by position and our 7th year of the FCS Jersey Countdown, which counts down the best-returning player by jersey number, 99-0.
It’s a tedious process to get my spreadsheet all set to help with these top returning players. It also helps Top 25 team rankings to see what teams have the most standouts returning. The spreadsheet includes plugging in every All-Conference player from last season and 2022, every Top 50 PFF-graded player per position if they didn’t get an All-Conference honor, and every Top 50 statistical leader if they didn’t get an All-Conference honor.
That’ll give you about 2,000 players.
You then go roster-by-roster, all 129 teams, and delete the players not on the 2024 rosters. You also have to cross-check FCS-to-FCS transfers, as some All-Conference players are switching FCS teams. This can be a challenge when a handful of teams don’t have 2024 rosters up yet. (At least give us a spring tentative roster so we know what seniors are coming back with all the COVID extra years!) Anyway…
Going through all these players, there are always some that you see listed on 2024 rosters that make you go, “This guy is back!?”
That’s the case for William & Mary running back Bronson Yoder.
The 5-11, 210-pounder is set to come back for another season. He was an All-American player back in 2019.
In 2019, Yoder set a single-season school record with 913 kickoff return yards with two touchdowns, adding 375 yards and four TDs on the ground. He played in two games in the 2021 spring, a free year of eligibility due to COVID.
In 2021, he was an All-CAA Third Team selection, posting 622 rushing yards with four touchdowns and 351 kick return yards. Yoder went off in a 2022 All-CAA First Team season, totaling 1,255 rushing yards and 13 TDs. Then last season, he started the first four games before a season-ending injury, rushing for 408 yards and four scores. The four-game redshirt rule applied to Yoder, who had yet to take a redshirt season.
Thus, he’ll be back for a sixth year.
It’s a big boost for W&M, who vastly underperformed last season. Yoder’s absence was certainly felt.
The Tribe returned 15 offensive and defensive starters a year ago from their 2022 quarterfinal squad that tied a school-record 11 wins. They finished a disappointing 6-5 last fall.
W&M looks for a strong rebound this year. Yoder and All-CAA RB Malachi Imoh will run behind an o-line that features All-Conference selections Ryan McKenna and Charles Grant (an All-American). Multi-year starting QB Darius Wilson also returns. There are star names to replace defensively, although the addition of Davidson standout DE Jonathan Hammond will help.
Cole Wisniewski, Gus Miller Named Top 150 2025 NFL Draft Prospects
Draft Scout released its early Top 150 rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft. Two FCS players were named, which is quite the recognition since most FCS prospects don’t rise this high until the pre-draft process.
NDSU safety Cole Wisniewski is a projected Day 2 pick as the No. 87 overall prospect. SDSU center Gus Miller is a projected Day 3 pick as the No. 124 overall prospect.
Both were the No. 1-graded PFF players at their respective positions last fall. Wisniewski totaled 92 tackles, two TFLs, eight interceptions, and 13 passes defended. Miller won the Rimington Award as the best FCS center.
SDSU Lands UND Transfer OL Sam Hagen
Speaking of SDSU’s offensive line, the Jackrabbits landed a key in-conference transfer earlier this week.
Sam Hagen announced his commitment to SDSU. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder started all 12 games at right guard last season on a good UND offensive line. He also started five games at right tackle in 2022.
He’ll have an immediate impact on an SDSU o-line that needs to replace three starters.
Hagen reconnects with last year’s UND offensive coordinator Danny Freund, who is now SDSU’s co-OC. Montana was thought to be the other likely destination. Hagen’s OL coach Joe Pawlak took the same job at Montana this offseason.
Other Daily Doses
An Early Look At My 2024 FCS Preseason Top 10 Teams … READ MORE
UAlbany Lands Former FCS Freshman All-American WR Jacari Carter, Cal Poly’s Sam Huard Enters The Portal … READ MORE
Walter Payton Award Winner Returns, Buck Buchanan Award Winner Enters The Portal … READ MORE
