Welcome to Year 9 of the FCS Jersey Countdown.
HERO Sports counts down the number of days until Week 0 by naming the best returning FCS player by jersey number, 99-0. Due to rosters being updated at different times for teams across the country and to keep things consistent, jersey numbers are based on last season’s rosters.
Below is the running list of players honored.
FCS Jersey Countdown
Jersey numbers are based on 2025 rosters
RELATED: FCS Preseason Preview Central
99: South Dakota State DE Dawson Ripperda
-2026 Senior
-6’4” 255 lbs
-2023 transfer from Northern Illinois
-2024: 23 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks
-2025: 43 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 6 QB hurries
-2025 PFF No. 43 FCS edge
98: North Dakota DT Montre Samuels-Parker
-2026 Senior
-5’11” 258 lbs
-2024 transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
-2025: 29 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 4 QB hurries
-2025: Led UND’s interior DL (No. 5 FCS rushing defense) with 625+ snaps
97: Rhode Island DL Case Mankins
-2026 Senior
-6’3” 245 lbs
-2023: Appeared in 10 games as a true freshman
-2024: 24 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1.5 sacks
-2025: 55 tackles, 5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 QB hurries, 5 pass breakups
-2025 PFF No. 32 FCS DT
-2025 All-CAA 3rd Team
96: Yale DT Jaylin Tate
-2026 Senior
-6’4″ 290 lbs
-2025: 510+ snaps, 32 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks
-2025 All-Ivy League Honorable Mention
95: Furman DE Joshua Stoneking
-2026 Junior
-6’3″ 258 lbs
-2025: 79 tackles, 23 TFLs, 14.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 9 QB hurries
-PFF No. 6 FCS edge
-All-SoCon 1st Team
-6x 1st Team All-American
-No. 2 in Buck Buchanan Award voting
-FCS ADA National Defensive Player of the Year
94: Southern Illinois DT Amir Dwight
-2026 Junior
-6’1” 272 lbs
-2024: Played 270+ snaps as a redshirt freshman (13 tackles)
-2025: 355+ snaps, 20 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 sacks, 4 QB hurries
-2025 PFF No. 28 FCS DT
93: Cal Poly DT Manaalii Danielson
-2026 Sophomore
-6’2” 255 lbs
-2025: 380+ snaps as a true freshman, 16 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 7 QB hurries, 2 pass breakups
-2025 PFF No. 24 FCS DT
92: Illinois State DL Travis Jones
-2026 Junior
-6’3″ 285 lbs
-2025: 405+ snaps, 21 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 sacks, 5 QB hurries
-Key part in ISU’s Top 25 rush defense
91: The Citadel DL Chris Benton
-2026 Senior
-6’0″ 250 lbs
-35 career games played
-2023 SoCon All-Freshman Team
-2025: 420+ snaps, 26 tackles, 5 TFLs, 5 sacks, 5 QB hurries
-2025 All-SoCon 2nd Team
90: UC Davis DT Trent Carrade
-2026 Senior
-6’3″ 280 lbs
-2025: 670+ snaps, 26 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 QB hurries, 2 pass breakups
89: Montana State TE Rocky Lencioni
-2026 Sophomore
-6’3” 240 lbs
-2025: 19 catches, 206 yards, 6 TDs
-2025 PFF No. 2 FCS TE
-2025 Phil Steele Freshman All-American
88: South Dakota State TE Greyton Gannon
-2026 Senior
-6’4” 235 lbs
-2025: 33 catches, 372 yards, 3 TDs
-2025 All-MVFC 1st Team
-2025 AP All-American Honorable Mention
87: William & Mary TE Sean McElwain
-2026 Senior
-6’5″ 230 lbs
-2x All-CAA
-2023: 22 catches, 312 yards
-2024: 20 catches, 361 yards, 5 TDs
-2024 All-CAA Honorable Mention
-2025: 7 games before injury, 12 catches, 186 yards, 3 TDs
-2025 All-CAA 3rd Team
86: Cornell TE Ryder Kurtz
-2026 Senior
-6’5″ 233 lbs
-2x All-Ivy League
-2x All-American
-2024: 36 catches, 441 yards, 4 TDs
-2024 All-Ivy League Honorable Mention
-2024 AP All-American Honorable Mention
-2025: 44 catches, 523 yards, 4 TDs
-2025 PFF No. 11 FCS TE
-2025 All-Ivy League 2nd Team
-2025 3-time All-American selection
85: Columbia WR Titus Evans
-2026 Senior
-6’2” 200 lbs
-2025: 46 catches, 584 yards, 6 TDs
-2025 PFF No. 42 FCS WR
84: Bucknell WR Sam Milligan
-2026 Senior
-6’3” 220 lbs
-2024: 19 catches, 281 yards, 5 TDs
-2025: 56 catches, 975 yards, 10 TDs
-2025 PFF No. 5 FCS WR
-2025 All-Patriot League 2nd Team
83: Villanova WR Braden Reed
-2026 Sophomore
-5’9″ 180 lbs
-2025: 34 catches, 518 yards, 3 TDs; 20 punt returns, 298 yards, 14.9 avg
-2025 All-CAA 3rd Team (PR)
-2025 Freshman All-American (PR)
82: South Dakota State TE Coleman Kuntz
-2026 Senior
-6’3” 240 lbs
-2025 transfer from Sac State
-2025: Limited to 6 games due to injury, 7 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD
-2024: 25 catches, 191 yards, 2 TDs
-2023: 20 catches, 236 yards, 4 rushing TDs
81: Austin Peay WR Jaden Robinson
-Wearing No. 8 in 2026
-2026 Junior
-6’1″ 191 lbs
-2025 transfer from Kennesaw State
-2025: 43 catches, 579 yards, 6 TDs
80: West Florida TE Jake Robinette
-2026 Senior
-6’6″ 245 lbs
-2025: 13 catches, 199 yards, 4 TDs
-2025 All-Gulf South Conference 1st Team
-2025 D2CCA All-Region 1st Team
79: Lehigh OL Aidan Palmer
-2026 Senior
-6’4” 300 lbs
-2x All-Conference
-2022: 10 starts at left tackle
-2023: 2 starts before injury
-2024: 11 starts at left tackle
-2024 All-Patriot League 2nd Team
-2025: 13 starts at left guard for No. 4 FCS rushing attack, 1 sack and 2 hits allowed (per PFF)
-2025 All-Patriot League 1st Team
-2025 AP All-American Honorable Mention
78: Youngstown State OL Desmeal Leigh
-2026 Senior
-6’7″ 325 lbs
-Starting left tackle since his redshirt freshman season in 2023
-2x All-Conference
-Nearly 2,400 career snaps
-2024 All-MVFC Honorable Mention
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 0 hits, and 6 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-MVFC 2nd Team
-2025 FCS Football Central 3rd Team All-American
77: Harvard OL Spencer Doan
-2026 Senior
-6’8″ 300 lbs
-2-year starter at left tackle, 1,270+ snaps
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 0 hits, and 4 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-Ivy League 1st Team
76: Youngstown State OL Nick Nielsen
-2026 Junior
-6’6″ 270 lbs
-2025: 540+ snaps, started 2nd half of season at right tackle
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 0 hits, and 10 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 PFF No. 8 FCS OT
75: Penn OL Luke Sacchetti
-2026 Senior
-6’3″ 315 lbs
-2-year starter at guard
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 0 hits, and 2 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 PFF No. 7 FCS OG
74: Rhode Island OL Tre Alexander
-2026 Senior
-6’2″ 321 lbs
-2x All-CAA
-2-year starter at center, 1,820+ snaps
-2024 All-CAA 3rd Team
-2025 All-CAA 2nd Team
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 2 hits, and 4 hurries (per PFF)
73: Alabama State OL Elijah Baker
-2026 Senior
-6’4” 323 lbs
-2025: 645+ snaps at right tackle; Allowed 2 sacks, 0 hits, and 8 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-SWAC 1st Team
-2025 BOXTOROW HBCU All-American
72: Austin Peay OL Joshua Sales Jr.
-2026 Senior
-6’5″ 312 lbs
-2025 transfer from Purdue
-2025: Nearly 700 snaps at tackle; Allowed 0 sacks, 1 hit, and 11 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-UAC 1st Team
-2025 2x All-American (Stats Perform 1st Team, AP Honorable Mention)
71: Harvard OL Thomas O’Brien
-2026 Senior
-6’6″ 310 lbs
-2-year starter
-2025: Nearly 700 snaps at guard; Allowed 0 sacks, 1 hit, and 2 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-Ivy League 1st Team
-2025 PFF No. 18 FCS OG
70: Illinois State OL Logan Brasfield
-2026 Junior
-6’3″ 315 lbs
-2025 transfer from Coastal Carolina
-2025: 13 starts, 950+ snaps at guard; Allowed 1 sack, 1 hit, and 6 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 PFF No. 29 FCS OG
69: South Dakota State OL Quinten Christensen
-2026 Senior
-6’5″ 300 lbs
-2-year starter at left tackle, 1,750+ snaps
-2025: Allowed 3 sacks and 1 hit (per PFF)
-2025 All-MVFC 1st Team
-2025 4x All-American: FCS Football Central (3rd Team), Stats Perform (2nd Team), AP (1st Team), and Phil Steele (2nd Team)
68: Illinois State OL Landon Woodard
-2026 Senior
-6’5″ 330 lbs
-30 starts at guard in the last 2 seasons, 2,000+ snaps
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 0 hits, and 5 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-MVFC 2nd Team
-2025 FCS Football Central All-American (3rd Team)
-2025 PFF No. 48 FCS OG
67: North Dakota OL Liam Becher
-2026 Senior
-6’7″ 306 lbs
-2-year starter (2024 at LT, 2025 at LG), 1,700+ snaps
-2025: Allowed 1 sack, 1 hit, and 5 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-MVFC 2nd Team
66: Montana State OL Titan Fleischmann
-2026 Senior
-6’4″ 300 lbs
-2-year starter (2024 at RT, 2025 at RG), 1,900+ snaps
-2-year All-Big Sky and All-American selection
-2024 All-Big Sky 2nd Team
-2024 FCS Football Central All-American
-2025: Allowed 1 sack and 4 hits (per PFF)
-2025 All-Big Sky 1st Team
-2025 4x 1st Team All-American (FCS Football Central, Stats Perform, AP, Phil Steele)
65: Elon OL Timothy Hogan
-2026 Senior
-6’5” 293 lbs
-2-year starter at guard, 1,150+ snaps
-2025: Allowed 1 sack, 0 hits, and 6 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-CAA 2nd Team
64: Princeton OL Barrett Eddlemon
-2026 Senior
-6’3” 290 lbs
-2025: Allowed 1 sack, 0 hits, and 5 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-Ivy League 2nd Team
-2025 PFF No. 4 FCS OG
63: Butler OL Charles Mackley
-2026 Junior
-6’3″ 280 lbs
-1.5-year starter
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 0 hits, and 4 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 All-Pioneer Football League 1st Team
-2025 PFF No. 3 FCS OG
62: Abilene Christian OL Luke Roaten
-2026 Senior
-6’6” 300 lbs
-2025 transfer from Washington State
-2025: 14 starts at RT; Played 985+ snaps
-2025 All-UAC 1st Team
61: Holy Cross OL Cam Nolan
-2026 Senior
-6’3” 305 lbs
-2-year starter at guard, 1,465+ career snaps
-2-year All-Patriot League selection
-2024 All-Patriot League 2nd Team
-2025 All-Patriot League 1st Team
-2025: Allowed 0 sacks, 1 hit, and 0 hurries (per PFF)
-2025 PFF No. 26 FCS OG
60: Colgate OL Sean Haney
-2026 Senior
-6’2” 295 lbs
-2024: 310+ snaps
-2025: 800+ snaps
-2025: Allowed 1 sack, 1 hit, and 1 hurry (per PFF)
-2025 PFF No. 8 FCS OG
59: Marist LB James Kratochvil
-2026 Junior
-6’1″ 225 lbs
-2024: 55 tackles, 4 INT
-2024 FCS Freshman All-American
-2024 All-Pioneer Football League Honorable Mention
-2024 PFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
-2025: 44 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups
58: Montana LB Solomon Tuliaupupu
-2026 Senior
-6’3” 242 lbs
-2025 transfer from USC
-2025: 43 tackles, 5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
-2025 All-Big Sky 2nd Team
