Luke Yoder has been on Lehigh’s campus for three years. And for three seasons, he’s put himself on the list of standout FCS running backs.
In 35 career games, he has rushed for 3,067 yards and 30 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Yoder is a back-to-back All-Patriot League selection and is coming off an All-American season.
As a true freshman in 2023, Yoder rushed 135 times for 646 yards and five touchdowns, getting named a candidate for the Jerry Rice Award. In 2024, he rushed for 1,014 yards and 10 TDs on 193 carries. Yoder was named on the All-Patriot League Second Team.
He made it back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons last year, racking up 1,409 yards and 15 scores on the ground via 198 attempts, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Yoder also had 11 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. The 1,409 yards were No. 8 in the FCS, while his 91.3 overall PFF grade ranked No. 1 among FCS running backs.
The postseason accolades came pouring in.
Along with All-Conference First Team honors, Yoder was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. Nationally, he earned All-American accolades from FCS Football Central, Stats Perform, and the Associated Press, and he finished No. 11 in Walter Payton Award voting.
This fall will be an intriguing season for the Mountain Hawks.
Head coach Kevin Cahill departed for Yale after three seasons. Lehigh rapidly rose in the ranks under Cahill, going from 2-9 to 9-4 to 12-1, featuring back-to-back Patriot League titles and FCS playoff appearances.
Richard Nagy was promoted to head coach after three years as Lehigh’s defensive coordinator.
With a new head coach, plus the additions of William & Mary and 2025 semifinalist Villanova to bolster the league’s depth, can the Mountain Hawks remain atop the Patriot?
There is still a strong core of standouts returning to challenge at the top, including Yoder, quarterback Hayden Johnson, offensive linemen Aidan Palmer and Langston Jones, tight end Joseph Marranca, and safety Nick Peltekian.
