North Central College defensive lineman John Sullivan has been named the D3football.com Defensive Player of the Year. This marks his second national major award and makes him only the second player in North Central’s history to receive this honor on defense.
Sullivan achieved First Team All-America status from all four major selectors, making him one of just five players in Division III football to earn such recognition this season. He was also named Division III Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. During the season, Sullivan recorded 73 tackles, 22 tackles for loss totaling 94 yards, eight sacks, 21 quarterback hurries, and eight pass breakups.
This award continues a recent trend for North Central College football players receiving top honors from D3football.com. Quarterback Luke Lehnen was selected as Offensive Player of the Year in both 2024 and 2023, while running back Ethan Greenfield received the award in 2022. In 2010, Matt Wenger became the first North Central player to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
D3football.com also released its final rankings for the season. North Central finished at No. 2 nationally. UW-River Falls claimed the top spot, with Johns Hopkins University, Bethel University, and John Carroll University completing the top five teams. Over the course of their season, North Central defeated several highly ranked opponents: No. 4 (John Carroll University), No. 5 (Bethel University), No. 7 (Wheaton College), and No. 8 (UW-La Crosse).
