Football | 12/18/2025 10:54:00 AM

December 18, 2025-You can add another All-American honor to the resume for Emporia State linebacker. The junior from Osage City, Kan. was named First-Team All-American by the Don Hansen Football Committee on Thursday. He was named a First-Team All-American linebacker by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), and the Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday.
 
Boss was a unanimous selection as a First-Team All-MIAA linebacker, while also winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in the Association. The Osage City, Kan. native tallied 101 tackles on the season, which included ten sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown.  He led the MIAA in sacks and tackles for loss while ranking second in the league in solo tackles and fourth in total tackles.  His 69 solo tackles are the fifth most in the nation, his 17.5 tackles for loss rank sixth in the nation while his ten sacks are 12th in the nation.
 
The junior earned MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week honors on three occasions, including after the season finale against Fort Hays State where he had two sacks, seven quarterback hurries and a season-best 14 total tackles. He was named the NCAA Division II National Defensive Player of the Week from D2Football.com, Wayne Cavadi at ncaa.com, and Walter Camp Gridiron1880 after recording 11 tackles, four sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in the Hornets 31-24 victory over Missouri Southern.
 
Boss finished the season with ten sacks to rank fourth all-time on the Emporia State single season list. His 18 tackles for loss on the season move him into a tie with Greg Harvey (1993), Leon Brigham (1997) and Gerard Clemons (1998) for fourth on the Emporia State single season TFL list. He tied Patrick Cook (1995) and Gerard Clemons (1997) for the school record with four sacks in a game.
 
 The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.
 
This is the 23rd time a Hornet has been named at least Third-Team All-American by Don Hansen and it is the ninth time Emporia State has had a First-Team selection. Boss represents the 12th time a Hornet has earned at least Third-Team Hansen All-American honors under Coach Garin Higgins.
 
Boss is one of six MIAA players honored by the Hansen Football Committee and is joined by Central Missouri receiver Hogan Wasson and Pittsburg State defensive back Jordan Rogers on the First-team while Central Oklahoma offensive lineman Montriel Lee and Northwest Missouri offensive lineman Kaleb McCullough and defensive lineman Clayton Power were named to the Second-Team. There were nine players from the conference that garnered honorable mention recognition.

Don Hansen Football Committee All-America Teams
First Team Defense

POS	NAME	HT	WT	YR	SCHOOL	HOMETOWN
DL	Kailib Davis	6-3	300	Sr.	Ferris State	Grand Rapids, MIch.
DL	Kenyon Garner	6-4	230	So.	Livingstone	Okeechobee, Fla.
DL	Israel Nwokocha	6-2	250	Gr.	Benedict	Atlanta, Ga.
DL	Michael Shimek	6-1	246	Sr.	Ashland	North Canton, Ohio
LB	Landon Boss	6-1	230	Jr.	Emporia State	Osage City, Kan.
LB	Ja'Kobe Clinton	6-2	230	R-Sr.	West Florida	Sanford, Fla.
LB	Logan O'Brien	6-4	225	R-Sr.	Chadron State	Kearney, Neb.
DB	Rance Conner	5-11	190	Sr.	Valdosta State	Miami, Fla.
DB	Justin Payoute	5-7	170	Sr.	Ferris State	Miami Gardens, Fla.
DB	Jordan Rogers	5-10	188	R-Sr.	Pittsburg State	Bellmead, Texas
DB	Darnell Stephens	6-1	186	Gr.	Fort Valley State	Conyers, Ga.
RS	Tye Roberson	5-8	185	Sr.	Lenoir-Rhyne	Laurens, S.C.
P	Lucas LeSieur	5-11	190	R-Fr.	Colorado Mines	Walnut Creek, Calif.

First Team Offense

POS	NAME	HT	WT	YR	SCHOOL	HOMETOWN
QB	Gavin Sukup	6-1	188	Sr.	UIndy	Seward, Neb.
RB	Curtis Allen	6-2	215	Sr.	Virginia Union	Petersburg, Va.
RB	Andrew Miller	6-1	225	Jr.	Harding	Searcy, Ark.
OL	Tim Anderson	6-6	305	Sr.	Ferris State	Rochester, Mich.
OL	Joe Cooper	6-7	320	R-Sr.	Slippery Rock	East Berlin, Pa.
OL	Jamari Mason	6-1	310	Jr.	Johnson C. Smith	Carrollton, Ga.
OL	Ryan Schernekce	6-8	330	R-Sr.	Kutztown	Hatboro, Pa.
OL	Avery Swinton	6-2	285	Sr.	Catawba	Jacksonville, Fla.
TE	Luke Dehnicke	6-3	205	R-Fr.	Minnesota Duluth	Andover, Minn.
WR	TJ Chukwurah	5-11	190	R-Jr.	Black Hills State	Arlington, Texas
WR	Hogan Wasson	5-10	180	R-So.	Central Missouri	Colleyville, Texas
WR	Reggie Retzlaff	6-3	215	R-Sr.	CSU Pueblo	Corona, Calif.
AP	JayJay Jordan	5-11	180	Jr.	Slippery Rock	Reading, Pa.
PK	Manaki Watanabe	6-0	182	R-Fr.	Ashland	Novi, Mich.

 
Emporia State Don Hansen All-Americans
2025     Landon Boss, LB, First-Team
2024     Tyler Kahmann, WR, First-Team
2023     Tyler Kahmann, WR, Second-Team
2019     Lawson Holbert, DB, Third-Team
2017     Justin Marcha, P, First-Team
2016     Jarrett Stastny, OL, Third-Team
               Eddie Vinson, DL, Third-Team
2015     Brent Wilson, QB, Second-Team
2012     Shjuan Richardson, WR, Second-Team
               Adam Schiltz, TE, Third-Team
2011     Derek Lohmann, S, Second-Team
2010     Daniel Webb, DL, Second-Team
2003     Tyler Paul, RB, First-Team
               Andy Bandstra, OL, First-Team
2001-- Dontaye McCoy, SS, First-Team
2000-- DeAngelo Evans, RB, Second-Team
               Lester McCoy, WR, Third-Team
1999     Lester McCoy, WR, Second-Team
1998     Brian Shay, RB, First-Team
               John Hesse, OL, Third-Team
1997     Brian Shay, RB, First-Team
1996     Brian Shay, RB, First-Team
               Lynn Langvart, OL, Third-Team