ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Six North Dakota football student-athletes earned spots on the 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Scholar-Athlete Teams on Friday, the league offices announced.

Nominees must be starters or important reserves; must have participated in at least 50 percent of their team's games and carry a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale). Nominees in graduate school must have a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.50 or better both as an undergraduate and in graduate school.

Additionally, nominees must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution and must have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. True freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible. Graduate students who are competing at a different institution than the one from which they earned their undergraduate degree are eligible even if they are in their first semester at the graduate institution. League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 players for second-team honors.

David Neuberger, LS, Sr., Davenport, Iowa, MVFC Scholar-Athlete First Team, 4.00 Kinesiology
Has served as the long snapper for all 13 games … Helped punter Luke Silvernale get off 47 punts for 2,072 yards to average 44.1 yards per boot … North Dakota ranks No. 13 in the FCS in net yards per punt (40.3) … His snapping skills helped UND connect on 11 field goals and go 54-for-55 on extra points … Recorded a solo stop in the 24-23 loss at No. 5/7 Montana, a solo tackle in the 35-7 win at Northern Iowa and another solo stop in the 31-6 victory at No. 13 seed Tennessee Tech in the FCS First Round.

Ben Buxa, OL, So., Lake Mills, Wis., MVFC Scholar-Athlete Second Team, 4.00 Mathematics
Has started all 13 games at center … Helps UND rank No. 16 in the FCS in scoring offense (34.5 points per game) … Fighting Hawk QBs are only sacked on average 1.1 times per game, which sits No. 11 in the country and leads the MVFC … Thanks to his blocking, North Dakota's backs combine to rank as the No. 16 rushing offense nationally with 199.4 yards rushing per game … Helped NoDak register more than 400 yards of offense five times, led by 564 yards in the 46-17 win vs. Indiana State.

Jy Martin, SAF, Sr., Clover, S.C., MVFC Scholar-Athlete Second Team, 3.82 Criminal Justice Studies
Has started 12 games at safety and appeared in every game … Ties for No. 2 in the MVFC in interceptions per game (0.31) … Leads the team in interceptions (4) … Third on the team in both total tackles (70.0) and solo stops (47) … Also has 4.0 tackles-for-loss, 0.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and a quarterback hurry … Forced a fumble in the 38-19 win at No. 12/12 Southern Illinois … Picked off one pass against Portland State, Valparaiso, No. 22/22 South Dakota State and in the 31-6 win at No. 13 seed Tennessee Tech in the FCS First Round.

Malachi McNeal, LB, Sr., Waukegan, Ill., MVFC Scholar-Athlete Second Team, 3.70 Athletic Admin & Coaching
Has started all 13 games at linebacker … Ranks as the No. 16 tackler in the MVFC and averages 6.5 tackles per game … Leads the team in both total tackles (83.0) and is second in solo stops (49) … Ties for second on the team in quarterback hurries (6) and ties for fourth on the team in tackles-for-loss (6.0) … Intercepted a pass and returned it 22 yards in the 15-10 loss vs. No. 1 North Dakota State … Named the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week and MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 10 tackles (nine solo), a sack and a pass breakup while limiting Youngstown State quarterback to 71 yards rushing in the 35-17 win against RV/No. 20 Youngstown State … Recorded a strip-sack, forced fumble, had a fumble recovery, two TFLs and a sack to go with seven tackles in the 31-6 win at No. 13 seed Tennessee Tech in the FCS First Round.

Mason South, FB/TE, Jr., Maple Grove, Minn. MVFC Scholar-Athlete Second Team, 3.97 Kinesiology
Started four games and has appeared in all 13 as a fullback or tight end and on special teams … Hauled in six grabs for 56 yards … His blocking helps UND rank No. 16 nationally in scoring offense (34.5 points per game) … Fighting Hawk quarterbacks are only sacked on average 1.1 times per game, which sits No. 11 in the FCS and No. 1 in the MVFC … Thanks to his blocking, the UND backfield ranks as the No. 16 rushing offense in the nation with 199.4 yards per game … Helped the Fighting Hawks register 400 yards of offense or more five times, led by 564 yards in the 46-17 win vs. Indiana State.

Jerry Kaminski, QB, So., Sun Prairie, Wis., MVFC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention, 3.85 Kinesiology
Started all 13 games at quarterback … Ranks as the No. 10 most productive point scorer in the FCS (15.8 points per game) … Sits No. 2 in the MVFC and No. 8 in the country in passing touchdowns (26) … Ties for No. 7 in the league in rushing scores (8) … Ranks No. 14 in the conference in total rushing yards (879) and No. 15 in rushing yards per game (41.8) … Is 212-for-354 passing for 26 touchdowns while surrendering 10 interceptions … Rushed 122 times for 544 yards and eight scores … Threw completions to eight-or-more receivers in nine games this season.

North Dakota will visit No. 4 seed Tarleton State at Noon this Saturday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Fighting Hawks Radio Network.

For more information on North Dakota football, follow on social media @UNDfootball or visit FightingHawks.com.