How former high school football stars are faring at schools outside Nebraska
CharMar Brown and Jackson Williams are making big first-year contributions to perennial FCS contender North Dakota State.
Brown, a redshirt freshman from Omaha Creighton Prep, leads the No. 2 Bison in rushing. Williams, a true freshman from Millard West, is their primary kick returner.
In the same week in September, they earned Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week honors.
Brown was named Newcomer of the Week after rushing 24 times for 126 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-24 win over Towson.
"The kid works really hard," quarterback Cam Miller said after that game. "The yards after contact must have been pretty absurd. There was some plays where there wasn't much there, and he made something happen.
"Those are guys you want to play with. You can ask some of the defensive guys, I mean, he's a problem to bring to the ground. And couldn't be happier for the time how
Williams was named Special Teams Player of the Week after a game-best 169 all-purpose yards. He scored on his first punt return, a 67-yarder for a 17-3 second quarter lead, and averaged 21.3 yards on four kickoff returns.
"That first score and roar of the crowd is pretty cool," Williams said, "but I was just glad you guys up front were able to create a crease for me to just find open space.
"Me, one-on-one with the punter, I'm going to take me every time."
In NDSU's 5-1 start, the loss in the season-opener at Colorado, Williams has nine kickoff returns for 250 yards (long 55), four punt returns for 74 yards, including a 67-yard TD and three catches for 52 yards in five games.
Brown has started twice, rushed for 449 yards and six touchdowns on 95 carries with two 100-yard games and has three catches for 36 yards.
An update on the 101 Nebraskans in Division I football through last week's games:
Alabama-Birmingham (1-5): Patrick Foley (r-jr., Omaha Creighton Prep/transfer from Arkansas, punter) is averaging 43.5 yards on 13 punts. Saturday: at Army
Arkansas State (3-2): Mekhi Butler (r-sr., Omaha North, OL) has started every game. Saturday: at Texas State
Auburn (2-4): Micah Riley (so., Bellevue West, TE) has one catch for a 3-yard touchdown. Next game: Oct. 19 at Missouri
Colorado State (2-3): Jake Dennis (sr., Omaha Skutt, long snapper) has appeared in four of five games. Saturday: vs. San Jose State
Illinois (4-1): Tanner Hollinger (fr., Cross County, TE) has not played. Saturday: at Purdue
Iowa (3-2): Will Hubert (so, Papillion-La Vista, DL) has one solo and three assisted tackles in two games; Kade Pieper (r-fr., Norfolk Catholic, OL) has played in four games; Michael Burt (fr., Creighton Prep, TE) has not played. Saturday: vs. Washington
Iowa State (5-0): Benjamin Brahmer (so. Pierce, TE) has seven catches for 145 yards and a touchdown; Beni Ngoyi (r-fr., Lincoln High, WR) has two catches for 27 yards; Wyatt Archer (r-fr., Skutt, WR) and Alec Cook (r-so., Omaha Burke, LB) each has played in one game. Saturday: at West Virginia
Kansas (1-4): Nolan Gorczyca (r-jr., Omaha Roncalli/Buffalo, OL) has played in five games; Ezra Vedral (r-fr., Creighton Prep, LB) has not played. Next game: Oct. 19 vs. Houston
Kansas State (4-1): Marques Sigle (sr., Omaha North/North Dakota State, DB) has 12 solo and four assisted tackles and an interception; Keagan Johnson (jr., Bellevue West, WR) 14 catches for 161 yards one rush for 8 yards; Brayden Loftin (so., Council Bluffs Lewis Central, TE) seven catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns; Garrett Oakley (so., Columbus Scotus, TE) 5 catches for 51 yards and a TD and made one tackle; Simon McClannan (r-fr., Millard South, K/P) has a 42.6 average on 18 punts and has six touchbacks on 10 kickoffs; Will Swanson (sr., Papillion-La Vista South, TE) and Andrew Johnson (r-fr., Lincoln Christian, long snapper) each has played in five games; Will Granger (fr., Millard North, LB) has not played. Saturday: at Colorado
Louisiana-Monroe (4-1): Nate Sullivan (jr., Bellevue West/Iowa Western, TE) has seven catches for 43 yards. Saturday: vs. Southern Miss
Michigan (4-2): Ernest Hausmann (jr., Columbus/NU, LB) leads the Wolverines with 28 solo and 12 assisted tackles, one sack and one interception. Next game: Oct. 19 at Illinois
Missouri (4-1): Caleb Pyfrom (fr., Omaha Central, OL) has not played. Saturday: at Massachusetts
Northern Illinois (3-2): Cade Haberman (sr., Omaha Westside, DT) has five solo and seven assisted tackles with 1.5 sacks and two blocked kicks; Jake Gassaway (r-so., Millard South, LB) has five solo and five assisted tackles; Jake Appleget (r-so., Lincoln Southeast/NU, TE) has one catch for 5 yards in five games; Ben Gustafson (fr., Elkhorn South, OL) and Joe Stein (fr., Grand Island Northwest, TE) have not played. Saturday: at Bowling Green
Notre Dame: Xavier Watts (gr., Omaha Burke, DB) has 14 solo and four assisted tackles, two interceptions for 34 yards, five pass breakups and one forced fumble; Teddy Rezac (fr., Westside, LB) has played in one game; Anthony Rezac (fr., Westside, QB) has not played. Saturday: vs. Stanford
Oklahoma (4-1): Kade McIntyre (r-fr., Fremont Bergan, TE) has played in three games; Kaden Helms (r-so., Bellevue West, TE) has played in two games. Saturday: vs. Texas
Oklahoma State (3-3): Zane Flores (r-fr., Gretna, QB) has not played. Friday: at BYU
Oregon (5-0): Devon Jackson (so., Burke, ILB) has seven solo and eight assisted tackles with one pass breakup. Saturday: vs. Ohio State
Sam Houston State (5-1): Jay Ducker (sr., Bellevue West/Northern Illinois/Memphis, RB) has rushed for 348 yards and five touchdowns and caught four passes for 41 yards. Next game: Oct. 16, vs. Western Kentucky
UNLV (4-1): Jack Hasz (gr., Creighton Prep/Buffalo, OC) has started five games. Friday: at Utah State
Utah State (1-4): Avante Dickerson (jr., Westside/Oregon, CB) has eight solo tackles, (five against Boise State) and five assists with three pass breakups in five starts. Friday: vs. UNLV
Vanderbilt (3-2): Dominic Rezac (jr., Westside, RB) has played in one game. Saturday: at Kentucky
Wyoming (1-4): Sabastian Harsh (jr., Scottsbluff, DE) has 17 solo and nine assisted tackles, with 1.5 sacks; Sam Scott (jr., Skutt, RB), after 97 yards and a touchdown against Air Force, is the rushing leader with 190 yards and a touchdown; Tyce Westland (jr., Pleasanton, DE) has seven solo and seven assisted tackles with 1.5 sacks. Justin Erb (so., Wakefield/Iowa Western, TE) has one solo and five assisted tackles; Koa McIntyre (so., Fremont Bergan, SS) has played in four games. Dash Bauman (fr., Lincoln East, LB) has not played. Caleb Robinson (sr., Burke, DT) had a season-ending injury in spring camp. Saturday: vs. San Diego State
Lindenwood (2-4): Nate Glantz (jr., Bellevue West/Iowa State/McNeese State) is 86 of 143 for 1,041 yards and eight touchdowns against five interceptions and has rushed for 114 yards and three TDs; Tony Failla (so., Millard West/Southeast Missouri, OL) has played in one game. Saturday: vs. Charleston Southern
Mercer (5-0): Caden Camese (r-so., Bellevue West, DL) has two solo and one assisted tackle in two games. Saturday: vs. Princeton
Montana (4-2): Garrett Hustedt (r-sr., Elkhorn Mount Michael, LB) has two solo and four assisted tackles and a pass breakup in three games. Saturday: vs. Northern Arizona
North Dakota (4-2): Kason Kelley (sr., Millard North, LB) has 13 solo and nine assisted tackles and a fumble recovery; Lance Rucker (so., Millard South, LB) has seven solo and 10 assisted tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery; Hayden Stec (so., Elkhorn, LB) has four solo and one assisted tackle in five games; Trace Thaden (so., Millard West, OL); Gunnar Lyn (fr., Bennington, DB), Caden Cetak (fr., Lincoln East, DL); and Tyler Thaden (fr., Millard West, OL) have not played. Next game: Oct. 19 vs. Northern Iowa
North Dakota State (5-1): Jackson Williams (fr., Millard West, WR) has nine kickoff returns for 250 yards (long 55), four punt returns for 74 yards, including a 67-yard TD and three catches for 52 yards in five games; CharMar Brown (r-fr., Omaha Creighton Prep, RB) has started twice, rushed for 449 yards and six touchdowns on 95 carries with two 100-yard games and has three catches for 36 yards; Cole Payton (jr., Westside, QB) is 9 of 15 for 118 yards and two TDs against one interception and has rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in six games; Victor Isele (r-fr., Grand Island Northwest, DE; has played in one game; Isaac Zatechka (jr., Elkhorn South/Missouri, OL) has not played. Saturday: at Southern Illinois
Northern Iowa (2-3): Blake Anderson (r-jr., Skutt, OG) has one solo tackle; Brogan Ling (r-fr., Lincoln Southwest, LB) has played in four games; Sam Thomas (fr., Elkhorn North, OL) has played in one game; Aidan Miller (fr., Millard South, DL) has not played. Saturday: at South Dakota
St. Thomas (2-3): Matthew Rink (jr., Lincoln Southwest, TE) has one catch for 2 yards in five games; Gavin Nunnally (so., Millard South, DB) has one assisted tackle in three games; Ty Nielsen (fr., Elkhorn South, DB) has one solo and one assisted tackle in one game; Dylan Kingston (fr., Elkhorn South, DB) has one assisted tackle in one game. Saturday: at Marist
South Dakota (4-1): Clayton Denker (r-jr., David City, DB) has one assisted tackle in two games; Mack Owens (r-so., Aurora, LB); Jarrett Synek (r-jr., Hastings/NU, QB) has two carries for 20 yards and one incomplete pass in one game; Ford Hamilton (r-fr., Creighton Prep, K/P), Beau Ryan (fr. Westside, LB), JT Brands (fr., Oakland-Craig, DL), Jacob Arop (fr., Bellevue West, OL), Tommy Meckna (fr., Elkhorn North, WR) and Caden Frey (fr., Red Cloud, TE) have not played. Saturday: vs. Northern Iowa
South Dakota State (4-1): Caleb Francl (sr., Grand Island, LB) is second in tackles with 12 solo and 15 assists, with two pass breakups; Dalys Beanum (sr., Millard West, CB) has 12 solo and seven assisted tackles with a forced fumble; Abe Hoskins III (sr., Omaha Central, CB) has one assisted tackle un two games; Kolten Tilford (r-fr., North Platte, DB) has three solo and four assisted tackles; Fernando (JR) Lecuona (fr., Millard South, DE) has one solo tackle in three games; Kytan Fyfe (so., Grand Island, LB) has played in one game; Isaac Kracl (so., Crete, RB), Dane Miller (so., Superior, WR)' Joe Roll (r-fr., Gretna, WR) and Joey Vieth (fr., Gretna, LB) have not played. Saturday: vs. Youngstown State
Southeast Missouri (5-1): Braden Thompson (jr., Nebraska City, TE) has played in two games. Saturday: vs. Tennessee Tech
Wofford (2-3): Benny Radicia (sr., Westside, LB) has 12 solo and nine assisted tackles and one interception. Saturday: vs. VMI
FCS non-scholarship
Drake (4-1): Ethan Zager (gr., Lincoln Lutheran, DB) has six solo tackles, two assisted tackles and a sack in four games; Parker Borer (fr., Boone Central, RB) has played in one game. Saturday: vs. Butler
Fordham (0-6): James Conway (sr., Millard West, LB) has two solo and 11 assisted tackles from his first game back from a preseason injury. Saturday: vs. Holy Cross
Harvard (2-1): Kaedyn Odermann (sr., Millard West, WR) has one catch for 21 yards; Jack Kirkwood, (jr., Creighton Prep, LB) has one assisted tackle. Friday: at Cornell
Princeton (1-2): Mason Armstead (sr., Creighton Prep, DB) has one solo and two assisted tackles and one interception; Rocco Marcelino (so., Creighton Prep, DL) has two solo and five assisted tackles with a half-sack. Saturday: vs. Mercer
Valparaiso (2-4): Max Kobs (r-jr., Creighton Prep, LB) has three assisted tackles in two games. Saturday: vs. Stetson
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