Ryan Kasdorf, SR, 6-1, QB, USA College Football 1st-Team All-American, 223-321-17, 3644 Yards, 34 TD; Zac Schleuger, SR, 6-2, LB, USA College Football 2nd-Team All-American, 46 Solos, 68 Assists, 114 Total Tackles, 25.5-76 TFL-Yards, 5 QB Sacks, 1 Int., 5 breakups, 6 quarterback hurries; Joe Brummer, SR, 6-2, OL, 1st-Team All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC); Ethan Stofferan, SR, 6-3, LB, 1st-Team All-GPAC, 42 Solos, 50 Assists, 92 Total Tackles, 16.5-57 TFL-Yards, 6 QB Sacks, 1 breakup;

Austin Ebertowski, JR, 5-11, RB, Univ. of Northern Iowa. 1st-Team all-stater as senior at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln H.S.; Christian Brobst, FR, 6-2, DL, Univ. of South Dakota. 1st-Team all-state as senior at Sioux City Bishop Heelan Catholic H.S.; Brady Charbonneau, FR, 5-7, RB, Logan-Magnolia (IA) H.S., 1st-Team all-state; Weslee Dvorak, FR, 6-0, WR, Parkston (SD) H.S., Sioux Falls Argus-Leader Elite 45;

Brandon Wegher, JR, 5-11, RB, AFCA NAIA 1st-Team All-American, National rushing leader; Devin Thomas, SR, 5-10, WR, AFCA NAIA 2nd-Team All-American; Darrius McMullen, SR, 6-2, DL, USA College Football 1st-Team All-American; Devin Groenhagen, SR, 5-11, DL, USA College Football 2nd-Team All-American;

Morningside returns eight starters on offense, including its entire offensive line, and seven starters on defense, including four in the secondary, from a team that finished 11-2, won a fourth consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference championship, and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA Championship Series. The Mustangs, riding a streak of 11 consecutive appearances in the NAIA Championship Series, are one of the nation’s most successful football teams since the start of the 2004 season with a record of 112-23 for an .830 winning percentage. Morningside has advanced to at least the quarterfinals of the NAIA Championship Series nine times in the last 11 years and to at least the semifinals each of the last three years.

The offense returns a lot, including quarterback Ryan Kasdorf and the whole Offensive Line. New faces at receiver and runningback will need to step up to replace the carries and yards of Wegher and Thomas from a year ago.

The defense gained a lot of experience last year. At times playing four freshmen in the secondary. This experience, plus the return of All-Conference Linebackers; Stofferan and Schlueger;, and DL Luke Gibbs could make the defense much better than a year ago.