Preseason Watch List Highlights Emporia State's Defensive Stars
The 2026 D2football.com Elite 100 preseason watch list features two Emporia State Hornets, Landon Boss and Tyler Schultze, marking the program as one of only two Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association teams with multiple representatives.
Boss, a senior linebacker, enters the season as a finalist for the Ken B. Jones Award, which honors the top male student‑athlete in the MIAA, and has collected First‑Team All‑American recognition from the AFCA, D2CCA, AP, Don Hansen Football Committee and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
His statistical dominance includes a league‑leading 10 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown, while his 69 solo tackles rank fifth nationally.
Schultze, a defensive back, earned Second‑Team All‑MIAA honors after leading the conference with 15 pass breakups, a tally that ties the national record, and finished the season with 65 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Both players were also selected to the CFBNetwork Preseason All‑American team, and the Hornets plan to bring back 13 starters, including Boss and Schultze, when they open the season against Minot State and Michigan Tech.
Kicker Brandon McCary adds to the Hornets' preseason buzz by landing on the Fred Mitchell Award watch list, while the team looks to extend a streak of four seasons that have produced an average of more than seven wins per year.