WACO, Texas — Jake Breitbach was honored as an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-American, the association announced Monday. Breitbach was named to the Second Team, and is the first Gustie since Matthew Boyce in 2015 to earn All-America honors and the first since 2004 (Isaac Sieling) to receive the honor from the AFCA. Breitbach earns Gustavus football's 32nd all-time All-America honor.
Breitbach solidified himself as one of the nation's top wide receivers this season. Breitbach led the Gustavus offense, posting record numbers in his senior year. Breitbach finished the regular season with 1,599 receiving yards, 110 receptions, and 13 receiving touchdowns. He posted four games with 200 yards or more and eight with more than 100 yards, and finished the regular season second in all NCAA Divisions (FBS, FCS, DII, DIII) for receiving yards per game (159.9), receptions per game (11.0), and total receiving yards (1,599). In the ninth game of the season, Breitbach broke two program records, passing a 16-year old record for single season receptions with 104, and an eight-year old record for single season receiving yards (1,518). Breitbach also shares the program record for receiving touchdowns in a single game (four) which he collected in the first game of the season. In conference play, Breitbach led the league with 82 catches for 1,140 yards and eight touchdowns in MIAC contests. He now ranks fourth in recorded conference history for single-season MIAC receptions (82), yards (1,140), and receiving yards per game (142.5). Breitbach became the first player in recorded MIAC history to tally five straight 100-yard receiving games against conference opponents and tied the single-season record for 100-yard receiving games in league play with six in 2023. He was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year, and is the first Gustie to ever earn the honor, and is just the second wide receiver in the last decade to receive an individual MIAC postseason award. Breitbach was also recently named a top-five finalist for the 2023 Gagliardi Trophy, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding NCAA Division III football player and recognizes excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. Breitbach is the first Gustie in program history to be named a semifinalist or finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, which was first awarded in 1993.
Breitbach was joined by Saint John's tight end Alex Larson as the only two AFCA honorees from the MIAC.
About AFCA All-America: The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. The AFCA's Division III All-America Selection Committee is made up of head coaches representing each conference from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
