SALEM, Va. — D3football.com released its 25th annual All-America awards Friday afternoon and Gustavus standout wide receiver Jake Breitbach was named a Third Team All-American. Breitbach, who earned AFCA All-America earlier in the week, is the first Gustie to earn the honor from the AFCA and D3football.com in the same season. 

The 2023 Gagliardi Trophy, recognizing the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III, was also announced by D3football.com at the live coverage of the 2023 Stagg Bowl. North Central junior quarterback Luke Lehnen, who will compete in the national title game Friday night, won the award. Breitbach is the first Gustavus football player in program history to be named a finalist for the Gagliardi, which was first awarded in 1993.

Breitbach solidified himself as one of the nation's top wide receivers this season, leading the Gustavus offense with 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 joined by fellow MIAC football players Alex Larson (TE, Saint John's), Ntense Obono (TE, Carleton), Joe Jaeger (G, Saint John's), Matt Jung (S, Bethel), and Collin Thompson (DT, Concordia) on the four-team All-America list. 

About D3football.com All-America: The first D3football.com All-America team was awarded in 1999 and is, along with the AFCA All-America team, the only ones recognized in the NCAA record book. Players are nominated by schools in November and December for the D3football.com All-Region team, and are then considered for All-American.