3 Bison On Buck Buchanan Award Watch List

North Dakota State has three players on the 30-man preseason watch list for the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I FCS college football.

Now in its 30th year, the award is named for legendary defensive lineman Junious “Buck” Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career.

NDSU defensive tackle Eli Mostaert, linebacker Logan Kopp and safety Cole Wisniewski are included on the watch list, which has 10 past finalists including Kopp last season.

Mostaert, a sixth-year senior from Lakeville, Minn., returned from a leg injury in 2022 to start all 15 games last year and finished with 37 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and one interception. He was named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference second team.

Kopp, a fourth-year junior from St. Louis, Mo., started all 15 games last season and was NDSU’s second-leading tackler with 85 total tackles including 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He made three interceptions, broke up four passes, forced two fumbles, recovered one fumble, and was credited with three quarterback hurries. He was named to the All-MVFC first team.

Wisniewski, a fifth-year senior from Sparta, Wis., was a consensus first team All-American last year in his first season at safety. He led the Bison with 92 total tackles and tied the NDSU and MVFC single-season records with eight interceptions, which led all Division I players in 2024. He added five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America first team.

North Dakota State is scheduled to open the regular season at Colorado on Thursday, Aug. 29. The game will be televised on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. MT.

(From NDSU Sports Information)