Nikolena Samac

John Carroll Football Notches 21 Players on All-NCAC Team and Wins Coaching Staff of Year Award

11/20/2025 1:00:00 PM | By: JCUSID

The Blue Streaks won the NCAC crown, led by Jeff Behrman '95 & Co.

CLEVELAND — After achieving perfection in their first season in the North Coast Athletic Conference, the John Carroll Football program received a plentiful bunch of All-NCAC honors.

The first one of note is Jeff Behrman '95 and company winning the Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

On the First Team offense, quarterback Nick Semptimphelter, tailback Nemo Jenkins, wide receiver Tyren Montgomery and offensive linemen Grant Myers made the cut. On the defensive side, linebacker Chris Golson, defensive tackle Tommy Wasinski and safety Lamar Thomas all earned First Team conference honors for the first time in their career.

Earning Second team honors are graduate student tight end Kennth Rawls and junior offensive linemen Troy Mrukowski. On defense, linebackers Kenny Grobolsek and Mason Rush, defensive end Ben Day and cornerbacks Dylan Crasi and Jacob Hufnagel got the nod. Kicker Colin Schuler and returner Shane Lindstrom also received second team honors on special teams.

Lindstrom also received Third Team offense honors, joined by offensive linemen Michael O'Rourke, Ben Dehmer and Jack McKinnon. On defense, linebacker Gino Blasini and defensive end Joe Thimons both made the Third Team grade.

Behrman, alongside defensive coordinator Dean Paul and offensive coordinator Travis James, guided the Blue Streaks to be ranked inside the top 20 nationally in both total offense and defense. In addition to leading the nation in completion percentage and fewest interceptions thrown, JCU's rushing defense ranks No. 2, passing efficiency is No. 5, red-zone offense ranks No. 7 and total defense is No. 8. D3football.com has JCU at #9 and the AFCA has JCU at #8 in NCAA Division III. Assistant Coaches Rex Rover, Joe Vacik, Ron Dolciato, Nate Dean, Joey Torok, Tyler Hughes, Bryce Paul, Mike Soeder, JT Monahan, Drew Schiano and Braeden Gedeon; and Quality Control Coaches Caleb Miller, Greg Campbell, Nate Kosko, Trevor Horvath and Issac Conners compose the rest of the all-star staff.

Nick Semptimphelter currently leads the nation and is the first collegiate quarterback, regardless of division, to complete 80% of his passes through a regular season. The graduate student ranks fifth in NCAA Division III in passing efficiency at a 194.6 clip. A two-time NCAC Athlete of the Week pick, Semptimphelter has thrown for 2,534 yards and 27 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions, adding 2 rushing scores. Semptimphelter stands fourth in JCU history in passing touchdowns (65) and fifth in passing yards (5,446). His 78% completion rate is tops in program history.

Tyren Montgomery sits third in the conference in receiving yards and broke 1,000 yards for the second consecutive year. Arguably the most talented wideout in the league, Montgomery broke the JCU record for receptions in a single season, with 81 receptions at the moment (12 more than the previous mark of 69 set by Hall of Famer Frank Ross '10). The two-time NCAC Athlete of the Week and one-time D3football.com Team of the Week honoree has 13 receiving touchdowns this year. In terms of career marks, Montgomery's 30 receiving TDs are second most in program history, his 34 total TDs are tied for fifth, his 2,159 receiving yards rank sixth, and his 138 receptions rank seventh.

Nemo Jenkins is the top running back in the NCAC, generally a pass-oriented league. The Floridian helps to anchor the ground game for the Blue Streaks, with an NCAC-best 665 rushing yards and an incredible 7.9 yards per carry. If you set the minimum carries at 25, Jenkins' yards per carry figure would be a single-season program record. Jenkins has clocked seven touchdowns this year, plus a 66.5 yards per game average, aided by a 90-yard rush in the regular season finale.

Grant Myers has anchored the offensive line at left tackle this season. The leader of an overall youthful unit, the senior has helped to keep Semptimphelter clean in a very efficient passing game. The Youngstown native helps to guide an O-line paving the way for the conference's top rushing game at a 200.7 yards per game clip, nearly 60 yards better than the NCAC's next best rushing attack. A College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection a year ago, Myers is quite smart, as well.

Chris Golson missed all of 2024 and came back for a fifth year and has been productive. The star linebacker has tallied 29 tackles, including 6 tackles for loss. The team leader has proved to be a reliable piece of the defense.

Tommy Wasinski has been an animal in the middle of the defense with 17 tackles and two passes defended. The Parma native is a bowling ball in the middle of the defense at defensive tackle. The Saint Ignatius grad is hard to block with an unrelenting, infectious energy.

Lamar Thomas has flown around the field all season, with 2 interceptions and 3 pass breakups. A multi-year starter, the safety is a reliable piece of the defense with 33 tackles, ranking third on the team.

Kenneth Rawls has enjoyed a career year as the Blue Streaks' playmaking tight end. The veteran has hauled in 41 receptions for 480 yards and 7 touchdowns. An impossible to bring down threat, Rawls is a two-time all-conference selection now.

Kenny Grobolsek is the top tackler on a defense that spreads the wealth. The Sheffield Village native leads the Blue Streaks with 47 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. The senior linebacker has added 2 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, and 2 pass breakups.

Mason Rus has developed into a bigtime playmaker in the middle of the defense. The senior linebacker is second on the squad with 44 tackles, including 5.5 tackles as well as a sack and 3 quarterback hurries. The Kirtland native has become a sneaky good pass defender, with an interception plus a pass breakup.

Ben Day has continued his strong career at defensive end. The Brecksville native is the team leader with 4 sacks on the season. The senior has supplemented his stats with 20 tackles and 5 tackles for loss plus a team-best 6 quarterback hurries. Day is a menace off the edge.

Dylan Crasi is a star cornerback who's critical in the secondary. The Aurora native has notched 4 pass breakups and 16 tackles on the season, but stats don't tell the full story. The sophomore is a lockdown corner with plenty of talent.

Jacob Hufnagel is another stud cornerback for the Blue Streaks. The Pittsburgher leads the team with 5 pass breakups on the season, adding 30 tackles. The junior forms a formidable duo with Crasi.

Colin Schuler has enjoyed a strong campaign as JCU's primary kicker. The junior has converted 12-of-15 field goals, including two from 40+ yards, his longest being a 46-yarder. His 1.2 field goals per game leads the NCAC. The Westerville native has fired home 55-of-57 extra points. A CSC Academic All-District pick last year, Schuler is a cerebral player.

Shane Lindstrom was honored twice, on the Second Team as a return specialist and on the Third Team as a wideout. The Ohio Dominican transfer has made an immediate impact in both areas. In the return game, the junior leads the conference with 200 punt return yards, good for an average of 8.7 yards per return, with a long of 39 yards. As a wideout, the North Lima native has become a quietly productive player with 27 catches for 379 yards and 2 scores.

Michael O'Rourke stepped into a starting role at center this season. The first year has developed into a reliable focal point of the offensive line, maturing as the season has continued. The Naperville, Illinois native proved to be key in both the run and passing games.

Ben Dehmer stood as an anchor at the left guard position this season for JCU. A junior on a young offensive line, the Columbus native utilized his experience to guide O'Rourke and other young linemates.

Jack McKinnon occupied the right guard position and evolved into a reliable blocker. The Dover native helped to pave the way for the conference's top running game with a three-headed monster in the backfield.

Gino Blasini proved to be a huge pickup for JCU. The Kirtland native transferred from Miami (OH) and tied for the team lead with two interceptions. The linebacker added 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks.

Joe Thimons had another productive year on the defensive line. The Pittsburgh native racked 19 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. The senior also snagged 4 pass breakups and 3 quarterback hurries.

These 21 players and the coaching staff played a substantial part in the Blue Streaks winning their first conference title since 2016 and their first in their inaugural season in the NCAC.

John Carroll plays host to their second consecutive playoff game and they face a solid task as the #17/20 ranked Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets come to town. The game will take place on November 29 at 12 pm on ESPN+.

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