Fighting Hawk Trio Named To Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Three North Dakota football players earned STATS Perform FCS Preseason All-America honors, the organization announced Monday. Senior edge rusher Lance Rucker was named to the first team, while offensive lineman Liam Becher and junior edge rusher Kaden Vig earned second-team recognition. The preseason honors mirror the postseason recognition the trio received from the Missouri Valley Football Conference following North Dakota’s 8-6 season under first-year head coach Eric Schmidt in 2025. Rucker is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he led the MVFC with 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He also recorded a career-high 3.0…