North Central College quarterback Lehnen wins Gagliardi Trophy for second consecutive season
North Central College quarterback Luke Lehnen was announced as the winner of the 2024 Gagliardi Trophy, the most prestigious award in NCAA Division III football, on Friday prior to Sunday's Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
Also the 2023 Gagliardi Trophy recipient, Lehnen is just the second Division III player (joining University of Mount Union quarterback Kevin Burke in 2013 and 2014) to receive the nation's top award twice and just the eighth in NCAA history to win such an award more than once. This year's Associated Press National Offensive Player of the Year, D3football.com North Region Offensive Player of the Year and College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Art Keller Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year, Lehnen is preparing to lead the Cardinals into a national championship game for the fourth time.
Lehnen is the 18th quarterback to win the Gagliardi Trophy in the 32-year history of the award. The Cardinals have had four Gagliardi Trophy winners in the last five seasons, making North Central the only NCAA program to do so. Quarterback Broc Rutter won the award in 2019 and running back Ethan Greenfield was the 2022 recipient. Of the 42 voters for the 2024 trophy, 75% had Lehnen as a top-three pick.
The starter at quarterback for the Cardinals every game the past four seasons, Lehnen has completed 178 of 257 passes (69.3%) for 2,960 yards and 39 touchdowns while also running for 924 yards and a career-high 14 rushing touchdowns. Lehnen set a North Central single-game record by accounting for 7 touchdowns in a 49-10 win at Augustana College Oct. 14, and tied a program record by completing 16 of 17 passes (94.1%) in the Cardinals' 66-0 national semifinal victory over Susquehanna University.
This year's CCIW leader in rushing touchdowns and passing touchdowns, Lehnen has accounted for at least two touchdowns in every game and has led North Central to victory 56 times in 58 outings, with the only losses coming in the 2021 and 2023 Stagg Bowls.
Heading into Sunday's Stagg Bowl against Mount Union, Lehnen owns the NCAA all-divisions record for touchdowns responsible for (208) and is the only player in collegiate history with at least 50 rushing touchdowns (50) and at least 100 passing touchdowns (158). The graduate student has thrown at least one touchdown pass in a collegiate-record 58 consecutive games, encompassing Lehnen's entire career, and is on pace to establish a new all-divisions standard for career passing efficiency (211.9). Lehnen also owns the Division III all-time record for career total offensive yards (15,632) and shares the Division III career standard for touchdown passes.