While the Alabama vs. Georgia FBS National Championship will receive far more hype, the NDSU vs. Montana State FCS title bout should not be slept on. If you are a fan of college football or the sport in general, tune into the FCS showdown for what should be an exhilarating spectacle. Why? Because these top 10 players headline an FCS National Championship worth the price of admission.
Top five players in the 2021-2022 FCS National Championship | Montana State
Let’s start with the “away” team. The Bobcats enter the contest 12-2, led by first-year head coach Brent Vigen. Vigen was with NDSU as a player and coach from 1993-2013. He was the offensive coordinator on their first three FCS title teams (2011-13). After a seven-year stint at Wyoming, Vigen has charged Montana State to their first championship game since 1984. His squad has already dispatched the two 2021 spring finalists, champion Sam Houston and runner-up South Dakota State, en route to Frisco.
LB Troy Andersen
Montana State’s fearless leader, Troy Andersen, embodies the team’s mascot, hunting down his prey from the second level. He is quick to trigger downfield, and once he is locked onto a target, they are as good as down. Andersen’s 137 total tackles are top-five in the FCS. He’s also pitched in 14 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups to boot.
RB Isaiah Ifanse
A former summer flag football referee, Isaiah Ifanse broke the program’s single-season rushing yards record with 1,569 yards this year. That figure is also good for second in the entire FCS in 2021. What adds further allure to the junior running back is that he averaged 6.0 yards per carry while scoring 10 touchdowns and fumbling just once.
Ifanse hasn’t played a key role in the passing game (13-118-0 receiving line), but he is a missed tackle machine in the open field. With a dense, 5’10” and 202-pound frame, Ifanse can slip through arm tackles and dart past defenders all the same.
LT Lewis Kidd
Lewis Kidd was an All-Big Sky first-team selection this year and has 47 consecutive starts under his belt. Outside of allowing the occasional pressure, Kidd has been a stalwart on Montana State’s offensive line for years. At 6’6″ and 313 pounds, he has no issue being a mauler for an offense that relies on the run.
QB Tommy Mellott
Matthew McKay played most of the year as Montana State’s starter. But after he opted to enter the transfer portal before the playoffs, freshman Tommy Mellott took the reins and has not looked back. He has been especially effective on the ground, rushing 110 times for 705 yards and 10 scores. Yet, he’s struggled some through the air, completing only 26 of 50 passes for 461 yards and 4 TDs. WR Lance McCutcheon (58-1,113-8) has made the transition a bit easier for Mellott, offering a big-bodied, veteran outlet on the boundary.
DE Daniel Hardy
Andersen may be the leader of the defense, but he is far from the only star player on that side of the ball. Daniel Hardy has wreaked havoc on opposing offenses all season long. His 16.5 sacks are tied for the second-most in the FCS, and his 23.5 tackles for loss come in at third. He isn’t the best run defender and can miss tackles at times, but Hardy is a force up front.
We’d be remiss not to mention the safety duo of Ty Okada and Jeffrey Manning. Okada mans the slot, making multiple plays on the ball while filling holes against the run. Meanwhile, Manning plays the deep safety role, and he’s picked off 4 passes this season.
Top five players in the 2021-2022 FCS National Championship | North Dakota State
While Montana State is a fresh face on the national stage, North Dakota State has been here before — eight times, in fact. This will be NDSU’s ninth FCS title match, the most in the division’s history. Will the Bison continue their undefeated streak in titles bouts (8-0), or will they succumb to their prodigal son (Vigen)?
QB Cam Miller
Not to be confused with PFN NFL Draft Senior Director Cam Mellor, Cam Miller offers consistency under center. You know what you’re getting. He won’t make a ton of “wow” throws, but he also won’t put the ball in harm’s way. That style of QB meshes perfectly with NDSU’s run-heavy offense. Miller can steer the ship in clear waters, but can he produce with waves crashing around him? The Bobcats’ main objective on defense will be to force Miller’s arm into action on Saturday.
RT Cordell Volson
A Shrine Bowl invitee and three-time all-conference first-teamer, Cordell Volson seeks and destroys in the ground game. But what’s more impressive than a 6’7″ tower moving men against their will is the fact that Volson hasn’t allowed a sack in his career. He will look to keep that streak alive through one more game against Hardy and Co.
FB Hunter Luepke
Likely the best fullback in the college ranks, Hunter Luepke has been a key contributor for the Bison. He rushed for 461 yards and 5 TDs on 73 carries this season, adding another 165 yards and 3 scores as a receiver.
Luepke is also invaluable as a blocker. He lines up in a variety of locations, from the backfield to the tight end position, and springs his RBs open for big gains.
WR Christian Watson
Fresh off of the high of a Senior Bowl invite, Christian Watson hopes to make his return from a hamstring injury in the national championship. Even in an offense built around the ground game, Watson has impressed with 39 catches, 739 yards, and 7 TDs.
Furthermore, he cracked the FCS All-American first team this year, earning second-team honors as an all-purpose player. If NDSU can field a healthy Watson in the title match, Montana State may rethink forcing Miller to throw just a bit.
DLs Brayden Thomas and Eli Mostaert
The Bison deploy a vast rotation on the defensive line, but the best of the group have been DE Brayden Thomas and DT Eli Mostaert. The pair powered the team to a school-record 49 sacks this season. NDSU is fourth nationally and first in the conference averaging 3.5 sacks per game. Moreover, they possess five games with 5 sacks this year.
On top of owning a team-high 9 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, Thomas finished second in the voting for MVFC Defensive Player of the Year despite missing two games with an elbow injury.