Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University senior quarterback Aaron Syverson (Minnetonka, Minn.) and junior wide receiver Dylan Wheeler (St. Paul, Minn./Mounds View) were named American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) All-Americans on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Wheeler was named to the AFCA All-America first team, while Syverson received second-team honors.

SJU has now had 115 football student-athletes earn All-America honors a total of 151 times in the program's 113-season history.

Wheeler ended the regular season second in NCAA Division III in receiving touchdowns (19), eighth in total touchdowns, 10th in receptions per game (7.5) and 16th in receiving yards (1,065). He recorded over 100 receiving yards in seven of his team's 11 games so far this fall and leads SJU in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,093) and receiving touchdowns (20). The 20 receiving touchdowns are second-most in program history, two behind the record of 22 set by Blake Elliott '03 in 2002, while the catches rank sixth and the yards rank are ninth.

He was a two-time MIAC Offensive Player of the Week and led the MIAC in scoring, both in touchdowns (16) and total points (96), while finishing fifth in receptions (54) and sixth in receiving yards (821) in eight conference games. 

Syverson ended the regular season as the Division III leader in completion percentage (.765); second in completions per game (26.7), passing yards per game (355.9), passing touchdowns (43), points responsible for per game (26.4) and total offense (355.0 ypg.); fifth in passing efficiency (200.5); and ninth in yards per pass attempt (10.2). 

He is currently 294 of 388 passing (.758) for 3,916 yards and 46 touchdowns (to four interceptions). Syverson has passed for over 300 yards in nine of the Johnnies' 11 games this fall, including three over 400, and for five or more touchdowns five times with seven games of four or more.

Syverson completed 76.1 percent (121-for-159) of his passes for 1,462 yards and 14 touchdowns (to two interceptions) in four wins against nationally ranked teams (then-No. 4/now No. 10 Wartburg; then-No. 24/now No. 21 Bethel, twice; and No. 18 Wisconsin-La Crosse).

He owns the program and MIAC records for pass attempts (1,372); pass completions (946), passing yards (12,422) and touchdown passes (142), as well as the SJU marks for completion percentage (.690), passing yards per game (310.5), total offense (12,498 yards) and 300-yard passing games (19). Syverson is third in SJU history in both passing efficiency (174.9) and quarterback wins as a starter (36-4 record).

Syverson played all eight conference games and led the MIAC in every passing statistic for the second-consecutive season: completions (213), attempts (286), completion percentage (.745), passing yards (2,953/369.1 ypg.), passing touchdowns (36) and pass-efficiency rating (199.95). He set MIAC records (conference games only) for passing yards per game (369.1), 300-yard passing games (7), consecutive 300-yard passing games (6) and 400-yard passing games (3). Syverson broke the MIAC's single-season record with 37 passing touchdowns in 2023.

No. 3 SJU (11-0, 8-0 MIAC) hosts No. 6 Susquehanna of Pennsylvania (10-1, 6-0 Landmark) in the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs at noon this Saturday, Dec. 7, in Clemens Stadium.

The AFCA's Division III All-America Selection Committee is made up of head coaches representing each conference from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.