Morningside’s Brandon Wegher is the offensive headliner on the 2014 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team.

Brandon Wegher, a 5-11, 210 lb. senior running back from Dakota Dunes, S.D., is the offensive headliner on the 2014 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team.

In addition to making the AFCA All-America Team, Wegher was also named to the third team of the 2014 Associated Press Little All-America Team, comprised of players from the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA levels.

Wegher had one of the greatest seasons in NAIA history during the 2014 campaign when he rushed for a NAIA record 2610 yards in 327 attempts for averages of 8.0 yards per carry and 200.8 yards per game. Aside from leading the nation in rushing, Wegher also topped the nation in scoring with 260 points to break the NAIA record for points in a season. Wegher also broke the existing NAIA national records with 43 touchdowns, 39 rushing touchdowns, and averages of 20.0 points per game, 3.3 touchdowns per game, and 8.0 yards per rushing attempt with a minimum of 250 carries.

Aside from his rushing exploits, Wegher was the Mustangs’ fourth leading pass receiver with 29 receptions for 429 yards and four touchdowns for an average of 14.8 yards per catch. He led the NAIA with an average of 233.8 all-purpose yards per game.

His exploits helped Morningside establish new NAIA national records with 4613 yards rushing and 8609 yards total offense in a season. The Mustangs also set new NAIA records with averages of 55.5 points and 662.2 yards total offense per game.

Wegher, the 2014 Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Offensive Player of the Year, rushed for over 100 yards in 11 of the Mustangs’ 13 games, including a school-record 327 yards in a 50-7 victory against Dakota Wesleyan University. Wegher also topped the 300-yard mark when he rushed for 311 yards in the Mustangs’ 56-28 win against Missouri Valley College in the NAIA Championship Series Quarterfinals. He also had four 200-yard rushing performances with 258 yards against Concordia University, 250 yards against Doane College, 217 yards against Northwestern College, and 210 yards against Dordt College.

He was named the NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week after his school-record 327-yard performance against Dakota Wesleyan and was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Offensive Player of the Week four times this season.

Wegher rushed for 3815 yards and 48 touchdowns in 535 attempts for an average of 7.1 yards per carry during his two-year career with the Mustangs to become the all-time leading rusher in Morningside history. He scored a school-record 52 touchdowns during his career and also set Morningside career records with 48 rushing touchdowns and an average of 7.1 yards per carry. 

In addition to Wegher, the Mustangs’ Devin Thomas, a 5-10, 190 lb. senior wide receiver from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was named to the AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Second Team. Thomas was the Mustangs’ leading pass receiver with 67 receptions for 1245 yards and nine touchdowns for an average of 18.6 yards per catch. He ranked among the NAIA national leaders with an average of 113.2 reception yards per game.

Thomas, who suffered a season ending knee injury in the Mustangs’ 42-21 victory against Ottawa University in the first round of the NAIA Championship Series, had over 100 reception yards in seven of the Mustangs’ 10 regular season contests. He had eight receptions for career highs of 235 yards and four touchdowns in the Mustangs’ 76-14 win against Hastings College for the fourth highest single-game reception yardage total in Morningside history.

Aside from his pass receiving exploits, Thomas was also the Mustangs’ top kick return specialist with averages of 15.3 yards per punt return and 29.9 yards per kickoff return. He had a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Mustangs’ 63-0 shutout win against city rival Briar Cliff.

Thomas had 117 pass receptions for 2058 yards and 16 touchdowns for an average of 17.6 yards per catch during his two-year Morningside career.

Morningside has placed a player on the AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team for nine straight seasons for the second longest active streak in the NAIA behind Carroll College, which has placed a player on the team each of the last 10 years.

The AFCA has selected All-America teams since 1945. The association selects All-America teams for the NAIA and all divisions of the NCAA. The AFCA started selecting a NAIA only team in 2006.

Click here for the complete 2014 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team.