SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The NSIC Champion Augustana football team saw six of its members honored as part of the D2CCA Football All-Super Region 4 teams announced Thursday. On the first team, Blake Larson and Peyton Buckley earned their third all-region accolades from the Conference Commissioner's Association while Devon Jones earned his first. Jarod Epperson, Will Davis and Avery Book were all members of the second team.
 
First Team Offense
Blake Larson | Offensive Line | Brandon, S.D.
Larson is on the all-region teams for the third time after starting all 13 games at right tackle. On many NFL radars, Larson has seen action in 46 contests at Augustana. In 2023, he protected a rushing attack that saw a running back eclipse 1,000 yards on the ground. He also blocked for a quarterback that ranks first in the NSIC and 16^th in the nation with passing efficiency.
 
Devon Jones | Return Specialist | San Diego, Calif.
Jones, a senior wide receiver, earns his all-region accolade for his punt-return strength. He leads the nation with his 19.3 return yards per punt while ranking second with a pair of touchdowns. He returned a touchdown in the season's opening game and never looked back while shattering the school record for punt return yards at 347 and surpassing the average return per punt by more than four yards.
 
First Team Defense
Peyton Buckley | Defensive Back | Rice Lake, Wis.
Buckley ended the season with a team-best 78 tackles while recording 7.5 tackles for loss. In addition, he broke up nine passes, intercepted three and was credited with a forced fumble. Of his 78 tackles, 57 were solo. His nearly a pass defended per game ranked sixth in the NSIC while his solo tackles ranked eighth.
 
Second Team Offense
Jarod Epperson | Running Back | Omaha, Neb.
The running back with the third-most yards in Augustana history, Epperson earns his second First Team All-NSIC honor after rushing for 1,067 yards and 11 touchdowns. He ended the season ranked third in the NSIC with 110.54 all-purpose yards per game while adding 36 receptions on the year as part of his 28.5 yards per game average.
 
Second Team Defense
Will Davis | Defensive Line | Edina, Minn.
A breakout season for the defensive lineman, Davis totaled 33 tackles with a team-best nine being behind the line of scrimmage. In addition, he is tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. Davis is credited with five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries throughout his junior campaign. In addition, he recovered a pair of fumbles for the Vikings.
 
Avery Book | Punter | Ironton, Ohio
A key offseason addition, Book has taken the Vikings' punt game to new levels. He holds a single-season record average of 44.6 yards per punt including a nice season-long punt of 69 yards. He totaled 19 punts of 50 yards or longer, easily a conference best. At the national-level, his punt average holds the nation's third-longest distance.