Football
FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State linebacker Logan Kopp and defensive end Toby Anene were among the 30 players named to the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award preseason watch list Wednesday, July 30. The award is presented annually to the national defensive player of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Kopp, a fifth-year senior from St. Louis, was a finalist for the Buchanan Award in 2023 and is a two-time All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team honoree. Kopp led NDSU last season with three interceptions and 73 total tackles, and he ranked second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss including 3.0 sacks. He is a two-time member of the MVFC Scholar-Athlete Team.
Anene, a fourth-year junior from Cottage Grove, Minn., started the last nine games of the 2024 season and finished the year with 29 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Anene led the MVFC with four forced fumbles and disrupted opposing offenses up front with six quarterback hurries and four pass breakups. He made a season-high five tackles in the NCAA championship win over Montana State.
Additional players may be added to the watch list before a national media panel selects the winner after the regular season from a group of finalists. The winner will be announced at the Stats Perform National Awards Banquet on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tenn.
North Dakota State is scheduled to open the 2025 season at The Citadel on Saturday, Aug. 30.
https://gobison.com/news/2025/7/30/football-kopp-anene-on-buck-buchanan-award-preseason-watch-list.aspx