MARQUETTE, Mich. – Austin Ridl, Michael Karlen, Trevor Leigh, and Mitch Larkin of the Northern Michigan football team have been honored on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, announced on Tuesday. This honor acknowledges success on the field and in the classroom. 

Ridl holds a 3.97 cumulative GPA as a junior. He played in 10 games at quarterback for the 'Cats and rushed for career highs in rushing yards in a game (106 vs. MSU Moorhead) and rushing yards in a season (268). He started at QB in the Wildcats' first win since 2022 against Roosevelt on Oct. 18, 2025, adding a 67-yard rushing touchdown to NMU's dominant rushing performance that day.

Karlen, a senior in Business, has a cumulative GPA of 3.97. He was named the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week in week 10 against Wayne State, making a 41-yard field goal and going a perfect 6/6 on PAT's. He started at kicker and punter in nine games for the Wildcats and placed third in the GLIAC in field goal percentage (71.4%). 

A senior in Business, Larkin had a cumulative GPA of 3.76. A captain of the team, Larkin played in all 11 games and was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team at linebacker. He recorded a career-high 6.5 tackles for loss this season and finished the season with 85 total tackles, tallying more than 10 in four games. He added four quarterback hits, two pass breakups, and a blocked kick. 

Leigh is a senior in Secondary Education with a cumulative GPA of 3.74. He started in all 11 games for NMU on the offensive line and helped fuel a rushing attack that finished as one of Division II's most productive, including NMU's single-season record for rushing yards (3,123).