MARQUETTE, Mich. – With the Northern Michigan football season less than two weeks away, running back Noah Dobert and linebacker Jax Hertel have been named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List.

The D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List was selected by the D2Football.com staff with input from numerous sitting head coaches and professional football scout Josh Buchanan. The list includes First Team and Second Team selections on offense, defense, and special teams, along with 25 "Squad" players on offense and defense. Squad players are equivalent to "Honorable Mention" selections on similar national recognition lists.

Dobert and Hertel were both named to the Elite 100 Squad.

Dobert, a sophomore from Dearborn, Michigan, rewrote the record books in 2025. He became the first player in program history to receive D2CCA All-American honors, earning Second Team recognition. He finished the season with 1,656 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, establishing new single-season records at NMU in both categories. Dobert ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game at 150.5 while also ranking among the nation's leaders in total rushing yards and averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

He closed the season with a record-setting performance against Wayne State, rushing for 406 yards and four touchdowns to establish a new NMU single-game rushing record. The performance earned him D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week honors. He also earned GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year, All-GLIAC First Team honors, and a spot on the D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team.

Hertel, a senior from Walworth, Wisconsin, enters the 2026 season following a standout 2025 campaign. He also earned a spot on the D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team after anchoring the Wildcats' defensive unit throughout the season. Hertel led the Wildcats with 101 tackles, a total that ranked third in the GLIAC, while his 14.5 tackles for loss led the conference. He also contributed in a variety of ways defensively, recording three quarterback hits, six pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a pick-six. Hertel started all 11 games for the Wildcats.

With Dobert and Hertel leading the way on offense and defense, the Green and Gold enter the 2026 season with high expectations under first-year head coach Matt Janus. The Wildcats open the season with Thursday Night Football at Minnesota State Moorhead on Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. ET.

The full release from D2Football.com can be found here.