Ferris State QB Vander Laan repeats as Harlon Hill winner

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) Ferris State quarterback Jason Vander Laan won his second straight Harlon Hill Trophy as Division II's top player. Vander Laan's 217 total

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) Ferris State quarterback Jason Vander Laan won his second straight Harlon Hill Trophy as Division II's top player.

Vander Laan's 217 total points ranks as the fourth-highest total by a winner in the award's 30-year history. He was honored Friday.

Vander Laan received 51 first-place votes among the 101 ballots cast by Division II sports information directors.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Georgia
• Utah
• Alabama
• UCLA
• Notre Dame
• Texas
• Miami (FL)
• Tennessee
• Indiana
• BYU
• Kentucky
• Texas Tech

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

He's the fourth player to win the Harlon Hill twice.

He passed for 2,626 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 1,542 yards and 24 scores.

Vander Laan was followed in the voting by Humboldt State running back Ja'Quan Gardner (107 points) and Colorado State-Pueblo running back Cameron McDondle, who got 90 points.

The trophy is named for the late Harlon Hill, a former North Alabama and Chicago Bears player.