Linebacker Carter Daniels from Colorado State Pueblo has been voted the first 2026 recipient of the player-of-the-week honors presented by the Colorado Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. RELEASE
The recipient is determined by a vote of the members of the NFF Colorado Chapter’s board of directors and representatives from College Sports Communicators at the 10 schools that compete in college football in the state of Colorado. STATISTICAL LEADERS / COMBINED STATISTICS
In his first start for the ThunderWolves, Daniels had 16 total tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in sixth-ranked CSU Pueblo’s 44-25 win over Central Missouri last Thursday at the ThunderBowl in the Steel City.
On Monday, Daniels was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s defensive player of the week. Also honored were running back Andre Branch from Adams State (offense) and kicker JT Miller of Western Colorado (special teams). ARTICLE
A sophomore from Mountain Vista High School in Centennial, Colo., Daniels recorded 16 total tackles (five solo) in his first career start. He added 1.5 sacks, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown to give the Pack a 44-18 lead with 6:10 left in the game.
The 16 tackles were the most by a Pack player in a game since Jon Nuschy had 17 tackles against Grand Valley State during the 2024 season. The 16 tackles are also tied for the third-most by a Division II player this season.
Daniels’ pick was the Pack’s 56th interception return for a touchdown since the program rebooted in 2008 and the 20th interception return for a score since the beginning of the 2019 season.
Since 2008, CSU Pueblo has now had 26 players named 38 times as recipients of the NFF Colorado Chapter POW award. Daniels is the ninth Pack defensive player to receive the honor.
Other players on the nomination list for the first weekly honor presented this season by the Colorado Chapter were linebacker La’Markus Reed from Colorado Mesa, wide receiver Pierce Richards from Colorado School of Mines, quarterback Kenny Lueth from Northern Colorado, and quarterback Josiah Roy from Western Colorado.
Here are this week’s nominees presented to Sarah Meier, coordinator of the POW program for the Colorado Chapter. PAST RECIPIENTS
A senior from Waxahachie, Texas, Reed had a career-high 14 tackles in Colorado Mesa’s 38-14 setback to fifth-ranked Minnesota State on Thursday in Grand Junction.
A junior from Kingwood, Texas, Richards set a Mines program record with 18 receptions (21 targets) in the Orediggers’ 22-20 loss to 22nd-ranked Western Oregon last Saturday in Golden. He had a career-high 153 receiving yards with 131 yards after the catch. His 18 catches are now tied for the third-most in a game by a Colorado collegiate player.
- 19 (143 yards, 2 touchdowns), Justin Johnson, Fort Lewis vs. Western New Mexico, November 7, 2009
- 19 (179-3), Nelson Spruce, Colorado at California (2 OT), September 27, 2014
- 18 (204-3), Jamal Allen, Fort Lewis at Nebraska Kearney, October 13, 2001
A fifth-year player from Rockling, Calif., Lueth completed 20 of 33 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown in Northern Colorado’s 30-29 setback to Weber State in Greeley. His passing touchdown came with three seconds left in the game to bring the score to 30-29 before the missed extra point.
Lueth also rushed for 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground as UNC finished with 259 yards rushing as a team, the most in the Coach Lamb era and the most at UNC since 2018.
Roy, who is replacing Colorado Chapter’s 2025 offensive player of the year Drew Nash as the Mountaineer quarterback, completed nine of 11 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns in 11th-ranked Western Colorado’s 52-21 win at West Texas A&M in Canyon on Thursday.
