Joseph Capra of the Colorado School of Mines has been named the fourth 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 NFF Colorado Chapter board of directors and representatives from College Sports Communicators at the 10 schools that compete in college football in Colorado determined the fourth POW recipient this season by vote. STATISTICAL LEADERS / COMBINED STATISTICS
Linebacker Carter Daniels (Week 0) and quarterback Navi Bruzon (Week 2) from Colorado State Pueblo, and quarterback Hauss Hejny (Week 1) from Colorado State, were the first three NFFCC recipients. PAST RECIPIENTS
A junior quarterback from Denver South, Capra had one of the most efficient outings of his career, leading Mines to a 34-3 win over Fort Lewis for the Orediggers’ first win of the season.
In less than three quarters of work, Capra went 16-of-22 for 267 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 55 net yards. He threw 27, 9, and 65-yard touchdowns, compiling a career-high QBR of 219.67.
Colorado School of Mines has now had 22 players recognized 39 times. Capra is the seventh Oredigger quarterback to receive the award. Mines quarterback John Matocha (2019-2023) captured the NFFCC weekly honor a record eight times, leading the Orediggers to two appearances in the NCAA Division II championship game in 2022 and 2023.
Here are this week’s nominees presented to Sarah Meier, coordinator of the POW program for the Colorado Chapter.
- Khalil Abdul-Aziz, quarterback, Adams State
- Joseph Capra, quarterback, Colorado Mines
- Marcellus Honeycutt, Jr., wide receiver, Colorado State Pueblo
- Elijah Portela, safety, Fort Lewis
- Dominic Butts, defensive end, Northern Colorado
- Josiah Roy, quarterback, Western Colorado
- A freshman quarterback from Morenco Valley, Calif., Khalil Abdul-Aziz accounted for both Adams State touchdowns in the Grizzlies’ 45-15 setback to South Dakota Mines, completing 14-of-24 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Abdul-Aziz connected with Max Minor for a 26-yard touchdown in the third quarter to cap a five-play, 49-yard drive, then completed the two-point conversion to Kayden LaFramboise. In the fourth quarter, he led a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive and connected with Travion Dixson for a nine-yard touchdown. His 14 completions and two touchdown passes were both season-high individual performances for Adams State through four games.
- A junior wide receiver from Denver George Washington High, Marcellus Honeycutt, Jr., was targeted eight times in CSU Pueblo’s 33-6 win at Chadron State. He caught six passes for 127 yards and hauled in two touchdown passes, including a 78-yard touchdown from Navi Bruzon that gave the Pack a 17-0 lead just 73 seconds into the second quarter, and averaged 21.2 yards per reception. The 78-yard pass was the Pack’s longest offensive play of the season and the second-longest in the RMAC. The 127 receiving yards marked his second straight 100-plus-yard receiving game, and his two touchdown receptions pushed his season total to five, which is tops among RMAC receivers and ranks fourth nationally in Division II football. He has also recorded back-to-back two-touchdown games and three career 100-plus-yard receiving games.
- A fifth-year safety from Peoria, Ariz., Elijah Portela led all players in the game with a career-high 10 tackles (6 solo), including 2.0 for a combined three yards lost, and forced one fumble.
- A senior defensive end from Severance High in Johnstown, Colo., Dominic Butts recorded a career-high four tackles for loss against Northeastern State as the Bears rallied for a 23-17 overtime win. He tied for the second-most in a single game in UNC history. Butts now has 19 tackles for loss in his career, the 8th-most in UNC Division I history. He also added a sack and six total tackles on the night. His four tackles for loss tie for the third-most in the FCS this season in a single game, and he also ranks third in total tackles for loss so far this season.
- Senior quarterback Josiah Roy of Colorado Springs Pine Creek High engineered a 31-14 road win at Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction for the seventh-ranked Mountaineers’ second RMAC win this season. He completed 18-of-24 passing for 118 yards and two touchdowns and added 31 yards rushing.