SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Graduate student defensive back
Klayton Batten (Waldorf, Md./St. Charles) of the Shepherd University football team has been named to the 2025 Elite 100 Team that was released on Monday. The Elite 100 is D2Football.com's version of an All-America team.
The team is selected by staff members of D2Football.com with input from sitting head coaches as well as professional football scouting veteran Josh Buchanan. The team includes first and second team selections for offense, defense, and special teams, along with 25 "Squad" players for offense and defense. Squad players are equivalent to "honorable mention" selections in similar national recognition lists.
Batten, a squad selection, appeared in 11 games with nine starts. He recorded 42 tackles (30 solos) with 1.5 tackles-for-loss (-5 yards). He added five interceptions for 99 yards, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. His 0.45 interceptions per game tied for the lead in the PSAC and ranked him eighth nationally. Batten also ranked seventh nationally in forced fumbles with a 0.36 per game average.
The complete 2025 Elite 100 Team is shown below.
2025 Elite 100 Team
| Special Awards |
|
Coach of the Year |
Todd Knight, Newberry |
|
Off. Coordinator of the Year |
Steve Annese, Ferris State |
|
Def. Coordinator of the Year |
Eric Fargo, Kutztown |
|
Offensive Player of Year |
Curtis Allen, Virginia Union |
|
Defensive Player of Year |
Tristan Exline, UTPB |
First Team - Offense |
|
QB |
Jack Strand |
MSU-Moorhead |
|
RB |
Curtis Allen |
Virginia Union |
|
RB |
Andrew Miller |
Harding |
|
WR |
TJ Chukwurah |
Black Hills State |
|
WR |
Reggie Retzlaff |
Colorado State Pueblo |
|
TE |
Luke Dehnicke |
Minnesota Duluth |
|
OL |
Joe Cooper |
Slippery Rock |
|
OL |
Tim Anderson |
Ferris State |
|
OL |
Slade Edwards |
Central Washington |
|
OL |
Ryan Schernecke |
Kutztown |
|
OL |
Ryne Buttz |
Indianapolis |
|
|
|
|
| First Team - Defense |
|
DL |
Michael Shimek |
Ashland |
|
DL |
Kenyon Garner |
Livingstone |
|
DL |
Clayton Power |
Northwest Missouri |
|
DL |
Israel Nwokocha |
Benedict |
|
LB |
Tristan Exline |
UTPB |
|
LB |
Clark Griffin |
Harding |
|
LB |
Ja'Kobe Clinton |
West Florida |
|
DB |
Xavier Walton |
Angelo State |
|
DB |
Darnell Stephens |
Fort Valley State |
|
DB |
Jordan Rogers |
Pittsburg State |
|
DB |
Justin Payoute |
Ferris State |
|
|
|
|
| First Team - Special Teams |
|
K |
Manaki Watanabe |
Ashland |
|
P |
Jay Todd Baker |
Southern Arkansas |
|
AP |
Braden Jay |
Harding |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team - Offense |
|
QB |
Gavin Sukup |
Indianapolis |
|
RB |
JayJay Jordan |
Slippery Rock |
|
RB |
Dawson Forgy |
Wayne State |
|
WR |
Gage Florence |
MSU-Moorhead |
|
WR |
Hogan Wasson |
Central Missouri |
|
TE |
Cam Woods |
Northeastern State |
|
OL |
Jake Mitchell |
Harding |
|
OL |
Avery Swinton |
Catawba |
|
OL |
Jamari Mason |
Johnson C. Smith |
|
OL |
Kaleb McCullough |
Northwest Missouri |
|
OL |
Montriel Lee |
Central Oklahoma |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team - Defense |
|
DL |
Tyler King |
Central Washington |
|
DL |
Ricky Freymond |
Western Colorado |
|
DL |
Owen Seaver |
Angelo State |
|
DL |
Ian Rhea |
Emory & Henry |
|
LB |
Carter Edwards |
Northwest Missouri |
|
LB |
Landon Boss |
Emporia State |
|
LB |
Logan O'Brien |
Chadron State |
|
DB |
Parker Knutson |
Southwest Minnesota State |
|
DB |
Cole Simpson |
Northwood |
|
DB |
Shawn Collins |
Emory & Henry |
|
DB |
Everette Dingle |
East Stroudsburg |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team - Special Teams |
|
K |
Elijah Guyton |
West Alabama |
|
P |
Lucas LeSierur |
Colorado School of Mines |
|
AP |
Ramon McKinney Jr. |
Northeastern State |
|
|
|
|
| SQUAD - Offense |
|
QB |
Marcus Stokes |
West Florida |
|
QB |
Kyle Walljasper |
Minnesota Duluth |
|
QB |
Kanon Gibson |
UTPB |
|
QB |
Reed Charpia |
Newberry |
|
QB |
Judd Novak |
Kutztown |
|
QB |
Drew Nash |
Western Colorado |
|
QB |
RJ Martinez |
West Texas A&M |
|
QB |
Cole Keylon |
Harding |
|
RB |
Jeffery Jones |
New Mexico Highlands |
|
RB |
Xavier Pugh |
Wingate |
|
RB |
Leonard Farrow |
Fairmont State |
|
RB |
Noah Dobert |
Northern Michigan |
|
RB |
Hunter Patterson |
West Liberty |
|
WR |
Keith Desaussure |
Newberry |
|
WR |
Corey Scott |
West Florida |
|
WR |
Jaylon Himes |
Wingate |
|
WR |
Mante Morrow |
Upper Iowa |
|
WR |
Tommy Thomas |
Chadron State |
|
WR |
Tre Watson |
Minnesota State |
|
TE |
Carson Gulker |
Ferris State |
|
AP |
Taariik Brett |
Ferris State |
|
OL |
Josh Shaw |
Fort Hays State |
|
OL |
Dylan Horton |
Ouachita Baptist |
|
OL |
Will Hart |
Wingate |
|
OL |
Doug Pruim II |
Frostburg State |
|
OL |
Brett Weaver |
Grand Valley |
|
OL |
Nathan Gribble |
Minnesota State |
|
|
|
|
| SQUAD - Defense |
|
DL |
Caleb Saner |
Southwest Baptist |
|
DL |
Khris Walton |
Tiffin |
|
DL |
Freddie Retter |
Kutztown |
|
DL |
Isi Etute |
UNC Pembroke |
|
DL |
Gaven Haselhort |
Fort Hays State |
|
DL |
Kevin Roberts |
West Florida |
|
DL |
Derrick Drayton |
Albany State |
|
DL |
Kailib Davis |
Ferris State |
|
DL |
Tindell Frick |
Assumption |
|
LB |
Domonique Davis II |
Central State |
|
LB |
John Johnson |
Fort Hays State |
|
LB |
Brandon Hile |
Kutztown |
|
LB |
Geno Facchetti |
Franklin Pierce |
|
LB |
Jacob Penney |
Fort Lewis |
|
LB |
Mikey Blandin |
Newberry |
|
LB |
Sam Weihrauch |
Findlay |
|
LB |
Henry Schouten |
Bentley |
|
LB |
Jake Adams |
Northern State |
|
LB |
Jes Krcil |
Wayne State |
|
DB |
Klayton Batten |
Shepherd |
|
DB |
Kalen Frazier |
IUP |
|
DB |
Rance Conner |
Valdosta State |
|
DB |
Ife Current |
Nebraska-Kearney |
|
DB |
Marvelous Owens |
Northeastern State |
|
RS |
Deontae Williams |
California (PA) |
