Harlon Hill Finalist Announcement

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Slippery Rock University quarterback Brayden Long was named Wednesday as one of the nine national finalists for the 2023 Harlon Hill Trophy, which is presented annually to the Division II Football Player of the Year.
 
Players from Division II football programs are nominated for the Harlon Hill by the athletic communication directors at their respective schools. The athletic communicators then vote for candidates in each of their respective regions with the top two vote-getters in each Super Region advancing to the national ballot. This year's ballot has nine finalists due to a tie in Super Region Three. The Harlon Hill Trophy is presented by the Little Rock Touchdown Club and the Great American Conference.
 
Long is one of the two representatives from Super Region One, joining running back Michael Herzog from Hillsdale. They are joined on the final ballot by QB Patrick Shegog from Delta State and QB Sammy Edwards from Valdosta State out of Super Region Two, QB Zach Zebrowski from Central Missouri, QB Gage Porter from Southern Nazarene and QB Braden Gleason from Emporia State out of Super Region Three and QB John Matocha from Colorado School of Mines and defensive back Tanner Volk from Central Washington out of Super Region Four.
 
The finalist list includes seven quarterbacks, one running back and one defensive back. Matocha is the only repeat finalist from last year and is also the defending Harlon Hill winner after claiming the award in 2022. Long, Matocha, Edwards and Volk are the only four finalists that are still playing entering the NCAA Quarterfinals this weekend.
 
A junior quarterback from Hanover, Pennsylvania, Long becomes the sixth Slippery Rock player to be named a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy since the award's inception in 1986. The six finalists for SRU are tied for the eighth-most among all institutions in the nation. Long is the third quarterback in program history to be named a finalist, joining Randy McKavish (2000) and 2019 Harlon Hill Trophy winner Roland Rivers III, who is the lone SRU winner of the award.
 
Long was the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Year and a first team All-PSAC selection this year after leading the PSAC and Super Region One in every passing category, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, QB rating and completion percentage. He ranked in the top 10 nationally in each of those categories for most of the season and continues to rank in the top 10 nationally after 13 weeks of the season, leading SRU into the NCAA Quarterfinals this week as one of just eight teams still playing.
 
His stat line through 13 weeks this season reads 279-of-407 for 3,486 yards with 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He has also rushed for five touchdowns to account for 40 total touchdowns and 240 points, the fifth most points responsible among all players in Division II. Long also ranks fifth in Division II in touchdown passes (35), sixth in passing yards (3,486), sixth in completion percentage (68.6%) and seventh in passing efficiency rating (166.4).
 
Long's numbers this season rank second in SRU single-season history in TD passes (35), second in completions (279), fourth in passing yards (3,486) and third in total offense (3,544). He is the sixth SRU QB in program history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season, the fifth QB in program history to throw 30 or more TD passes in a season and the third player in SRU history to go for more than 3,500 total offensive yards in a season.
 
He has only started 14 career games so far, but enters this week ranked 10th all-time at The Rock in passing yards (3,735) and seventh in passing touchdowns (36). Long is also the most accurate passer in SRU history among any players with at least 10 starts at the QB position, completing 67.5 percent (305-of-452) of his passes with just five interceptions on 452 career attempts.
 
The Harlon Hill Trophy winner will be announced Friday, Dec. 15 on the day before the 2023 National Championship game. The winner will then be recognized in January at the Little Rock Touchdown Club banquet.
 
2023 HARLON HILL TROPHY FINALISTS
SR1 – QB – Brayden Long – Slippery Rock *
SR1 – RB – Michael Herzog – Hillsdale
SR2 – QB – Patrick Shegog – Delta State
SR2 – QB – Sammy Edwards – Valdosta State *
SR3 – QB – Zach Zebrowski – Central Missouri
SR3 – QB – Gage Porter – Southern Nazarene
SR3 – QB – Braden Gleason – Emporia State
SR4 – QB – John Matocha – Colorado School of Mines *^
SR4 – DB – Tanner Volk – Central Washington *
 
* Still in NCAA Playoffs
^ 2022 Harlon Hill Trophy winner
 
SLIPPERY ROCK'S ALL-TIME HARLON HILL FINALISTS
1988 – Greg Paterra (RB)
2000 – Randy McKavish (QB)
2017 – Marcus Martin (DE)
2019 – Roland Rivers III (QB) *
2021 – Henry Litwin (WR)
2023 – Brayden Long (QB)
 
* Harlon Hill Trophy winner
 
 


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