NFF National Scholar-Athletes
Jack Strand, QB – Minnesota State Moorhead
3.87 GPA – Engineering Physics
Head Coach: Steve Laqua | Athletics Director: Chad Markuson
Faculty Athletics Representatives: Dr. Ellen Fagerstrom & Dr. Julia Poplin
E. Doug Kenna Scholar-Athlete Award
A record-setting quarterback and consummate team leader, Jack Strand has transformed Minnesota State Moorhead football into one of the premier programs in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) while embodying the true spirit of the student-athlete. The Bloomer, Wisconsin, native becomes the second NFF National Scholar-Athlete from the Dragons program and the first since 1998.
Excelling in the classroom, Strand maintains a 3.87 GPA as an engineering physics major. A 2024 CSC Second Team Academic All-American and two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, Strand claimed the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award and was selected as a 2024 NCAA Division II 50th Anniversary Scholarship recipient in 2024.
A three-year letterman and two-year team captain, Strand entered the 2025 season already holding five school career records, which now stand at 11,908 passing yards, 108 touchdowns, 1,139 completions, 1,796 attempts, and 11,797 yards of total offense. The 2023 NSIC Offensive Player of the Year, Strand is a two-time Honorable Mention All-American, three-time All-NSIC performer, and member of the 2024 D2Football.com Elite 100 Squad. This season, he leads the conference and ranks No. 2 in the nation for passing yards (2,293), passing yards per game (327.57), completions per game (27.86), passing touchdowns (24), points responsible for (166) and total offense (345.0 ypg), solidifying his reputation as one of Division II's most prolific passers.
With Strand under center, the Dragons have posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in over a decade, going 7-4 in 2023 and 6-5 in 2024. He guided the team to milestone victories, including the program's first ranked wins over Minnesota Duluth and Augustana (SD), as well as its first-ever win over Sioux Falls (SD).
Beyond football, Strand is active in the weekly campus ministry and Bible studies.
(All stats as of Oct. 22, 2025)
