BSU Football’s Marcus Hansen Earns Preseason Defensive POY Honors

Bemidji State football’s defensive end Marcus Hansen has been picked as the 2024 NSIC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The honor is unsurprising given the junior from Waseca was last year’s end-of-season NSIC Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 51 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Those stats also garnered him AP All-American Second Team Honors, among many other awards.

Looking at the team as a whole, the Beavers were picked to finish 5th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, receiving one first-place vote. Last season, they were picked to finish atop the conference, but fell just short, finishing 8-2 and in a three-way tie for second behind Augustana, who beat the Beavs in the final game of the 2023 regular season.