Holland Reporter

Grand Valley State University's football team has seen three of its players recognized as D2Football.com 2023 First-Team All-Americans. Senior offensive lineman Garrett Carroll, senior defensive end Christian McCarroll, and senior linebacker Abe Swanson received the honors from Kansas City, Missouri. This recognition also marks them as consensus All-Americans, having been named to multiple all-America teams following their successful 2023 season.

Garrett Carroll played a pivotal role in the team's offensive line, contributing to the Laker offense's impressive national rankings. The team averaged 46.9 points per game, rushed for 235.6 yards per game, and had a total offense of 446.4 yards per game. Carroll achieved a blocking/protection efficiency of 94.7 percent throughout the season.

Christian McCarroll led GLIAC defensive linemen with 67 tackles and topped the league in tackles for loss with 15.0 and ranked second in quarterback sacks with eight. Despite missing playtime in several games, he was instrumental in a defense that led the nation with 51 QB sacks and ranked seventh in tackles for loss.

Abe Swanson continued his strong performance from previous years by recording a team-high of 90 tackles despite limited playing time due to strategic rests during games. He also contributed significantly to one of the nation's top defenses, which allowed only 16.1 points per game on average.

The Lakers finished their season with an impressive record of 11-2, securing their second consecutive GLIAC Championship title and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals for two straight years.