BROOKFIELD, Ill. — Senior linebacker Scooter Baker and sophomore defensive lineman Brett Karhu were named Don Hansen Division II All-Americans on Monday afternoon, announced by the Don Hansen Football Committee.
The duo were tabbed Honorable Mention selections, becoming the first defensive players in OBU's Division II era to attain the honor.
This is the latest award earned by the two in the post-season, as both earned spots on the D2CCA All-Region and All-GAC squads.
Baker, became the first linebacker to collect All-Region and All-Conference nods since Oklahoma Baptist joined the NCAA. He dominated his side of the ball in 2023, compiling a school record of 121 tackles (11.0 tackles/gm) in 11 games.
Baker finished third in the country in total tackles while leading the Region and the Great American Conference. He also broke OBU's single-season assisted tackles record with 73 assisted stops.
Baker registered double-digit stops in six games, including back-to-back games with 19 stops. That figure (19) broke the school record for tackles in a game. Additionally, he collected 10.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks, and three pass break-ups.
Baker was named the GAC's Defensive Player of the Week twice for two outstanding performances during the year, the most of any Bison linebacker in program history.
Karhu was one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the country, pairing a school record (DII era) in sacks (11.5) with 18.5 tackles-for-loss.
Those numbers paced the GAC, something no other Bison has ever done in the program's history. Additionally, he finished fourth in the nation for sacks and 16th in TFL.
Karhu recorded 41 total tackles and seven quarterback hurries. He was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week after charting 3.0 sacks and 4.0 TFL in the 2023 season opener. Then he began an eight-game streak with either a sack or a half-of-sack that concluded in the final week of the regular season.
The last Bison to be honored as an All-American was wide receiver Keilahn Harris in 2022, now a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Also an honorable mention selection, Harris garnered the committee's nod for two consecutive years.
A season before, three others joined Harris as the first Bison in the program's Division II era to be named All-Americans. Those names included quarterback Preston Haire, running back Tyler Stuever, and wide receiver Josh Cornell.
