St. John’s, ranked No. 5 in the D3football.com preseason top 25, will open its season Saturday at home against Minnesota Morris.
Elliott, who was second all-time in all NCAA divisions in receptions and touchdown catches when he finished his career in 2003, is the second player from the MIAC — Calvin Roberts of Gustavus Adolphus was the first — to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Former Johnnies coach John Gagliardi and former Concordia (Moorhead) coach Jim Christopherson are members of the Hall of Fame.
For the first time since 2021, the Johnnies will open the season with a new quarterback. Aaron Syverson, the Walter Camp Division III Player of the Year last season, went 36-5 over four seasons as a starter and set program and MIAC records for passes completed and attempted, passing yards and touchdown passes.
Here are four other Minnesota college football story lines this week:
Bethel, No. 12 in the D3football.com poll, also opens Saturday, at home against Northwestern (St. Paul). The Royals went 11-3 and reached the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs last season in Mike McElroy’s first season as coach.
Quarterback Cooper Drews, who threw for 3,822 yards and 43 touchdowns last season, returns. The Royals lost defensive back Matt Jung, who was a first-team All-American last season as a sophomore after leading D-III with nine interceptions and returning four for touchdowns. Jung, who is from Neenah, Wis., transferred to Wisconsin.