The first-years who have already established themselves among the division's best overall players.
June 18, 2025 by Calvin Ciorba and Josh Katz in Awards
Each year, Ultiworld presents our annual College Awards. Our staff evaluates the individual performances of players from throughout the season, talking to folks around college ultimate, watching film, and look at statistics, voting upon the awards to decide those to be honored. The regular season and the college Series are both considered, with extra emphasis for performances in the competitive and high-stakes environment at Nationals.
The Rookie of the Year award recognizes players who impressed in their first college ultimate seasons. That includes both freshman and true rookies. Each season, it feels like this group of players becomes more impactful; as the level of youth play and of coaching and development rise, so does the bar for the division’s best rookie. Whether they come to the college game from years of youth experience, a background in other sports, or none of the above, these players made debuts to remember in high-level college play.
- Player of the Year
- All-American First Team
- All-American Second Team
- Defensive Player of the Year Award
- Offensive Player of the Year Award
- Rookie of the Year Award
- Breakout Player of the Year Award
- Coaches of the Year Award
- Full Awards Voting Breakdown
D-III Men’s 2025 Rookie Of The Year
Brayden Morrison (Elon)
For the last couple of years, Elon was a good team with some really good players, but year after year, they fell short when it came time for a meaningful game. Finally, the spark plug they needed joined this year in Brayden Morrison. Morrison, who played for RDU and Team USA U20 last summer (and now just made Ring of Fire), brings a level of talent rarely seen in D-III.
For only a rookie, Morrison’s game is already all-around fantastic, scoring three goals and throwing fourteen assists. He commands the offense with sharp throws and dialed arounds, while steering the ship with his leadership and voice. When the time comes, his hucks can find any target on the field with a step on their defender. Whether flick or backhand, as long as the cutter is open, they’ll get the disc.
When Morrison crosses over on defense he takes the toughest matchups, locking down his person. He can sky any player, get a layout block, or simply not let them touch the disc the entire point. With at least three years left in his college career, and Elon looking better than ever next year, Morrison will look to lead this team to its first ever semifinal appearance.
– Calvin Ciorba
Co Runner-Up1
Dash Brenner (Carleton)
Dash Brenner was, in a word, everywhere for the CHOP offense as a rookie, and his already impressive 10G/7A at Nationals undersells his importance and influence for Carleton. Few players embody the concept of a Swiss Army knife player more than Brenner, as he’d fill in any and every role on offense from point to point. His best work, though, came downfield, where he’d use his speed to race away from defenders and find himself with the disc in or near the end zone. The ultimate connective piece for a potent offense, expect to see and hear Brenner’s name frequently over the rest of his career.
– Josh Katz
Co Runner-Up2
Sam London (Lewis & Clark)
Teams playing against Lewis & Clark this season probably had no clue Sam London was a freshman, playing as he was with the poise of a seasoned veteran. The Lincoln high school recruit was one substantial piece of the puzzle that pushed Bacchus over the hump of a consistent prequarters squad to championship-level pedigree. A dazzling sixteen assists to only nine turns is an impressive stat for any player at Nationals, but for a rookie it puts them in a special class. With fantastic throws and handler defense, London will be a name we frequently talk about for the next three years.
– Calvin Ciorba
