Recognizing the top performer of the 2026 season.
June 9, 2026 by Graham Gordon 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.
After announcing the finalists in our First-Team All-American, we are proud to present Player of the Year, our most prestigious award. Our Player of the Year winner is the best performer of the 2026 college season, and the highest vote-getter for All-American honors. The winner is not eligible for consideration in any of our other individual awards. The runners-up are the second- and third-most vote-getters.
- All-American First Team
- Player of the Year
- 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-I Men’s 2026 Player Of The Year
Tobias Brooks (Colorado)
After winning Rookie of the Year in 2024 and Offensive Player of the Year last season, Brooks has now ascended to the only place left for him to grow in the college game: Player of the Year. In comparison to the past few years, where it felt as if sometimes Tobias was simply letting his instincts make decisions for him for better or for worse, his playstyle in 2026 should better be described as “controlled chaos.”
Still never afraid to make the gutsy throw, Brooks played much more within the Mamabird system, and it was in no small part due to his incredible throwing bag and ability to hit those throws consistently that Colorado had the most efficient offensive unit in the country throughout the entire season. Whether it was a beautifully floaty around flick thrown to the unoccupied break space for a fill cutter to run down or a hammer into the back corner where nobody else but his receiver had a chance, Tobias was simply on the money, and when he was rolling, he couldn’t be stopped.
It would be remiss to go without mentioning Brooks’s masterful 10-assist performance in the semifinals under the lights against Carleton. Even in a losing effort, he was without a doubt the most important player on the field, marshaling everything that Colorado did on offense, as well as being involved in the majority of their breaks, falling just shy of coming back from 14-11.
Returning next year for his senior season with an only slightly diminished supporting cast, the sky’s the limit for what Brooks can do with another year of growth under his belt. Rest assured, it’s gonna be must-see TV.
First Runner-Up:
Anton Orme (Cal Poly SLO)
Second Runner-Up:
Nate De Morgan (Carleton)
