MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State senior defensive back Jamal Spiyee leads four Mavericks named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List, released Wednesday evening by the organization.
  
Spiyee, a native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, was named to the Second Team according to D2Football, while junior running back Sam Backer, sophomore linebacker Jefferson Mobry and senior defensive back Jason Dandridge were named to the Squad Teams.  
 
The Mavericks were picked to win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for 2026 following a 10-4 record in 2025 and a 7-3 mark in NSIC play.  The Mavericks advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the seventh time in program history after posting a 2-1 record in the NCAA playoffs. Minnesota State owns a 20-16 all-time postseason record in 16 NCAA tournament appearances.
 
Spiyee started all 14 games for the purple and gold in 2025, registering 43 total tackles earning NSIC First Team honors.  He had a key fumble recovery, an interception and blocked a 45-yard field goal in crucial win against Augustana last season.  He has played in 21 games for the Mavericks with 74 total tackles, two tackles for loss (9), while recording one interception, four pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one block, while scoring one touchdown for his career.
 
Backer, a native of Chatfield, Minn., also earned All-NSIC First Team honors after a dominant 2025 campaign. He rushed for 980 yards on 196 carries with 19 touchdowns, while adding 29 receptions for 233 yards and two scores.
 
He led the NSIC and ranked fifth nationally with 19 rushing touchdowns. His 980 rushing yards ranked 31st nationally and third in the conference. He averaged 9.0 points per game, good for 12th nationally and second in the NSIC. His 126 total points and 21 total touchdowns both ranked fifth nationally, while his 19 rushing touchdowns moved him into third place in program history for single-season rushing scores.
 
A native of Rio, Wis., Mobry enjoyed an outstanding freshman season in 2025 and earned NSIC Defensive Preseason Player of the Year honors for 2026.  He earned All-NSIC First Team honors, was named the NSIC Defensive Newcomer of the Year, and received D2CCA Super Region Three Second Team recognition.
 
Mobry led the Mavericks with 72 total tackles and 39 solo tackles in 14 games. He also paced the team with four interceptions and added two fumble recoveries, establishing himself as one of the conference's premier defensive playmakers entering the 2026 season.
 
Dandridge, a native of Berkeley, Calif., transferred to MSU from East Texas A&M prior to last season and played in all 14 games in 2025 with 11 starts for the Mavericks.  He finished with 33 tackles and 18 solo stops, while had a season-high four solo tackles against Minot State while earning second team all-league honors.  He finished with one interception for the season, four pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three tackles for loss for nine yards.
 
The Mavericks will open the 2026 season in Week 0 with a road matchup at Colorado Mesa at 7 p.m. CT, before hosting five home games at Blakeslee Stadium. The home opener is scheduled for Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. against Bemidji State.
 
Maverick fans can purchase season and single game tickets for the 2026 season with season ticket information at www.msumavericks.com/seasontickets, and single game information at www.msumavericks.com/singlegame.  In addition, information on Lot 7 tailgating can be found at www.msumavericks.com/lot7.
 
New for the 2026 season, the NSIC Network is now powered by Midco Sports Plus, the conference's new streaming home for exclusive live and on-demand coverage of all 16 NSIC member institutions. Fans can stream every home regular season conference and non-conference home football game, along with NSIC championship events, through a monthly ($15) or annual subscription (less than $7 per month). Subscriptions are available at MidcoSportsPlus.com or through the Midco Sports Plus app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku. 
 
Stay up to date on all Maverick Athletics news by downloading the Maverick mobile app for exclusive content, gameday notifications, schedules, rosters and more. Fans can also follow @MinnStAthletics on Instagram and X and like the Minnesota State Mavericks Facebook page.