Luke Lehnen
Luke Lehnen is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League. While playing for North Central (IL), he won two Stagg Bowls and was the Gagliardi Trophy winner twice in 2023 and 2024.
College career
2021
In Lehnen's true freshman season at North Central (IL), he started all 14 games. He led Division III football with 11.1 yards per passing attempt, a school record, ranked third in passing efficiency at 189.4, fifth in yards per completion with 16.8, eighth in yards, and tenth in touchdowns. North Central made it to the Division III football championship">NCAA Division III">Division III football championship, commonly referred to as the Stagg Bowl, but subsequently lost to Mary Hardin–Baylor. He was selected First-team All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.2022
In 2022, Lehnen again started all 15 games that the Cardinals played. He ranked fourth nationally in passer rating at 192.0 and yards, while also ranking sixth in yards per pass, with 9.8. Aside from his passing stats, he also rushed for 1,034 yards and 13 touchdowns on 109 attempts. In the Stagg Bowl win against Mount Union, he completed a 94-yard pass, the longest in school history. He was subsequently named Second-team All-CCIW.2023
Over 15 games, Lehnen led the nation in completion percentage and touchdown passes. He also set new national records for passer rating at 263.2, yards per pass at 14.7, yards per completion at 20.0, and touchdown percentage at 20.7%. He rushed for 170 yards against Wheaton, and set a school record for career rushing yards and touchdowns by a quarterback, with 2,348 and 36 respectively. Making their third Stagg Bowl in a row, North Central lost to Cortland by just one point, 38–37. He was selected First-team All-America by the Coaches Poll and D3football.com and selected Second-team All-America by the Associated Press. He also won his first Gagliardi Trophy.2024
In his senior season, Lehnen started all 15 games, ranking first in the nation in efficiency and yards per pass, second in yards per completion, fourth in touchdown passes, sixth in yards, and 14th in completion percentage. In a 66-0 semifinal playoff win against Susquehanna, he tied the school record for completion percentage in a game with 94.1%, going 16 for 17. He led the Cardinals to another Stagg Bowl win, again over Mount Union. He was named Offensive Player of the Year and First-team All-American by both D3football.com and the Associated Press. Furthermore, he won the Gagliardi Trophy again, becoming just the second player to win it twice.In four years of starting, Lehnen established new NCAA, including all divisions, records in passing efficiency at 211.9, touchdowns responsible for with 213, and consecutive games with a touchdown pass with 59. He also established new Division III records in total offensive yards with 15,985 and tied the record for touchdown passes with 51. He also became the first player in college football history to pass for at least 100 touchdowns and rush for at least 50.