Stare and Younker Earn D3football.com All-America Honors

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Sophomore punter Benjamin Younker and senior wide receiver Brandt Stare of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team were named D3football.com All-Americans, announced Thursday afternoon. 

Younker was named Second Team Specialists and is just the second punter in UW-Platteville history to earn All-America honors. The D3football.com All-Region first team punter averaged a conference-best 42.9 yards per punt in his first season as the Pioneers punter. The sophomore, who also earned WIAC First Team honors, totaled 1760 yards across his 41 punts, and his long of 75 yards in the playoff game against Wartburg is the longest punt in UW-Platteville history. Eleven of Younker's attempts went for over 50 yards, and 18 landed inside the 20-yard line, the most in the WIAC.

Stare's Fourth Team Offense honor caps off the team captain's illustrious season. Named a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, Stare posted 786 yards and 14 receiving scores across his 53 catches. The 2024 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year added another touchdown on the ground and even threw one to secure an overtime victory against UW-La Crosse. Stare set several UW-Platteville records throughout the 2024 season, breaking program marks in career receptions (235), receiving yards (3077), and receiving touchdowns (41). The Naperville, Illinois, native also holds the WIAC career receiving touchdown record and his 46 total career touchdowns ranks second in Pioneers program history. Stare becomes the fourth receiver in program history to earn All-America honors and the first since Dan Arnold (2016).  

The pair of Pioneers are the first teammates to earn All-America honors in the same season since Rob Austin and John Kelly in 2013.