| No. 14 – Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Coon Rapids, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 201 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Fridley (Fridley, Minnesota) |
| College |
|
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Kaleb Blaha is an American college football quarterback for the Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in NCAA Division III. He previously attended Winona State University, where he played as a wide receiver.
Blaha led the Falcons to their first NCAA Division III national championship in 2025, earning Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl MVP honors.[1] He won the 2025 Gagliardi Trophy as the most outstanding player in Division III football[2] and was named a finalist for the Manning Award, becoming the first Division III quarterback ever to receive the honor.[3][4]
Early life and high school
Blaha attended Fridley High School in Fridley, Minnesota, where he played quarterback. As a senior in 2019, he passed for 1,503 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 821 yards and 21 scores, leading the team to a 10–1 record and a state tournament appearance.[5][6]
College career
Winona State
Blaha began his college career at Winona State University (Division II), where he played as a wide receiver from 2020 to 2021.[5]
Wisconsin–River Falls
Blaha transferred to the University of Wisconsin–River Falls in 2022 and transitioned back to quarterback. He became the starting quarterback and helped transform the program, which had not had a winning season since 2000.[6][7][8]
In 2023, Blaha was a Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist, earned multiple All-American and All-WIAC honors, and set program records with 3,882 yards of total offense and 22 rushing touchdowns.[5][2]
In 2024, he suffered a season-ending injury after three games and received a medical redshirt.[5]
In 2025, Blaha had a historic senior season:
- Led the Falcons to a WIAC championship (first since 1998) and their first NCAA Division III national title, defeating North Central 24–14 in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.[1][9][10]
- Named Stagg Bowl MVP.[1]
- Set the NCAA all-divisions single-season total offense record with 6,189 yards (surpassing Joe Burrow's 6,039 in 2019).[1][11]
- Won the Gagliardi Trophy (Division III's Heisman equivalent).[2][12]
- Earned Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press and D3football.com.[5][2]
- Received first-team All-American recognition from multiple organizations.[5][2]
- Became a Manning Award finalist (first D-III player ever).[3][4]
- Broke numerous program and conference records in passing and total offense.[5][2]
Off the field, Blaha is a health and physical education major with a 3.337 GPA, earned WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll recognition, and participated in community service initiatives.[12][2]
References
- ^ a b c d "UW-River Falls upsets North Central for DIII title as Kaleb Blaha breaks Joe Burrow's record". The Athletic. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g "2025 Gagliardi Trophy, Presented by Stearns Bank, Recipient is UW-River Falls' Kaleb Blaha". Saint John's University Athletics. January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin-River Falls' Kaleb Blaha joins top D1 QBs as finalist for Manning Award". Pioneer Press. January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b "UW-River Falls' Blaha Named A Manning Award Finalist". Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Kaleb Blaha - 2025 - Football". University of Wisconsin River Falls Athletics. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b "Fridley's Blaha quarterbacks Wisconsin-River Falls football to national championship". hometownsource.com. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Wisconsin-River Falls football: How a coach's faith helped Kaleb Blaha become D3's best". Pioneer Press. January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Wisconsin-River Falls football: How a coach's faith helped Kaleb Blaha become D3's best". Yahoo Sports. January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Blaha, Wisconsin-River Falls beats defending champion North Central 24-14 for D-III title". Spectrum News. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Blaha, UW-River Falls beats defending champion North Central 24-14 for D-III title". MPR News. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Wisconsin quarterback awarded Division 3's most outstanding player". Fox 11. January 3, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b "UWRF's Blaha wins Gagliardi Trophy as D3 football's best player". WEAU. January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
External links
- University of Wisconsin–River Falls bio
