Grand Valley State placed 24 on the 2023 Football All-GLIAC squad and tallied three league position and coaching honors. Senior quarterback Cade Peterson was named the GLIAC Player of the Year, senior offensive guard Garrett Carroll was the Offensive Lineman of the Year, senior defensive end Christian McCarroll was named the Defensive Lineman of the Year, and first-year head coach Scott Wooster was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year. Twelve Lakers earned defensive honors, 10 offensive and two for special teams. 
 
GVSU placed 10 on the All-GLIAC Offense, highlighted by six on the first team. Peterson, senior running back Tariq Reid, junior tight end Gavin Cossou, senior offensive tackle Jordan Davis, junior offensive guard Gabe Brown and Carroll earned first team honors, while junior center Kyler Blake-Jones and junior wide receiver Cody Tierney were named to the All-GLIAC second team. Junior wide receiver Kyle Nott and junior quarterback Avery Moore also earned All-GLIAC plaudits. 
 
The Lakers dominated the All-GLIAC defensive team with 12 honorees, including seven on the first team. Senior defensive ends Colton Hyble and McCarroll, are joined by sophomore defensive end Niles King, senior linebacker Abe Swanson, sophomore linebacker Anthony Cardamone, junior safety Ian Kennelly and sophomore cornerback Devin Pringle. Sophomore defensive tackle Jay'viar Suggs and sophomore cornerback Terez Reid were named to the second team while senior defensive tackle Jack Gilchrist, senior linebacker Stephen Roncelli and senior safety Cole Patritto earned All-GLIAC accolades. 
 
Junior wide receiver Darrell Johnson was tabbed as a First-Team All-GLIAC return specialist, while sophomore punter Trace Hrgich was the First-Team All-GLIAC punter. 
 
Peterson led the Lakers to an undefeated ledger in GLIAC action and guided an offense that ranked among the leaders nationally in virtually every statistical category. Peterson, who led the GLIAC and ranked 7^thnationally in pass efficiency rating (168.6), led the GLIAC in passing TDs (18), total offense per game (214.3), yards per attempt (9.34), yards per completion (14.2), points responsible for (144) and completion percentage (65.9). He completed 120-of-182 passes for 1,694 yards and 18 TDs, while also toting the ball 74 times for 460 yards and six touchdowns. Peterson has accounted for over 8,500 yards and 85 TDs in his career. 
 
Carroll started all 10 games for the Lakers on an offensive line that proved to be one of the best in the country.  Carroll is a key piece that is helping GVSU lead the nation in scoring (51.8 ppg), while ranking third in total offense (482.7 ypg) and sixth in rushing (259.7 ypg). GVSU leads the GLIAC in yards per carry (6.6) by over a yard, ranks second in third down conversions (.419) and second in passing (223.0 ypg). Carroll has graded out with a 94.7 percent blocking/protection efficiency for an offense that scored 43 or more points in eight consecutive games. 
 
McCarroll led the top defensive line in the country and recorded career-highs in every statistical category. McCarroll led all GLIAC defensive lineman with 44 tackles (16 solo/28 assisted), while leading the GLIAC in tackles for loss with 15.0 (-74) and quarterback sacks with 8.0 (-56). He recorded a TFL in nine games and a QB sack in seven games, despite not playing in the second half of two games and the fourth quarter of four additional games. McCarroll is a key figure in a defense that leads the nation in QB sacks with 45 and ranks seventh in TFL with 83. The Lakers rank second nationally in rushing defense (51.6 ypg) and has not allowed a team to reach the 100-yard rushing mark in nine consecutive games. Christian was named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week twice during the 2023 campaign. 
 
First-year head coach Scott Wooster guided Grand Valley State to the 2023 GLIAC Championship, the 19^thall-time in program history, with a perfect 6-0 mark and finished 9-1 with one of the nation's toughest schedules that featured two top-ranked football teams. In addition, GVSU advanced to the NCAA DII playoffs for the 23^rd time in school history and ranked among the national leaders in virtually every offensive, defensive and special teams' categories. GVSU ranked among the top 20 in 20 different stat ledgers, including leading the nation in scoring (51.6 ppg), ranking second in rushing defense (51.8 ypg) and sixth in rushing offense (259.7 ypg). 
  
Reid led the Laker rushing game with 620 yards and a GLIAC-best 11 rushing touchdowns for running backs. He broke the 100-yard rushing mark twice, despite not playing in the second half of two games and the fourth quarter of four additional games. Davis and Brown teamed with Carroll on the first team and Blake-Jones on the second team to form one of the top offensive lines in the country. GVSU leads the nation in scoring (51.8 ppg), while ranking third in total offense (482.7 ypg) and sixth in rushing (259.7 ypg). GVSU led the GLIAC in yards per carry (6.6) by over a yard, ranked second in third down conversions (.419) and second in passing (223.0 ypg). Cossou, who led all GLIAC tight ends in receiving with 19 receptions for 254 yards and three TDs, caught at least one pass in all 10 games. Tierney led GVSU in receptions with 31, yards with 532 and TD receptions with five. He Caught three or more passes in a game six times and broke the 100-yard receiving mark in two games. Nott hauled in 16 receptions for 266 yards and three TDs, while rushing 13 times for 266 yards and three touchdowns. He is the only player in the GLIAC to have more than 266 rushing yards and 266 receiving yards and recorded seven plays of 50 yards or more, including four of 65 yards or longer. Moore toted the ball 32 times for 273 yards and six touchdowns, while completing 11-of-17 passes for 166 yards and three TDs. 
 
Hyble, King, McCarroll, Suggs and Gilchrist form the top defensive line in the country. This group anchored a defense that leads the nation in QB sacks with 45 and ranks seventh in TFL with 83. The Lakers rank second nationally in rushing defense (51.6 ypg) and have not allowed a team to reach the 100-yard rushing mark in nine consecutive games. Hyble recorded 26 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss (-11), 1.5 QB sacks, five QB hurries and recovered two fumbles, while King tallied 22 tackles, 11.5 TFL (-77), 8.0 QB sacks (-67), five QB hurries and two pass deflections. Suggs recorded 18 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-55), 4.0 quarterback sacks (-13), three pass deflections and two QB hurries and Gilchrist added 13 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss (-14), 5.0 QB sacks (-13), two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
 
Swanson, the 2022 GLIAC Defensive Back of the Year, leads GVSU in tackles with 54 despite not playing in the second half of two games and the fourth quarter of four additional games. He recorded 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 QB sacks, picked off two passes, recovered one fumble and recorded five QB hurries. Cardamone tallied 44 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss (-72), 6.0 QB sacks (-64), two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Kennelly recorded 33 tackles and picked off two passes, while Pringle notched 23 stops, six pass breakups and one interception. Terez Reid tallied 29 tackles, 1.0 TFL, picked off one pass and recorded five pass breakups to earn second-team honors. Patritto logged 24 stops and four pass breakups, followed by Roncelli who notched 22 stops. 
 
Darrell Johnson earned All-GLIAC First-Team special teams honors after catching  22 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns, returning 18 punts for 283 yards (15.7 ypr) and one TD and seven kickoffs for 184 yards. Hrgich led the GLIAC in net punting with a 41.6 yards per punt average, dropping five inside the 20.