BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released the 2026 NSIC Coaches' Poll and Winona State was selected ninth overall and fifth in the NSIC South.
 
Junior quarterback Jackson Flottmeyer was tabbed as WSU's offensive player to watch while senior defensive lineman David Nies was selected as the defensive player to watch.
 
Minnesota State was selected first in both the overall and south division polls and Minnesota Duluth tallied the most points to win the north division. Winona State is coming off a 6-5 record in 2025 with a 3-3 NSIC South mark where they finished tied for sixth overall and fourth in the south.
 
"Our guys have had a great offseason, and we look forward to seeing that pay off this fall" noted head coach Brian Curtin. "We have a good mix of experience and some young hungry guys excited to make an impact this fall. We return leaders and impact players on both sides of the football. We look forward to starting fall camp to prepare for the grind of the NSIC schedule."
 
Flottmeyer led Winona State under center a year ago, throwing for 2,055 yards and 19 touchdowns while completing 182-312 passes.
 
Coach Curtin on Flottmeyer: "Jackson is a man of high character who does everything right, all the time. He has a tremendous work ethic both on and off the field and is consistently trying to improve his craft. He is a tremendous leader who brings infectious energy and gets the best out of his teammates. Our program is fortunate to have him, we have been really pleased with his development over the past couple of years. Jackson's best football is ahead of him, and we can't wait for him to lead us into the 2026 season."
 
Nies was a key component to the Warrior defense last year, collecting 48 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss, including four sacks and two fumble recoveries.