PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo football program had three players named to the 2024 D2Football.com Elite 100 Team announced by the organization on Thursday.
 
Senior running back Howard Russell V (Phoenix, Ariz./Eastern New Mexico) and senior receiver Reggie Retzlaff (Corona, Calif./Riverside City College) were named Second Team selections on offense, while senior defensive back Daniel Bone III (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek) was named the Defensive Squad Team for the second straight season.
 
Russell earns his Second-Team D2Football.com Elite 100 selection at running back after being a First-Team All-RMAC, a First-Team D2CCA All-Super Region Four selection, and an Honorable Mention Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American. On the season, Russell led the RMAC in rushing yards (1,207), rushing touchdowns (11), total touchdowns (14), rushing yards per carry (7.02), rushing yards per game (109.7) and all-purpose yards per game (129.8.). He also caught 27 passes for 199 yards and hauled in three touchdown catches. Tallied seven games with 100 or more rushing yards, including a high of 168 yards at Adams State, and led all running backs in the state of Colorado in rushing.

Russell's 1,207 rushing yards were fifth on the school's single-season chart, while his 11 rushing touchdowns were tied for seventh on the school's single-season chart. In addition, his 84 points scored were tops on the team and tied for sixth on the school's single-season chart and closed out his career with 1,792 rushing yards, which is 11th on the school's all-time chart and ranked in the Top 12 in Division II in rushing yards, rushing yards per game and rushing yards per carry.
 
Retzlaff earns his Second-Team D2Football.com Elite 100 spot at receiver after being named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, the D2CCA Super Region Four Offensive Player of the Year, a Harlon Trophy Finalist and a consensus All-American. On the season, Retzlaff led the RMAC in receiving touchdowns (12), receiving yards per game (116.9) and receiving yards (1,228) and was second in the RMAC in both receptions per game (6.1) and all-purpose yards per game (112.5). On the season, he caught a single-season school record 67 passes for a single-season school record 1,228 yards and tied the single-season school record for touchdown receptions with 12.

He ranked in the Top 10 in Division II in touchdown receptions, receiving yards, and receiving yards per game, and his 24 career touchdown receptions are tied for tops on the school's all-time charts and ninth among active Division II players. During the 2024 regular season, Retzlaff was a two-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week and the NFF Colorado Chapter Player of the Week on Sept. 10 and caught at least seven passes in six games, tallied 100 or more receiving yards in a game six times, including a single-game school record 241 yards in the Pack's 35-6 season-opening win at South Dakota Mines. He also hauled in two or more touchdown catches in a game four times.

Retzlaff led all Colorado football receivers (all levels) in receiving yards and is second in pass-receiving yards. Retzlaff is one of two players in school history to record 1,000 or more receiving yards in a season. Recorded a team-high 20 plays of 20 or more yards on the season, including a 76-yard touchdown reception at Western Colorado, which was the longest offensive play of the season. Eight of his 12 touchdown receptions went for 20 or more yards and sits third among active Division II players in career yards per catch (17.7).

Bone earns his second straight D2Football.com Elite 100 Defensive Squad spot at defensive back after being a Don Hansen Football Gazette Honorable Mention All-American, a Second-Team AP Division II All-American and a First-Team All-RMAC selection. On the season, Bone was second on the team in tackles with 85, including a team-leading 48 solo stops from the safety position. Along with his 85 tackles, Bone also added 5.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, nine pass breakups, one quarterback hurry, and one forced fumble.

Bone, who was named a Second-Team D2CCA All-Super Region Four selection and a three-time First-Team All-RMAC selection this season, was fourth in the league in solo tackles per game (4.4) and was fifth in tackles per game (7.7). He is one of 19 players in school history to record 200 or more career tackles and is tied for 10th on the school's career tackle list with 243 tackles. During the 2024 season, Bone recorded seven or more tackles in a game eight times, including a high of 12 tackles in the Pack's NCAA Division II second-round playoff game against Minnesota State.
 
Russell, Retzlaff, and Bone were three of 10 players from the RMAC named to the 2024 D2Football.com Elite 100 Team as Western Colorado defensive lineman Ricky Freymond and Colorado School of Mines punter Blake Doud were named First-Team selections, while South Dakota Mines tight end Henry Dryden joined Russell and Retzlaff on the Second-Team Offense. Western Colorado quarterback Drew Nash, Colorado School of Mines receiver Flynn Schiele, and Colorado School of Mines receiver Max McLeod were named to the Squad Offense, while Bone and Colorado Mesa linebacker Colin Stuhr were named to the Squad Defense.
 
Along with announcing the D2Football.com Elite 100 Team, the organization also named its Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year and its Coach of the Year, along with its Offensive and Defensive Coordinators for the 2024 season. Central Missouri quarterback Zach Zebrowski repeated as the Offensive Player of the Year, while Freymond was named the Defensive Player of the Year, and Ferris State's Tony Annese was named the Coach of the Year. The Offensive Coordinator of the Year was Central Oklahoma's James Curlee and Valdosta State's Brandon Anderson was named the Defensive Coordinator of the Year.