Wingate, N.C.----The incredible honors continue to pour in for Wingate University senior defensive end Marquise Fleming. The SAC and Region Defensive Player of the Year is once again a consensus first team All-American. He has been named the National Defensive Player of the Year by Don Hansen Football Gazette and by the College Football Network.

Fleming has earned first team All-American accolades from four different publications for the second straight year. He has once again picked up first team accolades from the AFCA, D2CCA, Don Hansen Football Gazette and the Associated Press.

Fleming is the first Bulldog to collect National Player of the Year accolades. In addition to the two National Player of the Year trophies, Fleming won the prestigious Gene Upshaw Award, which goes to the top lineman in all of Division II football.

In the last two seasons, Fleming has been named a first team All-American eight times, while earning SAC and Region Defensive Player of the Year honors both seasons. The national leader in sacks in 2023 ranked in the top five nationally in tackles for loss in 2024.

A finalist for the Harlon Hill award each of the last two years, Fleming piled up 58 tackles in 2024, with 19.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks, adding 14 QB hurries and a pair of forced fumbles. That was a follow-up to his 2023 season that saw Fleming compile 63 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks, with three forced fumbles and seven QB hurries. Fleming is college football's active leader in both career sacks (38.0) and tackles for loss (71.5) among his 219 career total tackles. His nine career forced fumbles ranks fifth among active players in all divisions.

Fleming led a Wingate defense that ranked among the nation's best in nearly every defensive category in 2024. The Bulldogs led the nation in third down defense and red zone defense, while ranking third in total defense and sixth in scoring defense and tackles for loss. The Bulldogs allowed a program-best 12.2 points per game in 2024, while posting a program-record three shutouts. Of the 10 teams Wingate faced in 2024, six were held to the season-low point total against the Bulldogs.