MINNEAPOLIS – Carleton College junior Ntense Obono was named to the D3football.com All-America team. He leads tight ends across all levels of NCAA football—FBS, FCS, D-II and D-III—with 83 receptions, 8.3 receptions per game, and 78.4 receiving yards per game. His 784 receiving yards were the most by any NCAA tight end during the 2023 regular season.
 
Obono is the third tight end in program annals to collect All-America recognition of any kind, joining Gar Hoerschgen and Scott Hanks, who both earned honorable mention in 1963 and 1992, respectively. This is the 32nd All-America season in Carleton football history and the first for the Knights since 2011 (see chart below).
 
D3football.com is the preeminent source of information about football across NCAA Division III and has handed out its All-America teams since 1999. This year the website recognized 104 players overall, including one tight end on each its All-America first, second, third and fourth teams. Obono is Carleton's first D3football.com All-American since 2008.
 
His reception total is the second-highest single-season figure in recorded program history and tied him for sixth among all NCAA D-III players regardless of position in 2023.
 
Obono's 8 touchdown receptions this fall not only tied him for the 14th-highest single season total in recorded program history, but they also tied him for fourth among all NCAA tight ends (all divisions) in 2023.
 
Obono surpassed 100 receiving yards in three games (vs. Pomona-Pitzer, at Minnesota-Morris, and vs. St. Olaf) and had four games with double-digit receptions.
 
His season yardage total ranked 92nd among all players in NCAA D-III with 36 of those ahead of him benefitting from playing additional games during the postseason.
 
Through his first three collegiate seasons, Obono has 149 career receptions for 1,377 yards and 20 touchdowns. His reception and touchdown totals rank seventh and sixth, respectively, in recorded team history (see charts below).
 
Most Receptions (career) in Carleton Football history
Rec.   --   Player (yards)   --   Years
220   --   Matt Frank (2766)   --   2005-08
212   --   Jim Bradford (3719)   --   1988-91
182   --   Steve Gorka (2465)   --   1994-97
181   --   Emanual Williams (1699)   --   2016-19
174   --   Mack Journell* (2079)   --   2016 & 2018-19
158   --   Chris Gardner (2590)   --   2005-08
149   --   Ntense Obono (1377)   --   2021-pres
138   --   Erik Miller (1719)   --   1997-00
124   --   Anthony Kemper (1924)        2009,2012-13
122   --   Scott Hanks (1473)   --   1989-92
122   --   Beau Nelson (1127)   --   2018-22
*Carleton totals only
 
Most Receptions (single season) in Carleton Football history
Rec.   --   Player (yards)   --   Year
90   --   Matt Frank (990)   --   2008
83   --   Ntense Obono (784)   --   2023
74   --   Matt Frank (1120)   --   2006
74   --   Mack Journell (879)   --   2019
72   --   Emanual Williams (887)   --   2019
69   --   Jim Bradford (1238)   --   1989
67   --   Mack Journell (675)   --   2018
66   --   Jim Bradford (1064)   --   1990   --  
63   --   Scott Hanks (724)   --   1992
62   --   Steve Gorka (904)   --   1997
 
Most Touchdown Receptions (career) in Carleton Football history
TD   --   Player   --   Years
32   --   Jim Bradford   --   1988-91
28   --   Chris Gardner   --   2005-08
26   --   Jeff Scherer   --   1988-91
26   --   Matt Frank   --   2005-08
22   --   Anthony Kemper       2009, 2012-13
20     --   Ntense Obono   --   2021-pres
18   --   Mack Journell            2016 & 2018-19
16   --   John Winter   --   1981-84
16   --   Emanual Williams   --   2016-19
15   --   Mike Grossman   --   1972-74
15   --   Steve Gorka   --   1994-97
 
Carleton Football All-Americans
1934   --   Donald "Tag" Senior, HB
1936   --   Robert Taft, T (honorable mention)
1939   --   Richard Raiter, HB (Paul Williamson's Little All-America team)
1950   --   Charles Marck, QB (honorable mention, Little)
1954   --   Ted Smebakken, FB (honorable mention)
1957   --   Al Schmucker, HB (honorable mention)
1958   --   Al Schmucker, HB (honorable mention)
1963   --   Gar Hoerschgen, TE (honorable mention)
1980   --   Steve Huffer, T (honorable mention, Pizza Hut)
1985   --   David Adams, DB (honorable mention)
1988   --   Tim Nielson, QB (Pizza Hut, Football Gazette and AFCA All-American teams and honorable mention, AP)
1988   --   Guy Finne, T (honorable mention, AP)
1989   --   Scott Bunnell, DT (Football Gazette and Pizza Hut teams)
1989   --   Jim Bradford, WR (Football Gazette and Pizza Hut teams)
1990   --   Jim Bradford, WR (Champion USA and AFCA's Kodak first teams, also Football Gazette All-American)
1990   --   John Nielson, QB (honorable mention)
1991   --   Jim Bradford, WR (Football Gazette and Champion USA)
1991   --   Jeff Scherer, WR (Football Gazette honorable mention)
1992   --   Watie White, DE (Champion USA second team)
1992   --   Art Gilliland, S (Champion USA third team, Football Gazette and USA Today Division III teams)
1992   --   Geoff Morse, C (Football Gazette and USA Today Division III teams, Champion USA honorable mention)
1992   --   Scott Hanks, TE (honorable mention)
1992   --   Adam Henry, HB (honorable mention)
2000   --   J.J. Franz, DE (honorable mention)
2000   --   Dan Reider, KR/PR (honorable mention)
2000   --   Josh Schroeder, CB (honorable mention)
2001   --   Scott O'Reilly, LB (Hewlett-Packard honorable mention)
2003   --   Erik Fisher, RB (D3Football.com honorable mention)
2006   --   Matt Frank, WR (Football Gazette second team)
2008   --   Drew Ziller, S (American Football Coaches Association, D3Football.com first team, Associated Press Little All-America third team)
2011   --   Jon Lien, RB (D3ProDay.com honorable mention)
2023   --   Ntense Obono, TE (D3football.com second team)