The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) announced the 2021 football postseason awards and All-Conference teams, which include members of the Aurora University football program.

The 2021 NACC champions of the 2021 NACC from Aurora University dominated both on the field and in the postseason award recognition. AU swept the top honors with Head Coach Don Beebe being named Coach of the Year, quarterback Gavin Zimbelman being named Offensive Player of the Year defensive back Sean Reyna being named Defensive Player of the Year and defensive lineman Jaylen Jordan being named Freshman of the Year.
 
Beebe earned NACC Coach of the Year honors for the second time in as many times he has been eligible for the honor while at the helm of the Spartans. He received the award after he led AU to an undefeated 8-0 conference schedule and the Spartans making a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Football Championship appearance. During league play, AU averaged league-bests with 53.0 points and 543.3 yards of total offense per game. The Spartans featured a balanced offense over the course of their eight NACC games, averaging 270.1 yards per game through the air and a league-leading 273.1 yards per game on the ground. Overall, the Spartans rank among Division III's leaders in both scoring offense (45.0 points per game) and total offense (493.8 yards per game). The Spartans rank 12th in both categories through games played Nov. 20.

Zimbelman won the distinction of the NACC Offensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season following another strong season as the signal caller of the Spartans. In 11 games, Zimbelman completed 219-of-370 passes for 3,065 yards and ranking among an NCAA Division III-best 46 touchdowns. Zimbelman threw for five or more touchdowns in seven of 10 regular-season games. He finished the season with a 59.2 completion percentage, a 165.5 passing efficiency and 278.6 yards per game. His top game of the season came on Oct. 30 when he completed 31 of 43 passes for 432 yards and seven touchdowns and ran for 19 yards and an eighth score in a 63-41 win over rival Benedictine.

Aside from finishing tops in the league in touchdown passes and pass efficiency (165.5), Zimbelman ranked third in completions (219), attempts (370), completion percentage (59.2), and passing yards. He threw for 2,161 yards and 36 touchdowns in league play alone. Through the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs, Zimbelman ranks second in Division III in passing touchdowns and points responsible for (302) and 10th in passing yardage. Zimbelman was also named NACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, making him just the third multiple-time honoree in league history after Concordia Wisconsin's Austin Damaschke (2013, 2014) and Lakeland's Michael Whitley (2015, 2016, 2017).

Reyna earned the NACC Defensive Player of the Year honor after ranking among the NCAA best in interceptions with seven, one of which he returned 100 yards for a touchdown. Additionally, he had nine pass break-ups, 39 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He defended at least one pass in nine of 11 games, led by a season-high five in a 70-20 win over Rockford on Sept. 25. Reyna intercepted two passes each against the Regents and Saint John's (Minn.). He registered a season-high seven tackles on two occasions - Sept. 25 against Rockford (four solo) and Nov. 6 at Lakeland (seven solo). Through games played Nov. 20, Reyna ranks ninth in NCAA Division III in interceptions per game (0.6) and 13th in passes defended per game (1.5). The award is the third for an Aurora player with Reyna joining Kam Dawtyne (2017) and Mike Budzinski (2009).

Jordan earned the NACC Freshman of the Year honor with anchoring the AU defensive line, finishing with 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a pass break-up and two quarterback hurries. He registered multiple tackles in seven of nine league games, hitting a high-water mark of seven tackles (six solo) and four tackles-for-loss in a 25-7 win at St. Norbert on Oct. 23. Jordan joins Eric Wagner (2015) and Michael Beasley-Hart (2012) as Spartans to be named NACC Freshman of the Year.

In all, 17 Spartans earned the honorable distinction of receiving Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference All-Conference honors with 11 First-Team selections, three Second-Team and three Honorable Mention. 

Joining Zimbelman, Reyna and Jordan as First-Team All-NACC are running back Tyran Bailey, receiver Cameron Moore, offensive lineman Jackson Nazos, offensive lineman Chris Toth, offensive lineman Jalen Cole, defensive lineman Jared Pratt, linebacker Marcellus Romious and returner James Mautino. 

Bailey had a tremendous season in becoming the all-time leading rusher at AU and surpassing 4,000 career yards. He finished the season with 1,213 yards on 169 carries and 13 touchdowns, averaging 7.2 yards per carry and 110.3 yards per game. He also caught 23 passes for 172 yards. Moore caught 40 passes for 879 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing the ball twice for 25 yards and having 15 kick returns for 327 yards and a long of 66 yards. Nazos, Toth and Cole anchored the Spartan offensive line that averaged 493.8 total yards per game, 215.2 yards rushing and 278.6 passing per game. Pratt had 33 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. Romious led the defense with 59 tackles with four tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, a fumble recovery, pass breakup and four quarterback hurries. Mautino ranks among the top returners in Division III with 16.1 yards per punt return on 17 returns and he returned three kicks for 44 yards. As a receiver he had nine catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

Second-Team All-Conference recognition went to three Spartans, receiver Trey Madsen (61 catches for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns while also carrying the ball eight times for 63 yards and a touchdown), tight end/receiver Colton Jewell (34 catches for 411 yards and eight touchdowns) and defensive back Robbie Peterson, Jr. (46 tackles, nine pass breakups and a forced fumble).

NACC Honorable Mention selections went to defensive back Matt Piasecki (44 tackles, one interception, 11 pass break-ups, one sack and a forced fumble), linebacker Blake Martz (47 tackles, one interception, two pass breakups and one quarterback hurry) and receiver Brock Harner (29 catches for 345 yards and nine touchdowns).

The Spartans concluded the 2021 season with an 8-3 overall record, the programs sixth NCAA playoff appearance and ninth conference championship with a perfect 8-0 record in winning the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.