* 2019 Phil Steele Freshman All-America Second Team
* 2020-21, 2021, 2023 MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award
* 2018, 2020-21, 2021, 2022, 2023 MVFC Honor Roll
2023 SEASON (SENIOR): Returned to the Bison football program for a sixth year available due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 2020 season...Started all 15 games at defensive end...Fifth leading tackler for an NDSU team that reached the NCAA FCS semifinals and finished 11-4 overall...Made 52 total tackles with 8.0 sacks...His 15.5 tackles for loss ranked 10th in NDSU single-season history...Credited with one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry...Career-high seven tackles at North Dakota and in the FCS semifinal game at Montana...Had 2.5 sacks in the Harvest Bowl win over Southern Illinois...Named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll for the fifth time in his career...Earned the MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award.
2022 SEASON (SENIOR): Played in the first five games at defensive end before a season-ending injury...Credited with 10 tackles including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks...Blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown by
Destin Talbert in the season-opening win over Drake...Tied a career high with three tackles in back-to-back wins over Drake and North Carolina A&T...Recorded pass breakups against South Dakota and Youngstown State...Transitioned into a student assistant coaching role for the remainder of the season...Named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll.
2021 SEASON (JUNIOR): Played in all 15 games at defensive end...Finished with 17 total tackles...Third on the team with 6.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks...Tied a career high with three tackles in the NCAA semifinal win over James Madison, including a sack and rush for no gain on back-to-back plays of a JMU three-and-out in the third quarter...Named to the MVFC Honor Roll...Earned the MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award.
2020-21 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Member of the Bison program, but did not play during the season due to injury...MVFC Honor Roll...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award.
2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN): Played in 11 of 16 games...Made 12 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks...His only pass breakup of the year was a deflection against North Dakota that resulted in an interception by safety
Michael Tutsie...Season-high three tackles in the home win over South Dakota...Named to the Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-America second team.
2018 SEASON (REDSHIRT): Took a redshirt year with the Bison and did not play in any games...Named to the MVFC Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL: 2018 graduate of Shanley High School...Four-year starter for coaches Rod Oksendahl and Troy Mattern...Played linebacker and tight end...Three-time all-conference and all-state linebacker...Totaled 312 career tackles...Part of Shanley teams that went 40-7 and advanced to three state championship games...All-conference in basketball...Also participated in track and golf.
PERSONAL: Graduated from NDSU in December 2021 with a bachelor's degree in marketing...Earned a master's degree in business administration from NDSU in December 2023...Member of the NDSU Student-Athlete Advisory Council...Son of Edward and Mary Kava...His brother,
Joe Kava, was a member of the Bison football team in 2020...Father played football at Minnesota-Crookston...Mother played basketball at Concordia College (Minn.).
