Two members of the Valparaiso University football program were honored for their success both academically and athletically on Wednesday as redshirt senior defensive lineman Sam Hafner (Green Bay, Wis. / De Pere) and redshirt junior running back Ryan Mann (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Vernon Hills [Northern Illinois]) were named to the Academic All-Pioneer Football League First Team.
 
Hafner, who owns a 3.78 cumulative grade point average in biology/chemistry, earned Academic All-PFL First Team honors for the third straight season, one of three players in the league to be honored for the third straight year. He was also named to the All-PFL Second Team earlier in the week, his third straight year earning first or second team all-league accolades.
 
Hafner finished the season with 52 tackles including 21 solos and a team-high six tackles for loss. He notched 1.5 sacks and hurried the quarterback on three occasions. The team captain added to his long list of honors that also includes 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee, 2024 Campbell Trophy Semifinalist, 2023 All-PFL First Team, 2023 Phil Steele All-PFL First Team, 2023 Team Defensive Player of the Year, 2023 CSC Academic All-District, 2022 All-PFL Second Team, 2022 CSC Academic All-District, 2022 Phil Steele All-PFL Third Team. Hafner had a season-high eight tackles on Nov. 9 vs. Butler and matched that total the following week at Dayton. He recorded seven tackles or more in each of the final three games of the season.
 
Mann, who owns a 3.58 cumulative grade point average in finance, earned All-PFL Honorable Mention for the second straight year in 2024. He was also an Academic All-PFL Second Team performer last season, making this his second straight season with Academic All-PFL honors and his first time on the First Team. He had 203 rushing yards on 65 attempts, averaging 20.3 yards per game with one touchdown in 2024.

 
2024 Academic All-Pioneer Football League First Team
Player School Class Pos. GPA Major
OFFENSE
Warner Bush Presbyterian Sr. QB 4.00 Political Science
Dylan Demaison (1) Dayton RSr. OL 3.75 Mechanical Engineering
Isaac House Drake Gr. OL 4.00 Business Administration
Nick Howard Butler Gr. QB 3.83 M.A. Strategic Communication
Chris Leonardo (1) Marist RSo. Ol 3.87 Economics
Gavin Lochow Dayton So. WR 3.74 Communications
Ryan Mann (2) Valparaiso RJr. RB 3.58 Finance
Brady Meitz Stetson RJr. QB 3.77 Biology
Alec Rasmussen (1, 3x) St. Thomas Sr. OL 3.88 Business Administration
Mason Sheron (1) Davidson Jr. RB 3.36 Economics
Jaxsen Spears (1, 4x) Morehead State Gr. OL 3.66 MBA
DEFENSE
Luke Bauer Morehead State RJr. LB 4.00 Accounting
Finn Claypool (1) Drake RJr. DL 3.44 Business Law
Sam Hafner (1, 3x) Valparaiso RSr. DL 3.78 Biology/Chemistry
Eric Haney (2) San Diego Sr. DB 3.58 Mechanical Engineering
Jeremy Jonozzo (1) Dayton RJr. DB 3.95 Accounting
Gideon Lampron Dayton RSo. LB 3.58 Psychology
Matthew McClelland Morehead State RSo. DB 3.90 Sport Management
Gannon McCorkle Marist Gr. DL 3.65 B.A., Economics & Environmental Studies
Tyler Radocha (2) Drake Gr. DB 3.90 Business Administration
Julian Rawlins Davidson Sr. DL 3.43 Economics
Grif Wurtz (2) St. Thomas Sr. DB 3.82 Economics/Business
SPECIAL TEAMS
Shane Dunning (1) Drake Gr. K/P 4.00 Business Administration
Brady McKnight (2) Morehead State Sr. LS 3.68 Agribusiness
Adam Zouagui Davidson Jr. K/P 3.62 Economics
Symbols in parentheses: (1) was a First Team Academic All-PFL selection in 2023; (2) was a Second Team Academic All-PFL
selection in 2023; (3x, 4x) is a three-time or four-time First-Team Academic All-PFL honoree.
 
2024 Academic All-Pioneer Football League Second Team
Student-Athlete School Year Pos. GPA Major
OFFENSE
Davion Cherwin Drake Sr. RB 3.77 Kinesiology
Dominic Kibby Presbyterian Jr. WR 3.40 Business Administration
Luke Bailey Drake Gr. QB 3.62 Finance
Cade Beam Dayton RSr. RB 3.97 Finance
Donovan Snyder Stetson Gr. RB 4.00 MBA
Joey Suchy Butler Sr. RB 3.77 Middle & Secondary Education
Sam Valor Davidson Sr. OL 3.36 Economics
Brody Reina Davidson Jr. WR 3.81 Economics
Andrew Reagan Butler So. QB 3.42 Economics
Logan Gingg San Diego Sr. RB 3.43 Business Administration
Hunter Johnson Drake Gr. WR 4.00 Business Administration
Tristan Shannon Marist Gr. RB 3.31 B.A. Games & Emerging Media
DEFENSE
Nick Bafia Butler Sr. DB 3.63 Organizational Communication & Leadership
Jihad McCall Morehead State RJr. DB 3.90 Sport Management
Andrew Martin Stetson So. LB 3.90 Environmental Science
CJ Grisar Drake Sr. DB 3.99 Finance & Business Administration
Giovanni Iovino San Diego Sr. LB 3.42 Real Estate
Ryan Sever St. Thomas Jr. LB 3.55 Business Administration
Liam "Lumpy" DeWeese Stetson So. DB 3.76 Business Administration
Alex Herriott Presbyterian Sr. LB 3.34 Business Administration
Caleb Bowling Drake Sr. DB 3.47 Health Sciences, Clinical & Medical
Nate Hess Dayton RJr. DL 3.85 Pre-Dentistry
TJ Magee Davidson Jr. DB 3.48
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ezra King Presbyterian Sr. P 3.68 Business Administration
Brett Welsing Drake Jr. LS 3.88 Finance
Aidan Lehman San Diego Sr. K 3.34 Engineering
Note: 12 student-athletes were named to second team offense due to a tie-in voting.