This Week in Valpo Football: Every game is important to the Valparaiso University football team each season, but no other game is as important as this one. The 2025 season will come to a close with the signature date of every Valpo football campaign as the Beacons visit Butler in the Battle for the Hoosier Helmet on Saturday – the latest installment of the Pioneer Football League's oldest rivalry and only instate matchup.
 
Previously: From down 24-0 with under six minutes remaining in the third quarter, Valpo put together a furious and improbable comeback – the program's largest on record – to stun Stetson 32-31 in overtime last week at Brown Field. The Beacons were a mind-boggling 4-for-4 on 2-point conversion tries including two 2-point conversion connections between quarterback Rowan Keefe and tight end Colin Hayes, both in scenarios where the Beacons would have lost the game if they were not converted. The second one cemented the 32-31 triumph after Keefe had scored with his legs from two yards out on Valpo's overtime possession. Keefe passed for 203 yards on two scores with no interceptions on 18-of-26 through the air and led a 95-yard touchdown drive that began with Valpo down eight on its own five-yard line with just 49 seconds left.
 
Glancing Ahead: This represents the final game of the 2025 season for both teams.
 
Series Notes: Valpo is 30-54 all-time against Butler as the two teams get set to engage in the 85^th matchup of a rivalry that dates back to 1927. Butler currently owns the coveted Hoosier Helmet trophy after a 24-17 win at Brown Field last season. Valpo had the ball in Bulldog territory with hopes of assembling a game-tying (or even go-ahead) scoring drive in the closing minutes, but a turnover sealed the deal in gut-wrenching fashion.
 
Following the Beacons: Saturday's game will air on FloCollege. The hometown radio call of the game will air on WVUR, 95.1 FM Valparaiso with Leo Staudacher (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst). Staudacher will fill in for the Voice of Valpo Todd Ickow this week as Ickow handles the MVC Volleyball Semifinal at the ARC. For in-game updates, follow @valpoufootball on X. Links to live video and stats can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.
 
Senior Day Magic

• On Nov. 15 at Brown Field, Valpo completed the program's largest known comeback on record, rallying from 24-0 down with under six minutes remaining in the third quarter to stun Stetson 32-31 in overtime.
• The rally was Valpo's largest on record, outdoing a Sept. 9, 1995 game when the Beacons were down 22-0 before beating Saint Xavier 41-30.
• This was the second straight season with a ridiculous victory on Senior Day. The 2024 team pulled out an 18-17 win over Davidson. The Wildcats had fourth-and-5 from their own 22 leading 17-10 with nine seconds left and the quarterback did a quick punt but completely whiffed on the punt and Valpo took over with four seconds to go at the Davidson 17, then threw a TD pass and had a successful 2-point play with all zeros on the clock.
• Three of the last nine Senior Days at Brown Field have involved game-winning 2-point conversions, as the 2017 Valpo football team clinched the program's first winning season since 2003 by beating Dayton 8-7 on a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 1:20 on the clock.
• The 2023 Senior Day was also a thriller, with Valpo beating Stetson 23-20. The Beacons now own a three-game winning streak in home finales.
• This year's Senior Day rally received media attention as it was widely distributed by the Associated Press with appearances on media outlets like FOX Sports and ESPN.com. In addition, highlights of the victory were shown on NBC 5 Chicago that evening and the next morning.

PFL Laurels

• A pair of Valpo players were recognized by the Pioneer Football League following the come-from-behind win over Stetson on Nov. 15.
• Rowan Keefe, who engineered the game-tying touchdown drive that went 95 yards in less than a minute, passed for three crucial 2-point conversions and scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in overtime, was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week.
• Keefe went 18-of-26 through the air for 204 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
• Nic Lendino was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week. Lendino came up with a game-altering special teams play by blocking a punt to set up a short field for the Beacons. Valpo took advantage by scoring a touchdown and 2-point conversion that would prove crucial.
• This marks the second straight week that Valpo has achieved the league's Special Teams Player of the Week after Ryan Ricketti did so for his efforts in the return game against San Diego. The Beacons now have four total weekly awards from the league office this year.
• Keefe became Valpo's first PFL Offensive Player of the Week since Aaron Dawson in 2022 and became the first Valpo quarterback to garner that award since Jimmy Seewald in 2017.     

Finishing Strong

• The Beacons will look to end the season on a high note on Saturday. They finished last season with a win, the team's first season-closing victory in a traditional fall season since 2017. Valpo did also end the Spring 2021 campaign in victorious fashion.
• With a victory on Saturday, Valpo would win two straight season finales for the first time since 2016 and 2017.
• With a victory on Saturday, Valpo would finish a season with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2017.

Free Football + Close Calls

• Valpo played its first overtime game of the season in the Nov. 15 32-31 win over Stetson. This marked the first time since a 31-23 success over Roosevelt on Sept. 21 of last season that Valpo needed an extra session.
• This marked Valpo's first OT game in league play since a 23-20 victory on Nov. 11, 2023, also vs. Stetson. 
• Valpo improved to 5-2 all-time against the Hatters with the five wins coming in the last six meetings. All five wins have come by nine points or fewer and four of the five have come by three points or fewer.
• Each of Valpo's last two Pioneer Football League wins have come by the slimmest of margins, the 2024 Senior Day victory over Davidson (18-17) and the 2025 Senior Day victory over Stetson (32-31).
• Valpo did not play a single overtime game from 2014 to Spring 2021. Now, the Beacons have played five OT games in the last five years, all at Brown Field. 
• This year's team improved to 1-2 in one-score games.

Ricketti The Receiver

• After a huge day as a return man the previous week, redshirt freshman Ryan Ricketti had a career day catching the football on Nov. 15 vs. Stetson.
• He finished with seven receptions for a career-high 103 yards and a touchdown. The TD grab was his second of the season, making him the first Beacon with multiple this year.
• Ricketti was Valpo's second player with a 100-yard receiving game this season, joining Chris Gundy's 108 on Oct. 25, 2025 vs. Morehead State.
• Ricketti owns a team-high 443 receiving yards on 41 catches this year.
• The redshirt freshman has 50 or more receiving yards in four of his last five games. He has four catches or more seven times this year including each of his last four contests.
• Ricketti has 13 catches over the last two weeks, recording season highs against San Diego (six) and Stetson (seven).

Going for Two

• Valpo did not have any successful 2-point conversions all season prior to the second half of the Nov. 15 game vs. Stetson, when they went 4-for-4 in 2-point tries including the game-winner in overtime.
• Three of the 2-point plays were successful passes to tight ends (two to Colin Hayes and one to Max Carter), while one was a Noah Long run.
• Valpo's first successful 2-point play of the game was the team's first since Caron Tyler found Jake Vickers with all zeros on the clock to end the 2024 season in victorious fashion.
• Long's rushing 2-point play was Valpo's first since Ryan Mann on Sept. 21, 2024 vs. Roosevelt.
• Prior to Nov. 15 vs. Stetson, Valpo had four successful 2-point conversions total in its last 44 games before four in one game, all after halftime, against the Hatters.
• Valpo became one of five teams nationally in FCS with four successful 2-point conversions this SEASON, let alone in a single game, joining Idaho (six), Furman (five), St. Thomas (four) and Stony Brook (four). Valpo is the only team nationally in FCS with four successful 2-point conversions in a single game this season.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Week 12 – Valpo 32, Stetson 31

• Redshirt freshman Noah Long ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
• Rowan Keefe went 18-of-26 through the air for 203 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He has completed 17 or more passes in three straight games and had 200 or more passing yards in each of those contests.
• In addition to Ryan Ricketti's big day through the air, Jay Melchiori added five catches for 50 yards, while Devin Yeats had three grabs for 31 including his second career receiving score, both coming this season.
• Keefe scored with his legs for the third time this season and is up to 15 career TD passes including nine this year.
• Nic Lendino notched Valpo's fourth blocked kick of the season.
• Anthony Feltrinelli totaled a team-high 11 tackles, while Easton Hill and Isaiah Fowler were credited with eight apiece. Matthew Molnar had a personal-best seven on his Senior Day.

Beacons Among National Leaders

• With four blocked kicks on the season, Valpo is tied for 13^th nationally in FCS.
• The Beacons have committed just 4.45 penalties per game, 11^th fewest nationally. They rank eighth in the nation in fewest penalty yards at 385 and third in fewest per game at 35.0.
• The Beacons are third in the FCS country in kickoff return average at 29.06.
• Ryan Ricketti ranks fifth nationally and leads the PFL with 687 combined kick return yards. He is tied with four others for the national lead with two kickoff return touchdowns. Ricketti ranks fourth nationally in kickoff return average at 30.4.

Celebrating Seniors: The following 25 players are classified as seniors and elected to participate in the pregame Senior Day ceremony prior to last week's game vs. Stetson. Some who have eligibility remaining may still return for an additional season. The seniors who were celebrated last week were Rowan Keefe, Jay Melchiori, Hunter Nabers, Dawaiian McNeely, Chris Gundy, Jacardon Hardemon, De'Andre Wilborn, Shawn Fester, Devin Yeats, Christian Hilton, Justin Jurmu, Silas Mathis, Frank Bartell, Connor Dickson, Matthew Molnar, Alex Goworowski, Ace McKinnis, Nate Hillenburg, Dawson Rye, Niko Paic, Ryan Pauley, Bryce Koteles, Max Carter, Jake Paulline and Liam Shepherd.
 
Scouting the Bulldogs  

• Looking to rebound from a 29-7 loss at San Diego last week and end a three-game slide that also includes setbacks to Drake (24-19) and Morehead State (31-30).
• Got off to a 3-1 start to league play with wins over Marist (31-28), St. Thomas (21-14, OT) and Dayton (23-17) and a loss to Presbyterian (31-25).
• Had played six straight one-score games to open PFL play prior to last week's lopsided loss.
• Under the direction of first-year head coach Kevin Lynch, who was part of Ball State's coaching staff from 2016-2024.
• Picked to finish fourth in the PFL preseason poll and currently sit tied for seventh.

Ricketti Does It Again

• Ryan Ricketti had his second 100-yard kickoff return touchdown of the season on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego.
• He was named the PFL Special Team's player of the Week on Nov. 9, becoming the second Valpo player to earn a league weekly award this season (Gabriel Batres, defense, Week 1). Ricketti was previously recognized as the league's top freshman in Week 4 and earned FCS Special Teams Player of the Week honorable mention that same week after his first 100-yard kickoff return TD of the season against Western Illinois.
• Ricketti's 100-yard return marked the team's third kickoff return touchdown of the season. This is the first time in program history that Valpo has returned three kickoffs for scores in a single season.
• That marked Ricketti's second kickoff return touchdown of the season, making him just the second different Valpo player with multiple kickoff return touchdowns in a season and the third time total that the feat has been achieved in program history. Bailey Gessinger had two kickoff return touchdowns in 2016 and again in 2018.
• There have only been nine 100-yard kickoff returns in the FCS nation this season, and Ricketti owns two of them. He is the only player in the FCS nation and one of two players in the Division-I nation with multiple 100-yard kickoff return touchdowns this season, joining Notre Dame's Jadarian Price.
• Ricketti became the first FCS player nationally with multiple 100-yard kickoff returns in the same season since 2022, when Weber State's Abraham Williams remarkably had four of them.
• Ricketti finished the game with 198 kickoff return yards, the most of any player nationally in FCS this season and the second most in all of Division-I in a single game this season, behind only Western Michigan's Devin Miles, who had 218 on Oct. 25 vs. Miami (Ohio).
• Ricketti finished with 256 all-purpose yards, the 13^th most nationally in FCS in a single game this season. He paced the team with six catches for 58 yards, with the six receptions marking a single-game career best.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Week 11 – San Diego 43, Valpo 27

• Valpo led at halftime for the second time in league play, both coming in the last three weeks (Oct. 25 vs. Morehead State) and for the third time overall this season.
• QB Rowan Keefe passed for 234 yards, setting a career high for the second straight week. He completed 19 passes, also reaching a career best in that category for the second consecutive outing. Valpo's top two outputs this season in terms of team passing yards have come in the last two weeks.
• Saturday marked the team's highest total number of passing yards since also throwing for 234 on Sept. 23, 2023 vs. Marist. This tied the team's highest number of passing yards since 323 on Oct. 29, 2022 at Dayton.
• Devin Yeats and Michael Rumoro both scored their first career touchdowns. Noah Long's TD was his second overall and first through the air.
• Valpo's nine touchdown receptions this season have come from nine different players, with no Beacon owning multiple TD grabs.
• With his three passing scores on Saturday, Keefe is up to seven this season and 13 in his career.
• Colin Hayes had three catches for 52 yards after entering his career day with three catches for 48 yards through the first nine games of the season.
• The Beacons were shorthanded once again with WR Chris Gundy, RB Michael Mansaray and LB Max Samuel among the numerous key players out with injuries.
• Redshirt freshman Anthony Feltrinelli topped the team's tackle chart, posting 12 tackles for his third double-figure output of the season and second straight. Mark Johnson secured a season-high nine stops and De'Andre Wilborn a career-high eight.
• A 3-0 deficit in the turnover battle was one factor that plagued the Beacons in a strong effort.

Taking It Away Twice

• In the Nov. 1 game at No. 25/22 Presbyterian, defensive back Mark Johnson had an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
• He became the first Valpo player to force a fumble and make an interception in the same game since Kohlton Sherman on Oct. 29, 2022 at Dayton.
• He became the first Beacon to make an interception and recover a fumble in the same game since Caleb Rao on Sept. 19, 2022.
• Johnson became the first Valpo player in over 20 years to have an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery all in the same game.
• The interception was the second of his career, both this season. The forced fumble and fumble recovery were both career firsts. He and Nic Lendio are the two Valpo players with multiple picks this year.

Keefe's Comeback

• After being knocked out of the previous game with an injury and being doubtful to play earlier in the week, quarterback Rowan Keefe returned to action on Nov. 1 at No. 25/22 Presbyterian with one of his best statistical performances of the season.
• Keefe went 17-of-26 through the air for a career-high 225 yards and a touchdown. He completed passes to eight different players, and the 17 total completions were also a personal best.
• The 225 passing yards marked a season high for the Beacons and tied the team's highest total since 234 on Sept. 23, 2023 vs. Marist.
• Keefe threw his second career touchdown pass in the contest.

Campbell Trophy Semifinalist

• Redshirt senior De'Andre Wilborn earned a high honor on Sept. 24 as he was named a semifinalist for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's premier scholar-athlete award presented by the National Football Foundation.
• Celebrating its 36^th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. He is one of 44 semifinalists from FCS programs, one of three from the Pioneer Football League and one of 177 overall.
• Wilborn, who earned NFF Hampshire Honor Society recognition in 2025, is pursuing a master's degree in sports administration at Valpo after graduating from Georgetown in December 2023 with a degree in government and minor in sociology. Wilborn was a member of the Patriot League academic honor roll from 2021-2023 before earning a place on the Pioneer Football League academic honor roll in 2024.
• A Valpo football team leader, Wilborn's off-the-field endeavors include working as part of the Valpo Athletics gameday staff, completing an internship with Jason Friedman running for Congress Illinois 7^th District in summer 2025 and participating in "Dressed for School Valparaiso." While at Georgetown, he was a member of Black Student-Athlete Coalition and a FlagStar football coach/intern from 2020-2023, teaching youth and low-income students how to play football. 
• The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 22, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 36th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

Welcoming Waddle

• Andy Waddle (56-69 overall, 1-8 at Valpo) was named the 19^th head coach of the Valpo football program on Dec. 9, 2024.
• A two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Waddle possesses over two decades of collegiate coaching experience including the last 12 years as the head coach at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.
• The Pioneers started the 2024 season 8-0, the first 8-0 start in program history. The program enjoyed a 13-game winning streak that spanned the end of the 2023 season and start of the 2024 campaign, tied for the longest in program history and the program's longest since 1920. The 13-game winning streak was at the time tied with Army for the second longest active winning streak in all of NCAA college football, behind only Division-III SUNY-Cortland's 20-game streak.
• Waddle guided the squad to a combined 16-5 record and 14-2 mark in the NCAA Division-III Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) over the last two seasons. He successfully engineered a turnaround of the Marietta program, leading the team to a record of .500 or better in seven of the last eight years after the Pioneers had previously experienced nine consecutive losing seasons.
• When Waddle took over as the head coach at Marietta prior to the 2013 season, he inherited a program that had won three or fewer games in each of the previous six years and was coming off an 0-10 season. Before Waddle's eight-year run of sustained success that began in 2017, Marietta had a winning record just twice in a 20-year span. The program enjoyed as many winning seasons in Waddle's final eight years as head coach as it had experienced in the previous 30 years combined.
• The 2024 season culminated with Marietta's second-ever postseason appearance and first since 1973 as the Pioneers competed in the Extra Points Bowl, hosted at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. After the 8-0 start, Marietta was ranked 22nd nationally by D3Football.com and 23rd by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The Pioneers finished the 2024 campaign ranked among national leaders in the following categories – third-down conversion percentage defense (first, .250), redzone offense (eighth, .912), total defense (10th, 236.1), sacks per game (3.18, 16th), total offense (453.9, 19th), scoring offense (40.5, 21st) and scoring defense (14.9, 23rd).
• Marietta placed 16 players on the All-OAC team in 2024 and had 101 total all-league selections during Waddle's tenure. Following the 2023 campaign, Waddle was named the OAC Coach of the Year after leading Marietta to its highest win total since 1995. Waddle earned his first OAC Coach of the Year award in 2017 after leading the Pioneers to a 6-4 mark, the team's first winning season in 11 years. During his time at Marietta, Waddle instructed 19 all-region performers, 22 All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans.
• Prior to his dozen years leading the Marietta program, Waddle spent eight seasons at Wittenberg University, where he joined the staff in 2005 as the defensive secondary coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator a year later. Wittenberg won four North Coast Athletic Conference championships and made four NCAA playoff appearances in the seven seasons with Waddle running the defense. His 2009 defensive unit led all of the NCAA in total defense (189.9) and scoring defense (8.85) and the program tied a school record with 12 wins.
• Waddle began his coaching career in 2003 at Mansfield University (Pa.) as the defensive backs coach. The NCAA Division-II Mountaineers went 8-3, a six-game improvement over the previous season, and recorded the team's first winning season in nearly 30 years. In 2004, Waddle served as the secondary coach at D-III Maryville College (Tenn.), where he helped the program win as many games as it had in the previous three seasons combined.
• An all-conference defensive back, Waddle played for two North Coast Athletic Conference championship teams and made three NCAA playoff appearances at Wittenberg. He spent two seasons at the University of Findlay prior to transferring to Wittenberg. He was redshirted during the Oilers' 1997 NAIA national championship season and was a starter the following year.
• Waddle earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Wittenberg in 2003 and completed his master's in executive leadership from Liberty University in 2014. A native of Enon, Ohio, Waddle and his wife Kerry Jean have a daughter, Hopelyn, and a son, Spencer. The Waddles are involved with the Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry and have raised nearly $20,000 while registering over 2,000 potential bone marrow donors.

Preseason Prognostications

• Running back Michael Mansaray was tabbed to the All-Pioneer Football League Team that was released by the league office and garnered Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Second Team honors.
• Mansaray was named to the All-PFL Second Team in 2024, ranking seventh in the league with 58.36 rushing yards per game.
• His 4.52 yards per rush ranked sixth in the league, while his nine rushing touchdowns were tied for fourth and his 642 total yards ranked seventh. He was one rushing score away from becoming just the eighth player in program history with double-figure rushing touchdowns in a single season. Mansaray had a season-best 135 rushing yards on Oct. 26 at Marist, narrowly ahead of his 132 on Sept. 21 vs. Roosevelt.
• The Beacons will look to prove the league's head coaches' preseason balloting to be wide of the mark, as they were projected 10^th of 11 in the preseason poll. San Diego was picked to win the league, outdoing defending champion Drake atop the survey.

Leading The Way

• Redshirt junior offensive lineman Niko Paic and junior defensive back Mark Johnson have been named team captains for the 2025 season.
• Paic played in all 22 games over the last two seasons, starting all 11 during the 2024 campaign. He made his collegiate debut in 2022 at FBS foe New Mexico State while redshirting that season.
• Johnson appeared in 10 games and made seven starts a year ago, posting 45 tackles including 18 solos, 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He was named the Pioneer Football League's Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 27 after a season-high 10 tackles in the Oct. 26 win at Marist, a matchup during which he delivered the game-winning pass breakup on Marist's final offensive snap. Johnson has played in 21 games since arriving on campus prior to the 2023 campaign.

Roster Rundown: The program has continued to bring in talent from all over the United States. Half of the 50 states are represented on the roster, with Illinois (27) and Indiana (21) leading the way followed by Ohio (17) and California (nine).
 
Who's Back?: The 2024 Beacons boast four returning starters on offense and three on defense.
 
Meet the Staff

• Reed Florence – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – In his first season at Valpo after spending the last three seasons on Waddle's staff at Marietta, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
• Zach Feltrop – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach – Spent the last six seasons at Marietta College, serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under Waddle.
• RJ Ghilarducci – Assistant Head Coach / Special Teams Coordinator / Defensive Line Coach – Is in his sixth season on the Valpo football staff.
• Terry Geiger – Wide Receivers Coach / Recruiting Coordinator – Spent the last three seasons on staff at Marietta, where he was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator under Waddle.
• Peter Nank – Offensive Line Coach – Spent the last two seasons as the offensive line coach under Waddle at Marietta.
• Michael Joseph – Defensive Backs Coach – Played at Division-III University of Dubuque before going on to spend five years in the National Football League as a member of the Chicago Bears from 2018-2022 before he spent 2023 and 2024 as a member of the United Football League's DC Defenders. He is the lone member of the coaching staff who was not at either Valpo or Marietta last season.
• Connor Vierstra – Tight Ends Coach – Graduated from Marietta College in December 2024, finishing as the program's all-time career leader in passing touchdowns, completions and pass attempts for the Pioneers.
• Evan Matthes – Running Backs Coach / Specialists Coach – Is in his second year on Valpo's staff after serving as a punter for the Beacons in 2022 and 2023. He was an All-PFL First Team choice in 2023.
• Colin Graves – Safeties Coach – Finished his collegiate playing career at Valpo in 2024.
• David Busch – Quality Control / Defensive Line – Was a five-year starter on the Marietta offensive line from 2020 to 2024.
• Danny Files – Assistant Offensive Line Coach – Graduated from Valpo with a degree in sport management and minor in business administration in May 2023 after playing four years for the Beacons.

Family Tree

• QB Marcus Brown and DB Donovan Brown are brothers.
• QB Caron Tyler's father is rapper Aaron Tyler, better known by stage name MC Eiht.
• DB Mark Johnson's father Mark played football at Vanderbilt from 1986-91.
• RB Amir Simmons is the cousin of Taco Charlton, who played at Michigan and was a 2017 first-round NFL draft pick.
• TE Brayden Welch is the son of Joshua Welch, part of MMA Team Quest for 17 years.
• DL Betrand Berry II is the son of former Notre Dame defensive end Betrand Berry, who went on to play 12 years in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. He was Second-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection in 2004.
• TE JT Gawrys is the son of Steve Gawrys, who played baseball at BYU from 1987-1991 and went on to play semi-pro ball.
• RB Michael Rumoro's uncle Mark Tortorice played baseball at Grand Canyon from 1982-1985 and played minor league baseball in the Oakland A's and Chicago White Sox's farm systems
• DB Xavier Gipson's relative Tashaun Gipson has played in the NFL since 2012 for the Browns, Jaguars, Texans, Bears and 49ers and was a 2014 Pro Bowl choice
• OL Billy Jack McCool's father Billy Wade McCool played football at Wake Forest (1999-2000) and Valdosta State (2000-2001) and rugby at North Texas (2001-2003).
• QB Nathan Downey's grandfather Jim Rucks played football, basketball and baseball at the University of Illinois from 1969-1973
• DL Emmanuel Olojo's brother Jeremiah played football at Valpo in 2017 and 2018.
• OL Ralph Suarez's father, also Ralph, played football at Minnesota (2000-2001) and FIU (2002-2004).
• LB Tristan Pusateri's sister Taylor is a member of the Valpo track & field and cheerleading teams.
• QB Johnny DiBlasio's relative Karen DiBlasio swam at Harvard and in the 1980 Olympics.
• DB David Akinbosoye's cousin Adetomiwa Adebawore has played for the Indianapolis Colts since 2023.
• DL Caleb Baczek's father Todd played football at Northwestern and was signed by the New York Jets.
• QB Jacob Ritter's mother played volleyball at Iowa and father played football at Michigan.
• OL Marco Morales' grandfather Jaime was a professional Bolivian soccer player in the 1960s.
• RB DJ Manns II's brother Myron played football at Vanderbilt and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2010-2014.
• WR Luke Doyle's father Sean was an offensive lineman at UCLA from 1989-1994
• LB Nathan Harris' uncle Robert Mathis played at Alabama A&M and for the Indianapolis Colts.
• LS Ace McKinnis' father Don was a Big Eight champion in the javelin at Kansas State and also played football from 1980-1985. His uncle Tim McKinnis was a minor league baseball pitcher and professional golfer.
• DL Jacardon Hardemon's relative Joshua Ellison played minor league baseball in the Mariners and Yankees organizations, reaching as high as Triple-A.
• P Nate Hillenburg's cousin Damon Bailey was an All-American in men's basketball at Indiana University and went on to play for the Indiana Pacers.
• QB Iosua Stephens' mother was the princess of American Samoa.

Did You Know? #BeaconBits

• LB Justin Jurmu's oldest brother Jordan was a national finalist in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship in 2015 at Augusta National.
• DL Alex Goworowski has never seen Star Wars, Rocky, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones or Caddyshack.
• DL Dawson Rye had a pet aquatic frog for over 15 years.
• OL Noah Kline's extended family is so large that at one point he had a relative living in every state except Maine.
• WR Tyler Threat was born and raised in Dallas as a huge Cowboys fan. During a youth football season in Texas, he played against Coach Deion Sanders' team and executed very well on both sides of the ball. His team won and Coach Prime came up to him after the game and gave him a high five.
• WR Ryan Ricketti trains MMA.
• OL Nathan Snedegar is a second-degree blackbelt in Taekwondo. 
• RB Michael Rumoro is a first-generation American.
• WR Bryson Winbush's biggest fear is big statues.
• WR Nolan Teising is named after MLB legend Nolan Ryan.
• P Zander Lankford is in the top 0.1 percent in the video game Marvel Rivals.
• OL Billy Jack McCool lived in the cities/suburbs in the southern United States until eighth grade, then moved with his family to a ranch in Wyoming and learned cattle ranching and horses.
• DB Kaiser Wilhelm is a self-taught gymnast.
• DL Caleb Baczek can play the harmonica.
• OL Marco Morales Created and ran his high school's "Barstool" account that has 1,300+ followers. This account was used to promote his high school's athletics in a fun way that was up to date with current trends/memes and also updated fans/parents on schedules and game times.
• WR Robbie Spang is a student senator at Valpo and a Christ College (honors college) student at Valpo.
• OL Mathew Gasior is a first-generation Polish American.
• DB Uriel Richardson won district and state titles in taekwondo.
• P Nate Hillenburg earned the rank of Eagle Scout in November of 2018.

Player-by-Player Quick Hits – Projected Offensive Starters
*Based on two-deep, starters subject to change

• QB #2 Rowan Keefe, R-Jr. – Named the team's Most-Improved Player in 2023… Played in five games and made four starts in 2023 including 187 passing yards on 9-of-12 through the air, three touchdowns and no interceptions while playing only the second half on Oct. 21 at Davidson… In 2024, started each of the season's first two games… Threw for 111 yards on 8-of-15 through the air at No. 16/17 North Dakota in Week 4… Went 17-of-26 through the air for 224 yards, setting career highs in passing yards and completions, on Nov. 1 at No. 25/22 Presbyterian… Set career highs in passing yards (234) and completions (19) for the second straight week while matching a personal best with three touchdown passes on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego… Became the first Valpo player since 2022 and first Valpo QB since 2017 to be named PFL Offensive Player of the Week after leading the team to a 32-31, overtime victory over Stetson on Nov. 15. He engineered a 95-yard, game-tying drive in the final minute to cap a rally from 24-0 down to force overtime. In the extra session, Keefe scored with his legs and then threw the 2-point conversion pass for a walk-off win. That capped a day where he went 18-of-22 for 204 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
• RB #32 Michael Rumoro, Fr. – Had a receiving touchdown on Oct. 4 at Drake… Had four catches on Oct. 11 vs. Dayton… Rushed for 36 yards on eight carries against the Flyers.
• WR #4 Jay Melchiori, Sr. – Played for Waddle at Marietta each of the last three seasons and earned all-conference second team honors each of the last two years. Last season, he had 46 receptions and 723 receiving yards, ranking seventh on the Pioneers in both categories… Led the team with three catches for 41 yards in his Valpo debut on Aug. 30 vs. Virginia Lynchburg… Had four catches for a team-high 66 yards on Sept. 6 vs. Adrian.
• WR #17 Devin Yeats – Played in 10 games and made three starts in 2024… Had his first TD catch of the season on Nov. 8, 2025 vs. San Diego… Had four catches in games at North Dakota (Sept. 20) and Drake (Oct. 4)… Caught a touchdown pass with all zeros on the clock as part of an untimed down that help the team force overtime in the Nov. 15 victory over Stetson.  
• WR #14 Ryan Ricketti, R-Fr. – Redshirted and retained four seasons of eligibility while playing in four games during his first year on campus in 2024… Tied for the team lead with three catches in the Aug. 30 season opener vs. Virginia Lynchburg while also ripping off a 71-yard kickoff return… Shared the team lead with four catches on Sept. 6 vs. Adrian… Was the PFL nominee for National Freshman of the Week and named Honorable Mention STATS Perform FCS Special Teams Player of the Week after becoming the first FCS player nationally this season with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 3 at Western Illinois… Had a team-high five receptions including three on the opening drive on Oct. 18 at St. Thomas… Named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week after 198 kickoff return yards on four returns including his second 100-yard kickoff return touchdown of the season on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego. He also led the team with 58 receiving yards on a career-high six catches… Had another big game with seven receptions for a career-high 103 yards and a touchdown on Nov. 15 vs. Stetson, becoming the second Beacon with a 100-yard receiving performance this season.
• TE #85 Colin Hayes, R-Fr. – Redshirted in 2024… Had a 17-yard TD catch in his collegiate debut on Aug. 30 vs. Virginia Lynchburg… Was on the receiving end of two successful 2-point conversion passes in the Nov. 15 win over Stetson, one at the end of regulation and one in overtime. In both scenarios, Valpo would have lost the game if he did not catch the pass.
• TE #87 Brayden Welch, R-Fr. – At the forefront of a tight end room that features four true or redshirt freshmen… Did not see game action and redshirted in 2024.
• LT #67 Brendan Mcilvenna, R-So. – Did not see game action in 2023 and played in one game in 2024.
• LG #55 Dan Theiss, R-Fr. – Did not see game action in 2024, retaining four years of eligibility.
• C #56 Justin Hemmersbach, R-So. – Redshirted in 2023 and played in two games in 2024. 
• RG #50 Niko Paic, R-Jr. – Has played in all 22 games over the last two seasons… In his fourth year at Valpo…. Was elected a team captain by his peers prior to the season.
• RT #70 Noah Kline, Jr. – Started all 11 games in 2024 and started 20 games combined between 2023 and 2024.

Player-by-Player Quick Hits – Projected Defensive Starters
*Based two-deep, starters subject to change

• DE #11 De'Andre Wilborn, R-Sr. – Nominee for the prestigious Campbell Trophy Award, based on a combination of athletics, academics and community service… Played in all 11 games in 2024 after transferring from Georgetown… Had seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery on Sept. 6 vs. Adrian… Turned in seven tackles on Oct. 25 vs. Morehead State… Blocked a PAT on Nov. 1 at No. 25/22 Presbyterian… Had a career-high eight tackles on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego.
• DT #33 Matt Molnar, R-Jr. – Played in 13 games over his first three seasons at Valpo from 2022-2024.
• NT #99 Isaiah Fowler, R-So. – Started the majority of Valpo's games last season.
• DE #42 Alex Goworowski, R-Jr. – Earned the 2024 team Scholar-Athlete Award and was the 2023 Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Year… Blocked two kicks in 2024, one of only 22 players nationally in FCS with multiple blocked kicks… Blocked a PAT on Oct. 11 of this season vs. Dayton.
• LB #51 Anthony Feltrinelli, R-Fr. – Racked up 14 tackles including six solos on Sept. 6 at Adrian, pacing the team… Led the team in tackles for the second straight week with eight in Week 3 at Western Illinois… Shared the team lead with nine tackles on Oct. 11 vs. Dayton… Led the team with 13 tackles, his second highest output of the season, on Nov. 1 at Presbyterian… Paced the team with 12 tackles on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego… Paced the team with 11 tackles, his third straight game in double figures, on Nov. 15 vs. Stetson.
• LB #36 Easton Hill, Fr. – After entering the game with one tackle for the season, posted a season-high eight tackles on Nov. 15 vs. Stetson in his first collegiate start.
• LB #19 Connor Cervantes, R-So. – Northwest Indiana native who hails from Griffith… Did not see game action in 2023 and appeared in two games in 2024.
• CB #0 Nic Lendino, R-So. – Was a two-time PFL nominee for National Freshman of the Week last season and was named the team's Newcomer of the Year… Made his third career interception in the Aug. 30 season opener vs. Virginia Lynchburg… Ranked second on the squad with eight tackles on Sept. 6 vs. Adrian… Had six tackles on Sept. 20 at No. 16/17 North Dakota… Led the team with a career-high 12 tackles on Oct. 4 at Drake, 11 of which came in the first half, while also recording his second interception of the season and the fourth of his career… Shared the team lead with nine tackles on Oct. 11 vs. Dayton… Crossed the 100-tackle threshold for his collegiate career on Oct. 18 at St. Thomas… Had a team-high eight tackles on Oct. 25 vs. Morehead State, his fourth game with eight or more stops in 2025… Named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week after a game-altering blocked punt on Nov. 15 vs. Stetson.
• CB #8 O.C. Nurse, Jr. – Appeared in 20 games over the last two seasons while playing for head coach Andy Waddle at Marietta… Had an interception on his birthday in the Sept. 13 game at Western Illinois… Over doubled his previous season tackle total in a single game with a team-high eight stops on Oct. 18 at St. Thomas.
• S #5 Wyatt Little, R-Fr. – Redshirted while playing in four games and making one start in 2024.
• S #22 Jason Salman – Played in nine games in 2024 at Marietta College under head coach Andy Waddle… Had an interception in Valpo's Week 3 game at Western Illinois.
• S #3 Mark Johnson, Jr. – Team captain and returning starter… Had 45 tackles a year ago, including 10 to go along with a game-winning pass breakup at Marist, helping him garner PFL Defensive Player of the Week laurels… Made his first career interception in the Aug. 30 season opener vs. Virginia Lynchburg… Became the first Valpo player with an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery in the same game in over two decades on Nov. 1 at No. 25/22 Presbyterian… Posted a season-high nine tackles on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego.

Specialist Quick Hits – Projected Starters

• K #99 Liam Shepherd, R-Sr. – 2020 Duneland Athletic Conference Kicker MVP while playing for Valparaiso High School. Made his collegiate debut and made a PAT on Aug. 30 vs. Virginia Lynchburg… Saw his first PFL action and drilled a pair of PATs on Nov. 1 vs. Presbyterian.
• K #26 Luke Scoma, R-Fr. – Did not see game action in his first season on campus and is poised to make his collegiate debut as Valpo's top kicker in 2025… Went 2-for-2 on field goals with a long of 43 and 6-for-6 on PATs in his collegiate debut… Improved to 3-for-3 on field goals tries this season with a 38-yard make in Week 3 at Western Illinois… Made a 27-yard field goal in the closing seconds on Oct. 11 vs. Dayton… Had his fifth made field goal of the season with a 39-yarder on Oct. 18 at St. Thomas.
• P #48 Nate Hillenburg, R-Jr. – Joins the Beacons as a transfer after spending the last four years at Cornell… Averaged 39.2 yards per punt on six attempts on Oct. 11 vs. Dayton, the team's best punting day of the season to date… Booted a season-long 59-yard punt on Nov. 1 at No. 25/22 Presbyterian