Valparaiso University football redshirt freshman return specialist Ryan Ricketti (Rocky River, Ohio / Rocky River) and redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Feltrinelli (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) continued to rack up honors on Monday as Ricketti was named to the Freshman All-American Second Team as a return specialist and Feltrinelli was named to the Freshman All-American Third Team as a linebacker as Phil Steele released its postseason honors.
 
In addition, six Beacons earned Phil Steele All-PFL status – Ricketti on the second team, redshirt junior return specialist Chris Gundy (Smithfield, Va. / Smithfield) and redshirt junior offensive lineman Niko Paic (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) on the third team and a trio of defensive fourth team honorees – Feltrinelli, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Isaiah Fowler (Gary, Ind. / Chesterton) and redshirt sophomore defensive back Nic Lendino (Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley).
 
Also named a Freshman All-American by Stats Perform FCS and FCS Football Central, Ricketti earned First Team All-PFL honors as a return specialist and was named to the Academic All-PFL First Team as well. His highest honor was an overall First Team All-American from Pro Football & Sports Network (PFSN). Ricketti, who was one of only two freshmen in the league to receive First Team All-PFL honors and the first Valpo rookie to do so since Spring 2021, finished the season with 711 kick return yards on 25 returns, an average of 28.44 yards per return that ranked seventh nationally. He was the only player in the FCS nation with two 100-yard kickoff return touchdowns in 2025. He had 198 kickoff return yards in a single game vs. San Diego, the most in a single game by any FCS player nationally this season.
 
Ricketti ranked fourth in the FCS nation in total kickoff return yards with 711 and seventh nationally in combined kick return yards with 729. He was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Nov. 8 and was a nominee for national Freshman of the Week and named Honorable Mention STATS Perform FCS Special Teams Player of the Week following Week 3 at Western Illinois, when he had his first of two 100-yard kick return touchdowns. 


 
An All-PFL Honorable Mention choice and a Freshman All-American by both Stats Perform FCS and FCS Football Central, Feltrinelli finished with 102 tackles on the season, the second-most in the PFL. He had 8.5 tackles for loss as a linebacker, tied for the 13th most overall in the league. Feltrinelli had two fumble recoveries, one of 11 players in the league with multiple. He posted double-figure tackle totals on four occasions including 14 vs. Adrian. Feltrinelli had nine tackles or more in each of his final four games of the season and finished in the top 50 nationally in tackles with 102.