Four members of the Valparaiso University football program were recognized on Wednesday as the Pioneer Football League released its Academic All-PFL honors for the 2025 season.
 
Redshirt senior De'Andre Wilborn (Chicago, Ill. / Westinghouse [Georgetown]) and redshirt freshman Ryan Ricketti (Rocky River, Ohio / Rocky River) were named to the Academic All-PFL First Team, while redshirt junior quarterback Rowan Keefe (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) and redshirt junior offensive lineman Niko Paic (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) earned Academic All-PFL Second Team honors.


 
Ricketti, who owns a 4.0 cumulative GPA in accounting, was the lone freshman named to the First Team (true freshmen are not eligible but redshirt freshmen are eligible for Academic All-PFL honors). He also earned First Team All-PFL honors as a return specialist earlier this week.
 
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. 
 
Wilborn, who owns a 3.76 GPA toward his master's in sport administration, totaled 51 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks this season. He had a season-best eight tackles on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego, recovered a fumble on Sept. 6 vs. Adrian and blocked a kick on Nov. 1 at Presbyterian. A Campbell Trophy Semifinalist, Wilborn garnered 2024 PFL Academic Honor Roll and National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society recognition. He graduated from Georgetown in December 2023 with a degree in government and a minor in sociology.
 
Wilborn was a member of the Patriot League academic honor roll from 2021-2023. His 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 owner of a 3.75 GPA in finance, Paic started all 12 games on Valpo's offensive line this season and all 23 over the last two seasons. The team captain earned 2024 Valparaiso University Presidential Academic Honors and was a member of the PFL Academic Honor Roll.


 
Keefe, who owns a 3.50 GPA in marketing, played all 12 games and was the starting quarterback for nine of them. He completed 128 passes for 1,553 yards and 12 touchdowns and was named PFL Offensive Player of the Week after leading the team to a come-from-behind victory over Stetson. Keefe completed 17 passes or more in each of his final four games of the season. He tied a career high with three touchdown passes on Nov. 8 vs. San Diego and again on Nov. 22 at Butler. The Valpo quarterback had 111 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He earned 2024 PFL Academic Honor Roll and Valparaiso University Presidential Academic Honors.
 
2025 Academic All-Pioneer Football League First Team
 
Player School Class Pos. GPA Major
OFFENSE
Will Aaronson Marist Gr. OL 3.69 4.00 B.S. Business Administration Business Administration
Archie Cox Butler RJr. WR 3.91 Finance
Carter Cravens Morehead State Gr. QB 3.50 Business Administration
Collin Hurst Presbyterian RSo. QB 3.49 English – Communications
Chris Leonardo (1, 3x) Marist RSo. OL 3.87 Economics
Nathan Levicki Presbyterian Sr. TE 3.75 Political Science
Gavin Lochow (1) Dayton So. WR 3.74 Communications
Ethan Loss Butler RJr. WR 3.81 Finance
Andy Peters St. Thomas Gr. QB 3.70 Diversity Leadership
Mason Sheron (1, 3x) Davidson Jr. RB 3.93 Biology
Isaac Stopke Morehead State RSo. RB 3.70 University Studies
DEFENSE
Jacob Auen Drake Sr. DL 3.55 Economics
Luke Bauer (1) Morehead State Sr. LB 3.95 Accounting
Dylan Cook Morehead State Gr. DB 3.95 Criminology
Cam Cope Dayton RJr. DB 3.78 Mechanical Engineering
Vincent Firenze Dayton RSo. DB 3.50 Mechanical Engineering
J.R. Flood Drake Sr. LB 3.60 Management & Organizational Leadership
Andrew Martin Stetson Jr. LB 3.85 Environmental Science
Nate Robinson Jr. Marist So. DB 3.97 Psychology
Ryan Sever St. Thomas Sr. LB 3.51 Business
Carter Szydlowski Presbyterian Sr. DL 3.32 History
De'Andre Wilborn Valparaiso RSr. FL 3.76 Sport Administration
SPECIAL TEAMS
Elliot Huether St. Thomas Jr. P/K 3.74 Business Economics
Ryan Ricketti Valparaiso RFr. RS 4.00 Accounting
Brett Welsing (2) Drake Sr. LS 3.83 Finance
Symbols in parentheses: (1) was a First Team Academic All-PFL selection in 2024; (2) was a Second Team Academic All-PFL
selection in 2024; (3x, 4x) is a three-time or four-time First-Team Academic All-PFL honoree.
 
2025 Academic All-Pioneer Football League Second Team
Student-Athlete School Year Pos. GPA Major
OFFENSE
Coulter Cleland Davidson Sr. QB 3.45 Interdisciplinary Studies
Brandon Furey Marist RJr. OL 3.71 Psychology
Mason Hackett Dayton Jr. RB 4.42 Intervention Specialist
Ryan Iiams Dayton Sr. OL 3.57 Management
Rowan Keefe Valparaiso RJr. QB 3.50 Marketing
Sonny Mannino Marist RJr. QB 3.34 Business Administration
Lance Martinez Marist RFr. WR 3.94 Business Administration
Jack Melore Marist So. WR 3.81 Business Administration
James Morrison St. Thomas Sr. OL 3.63 Mechanical Engineering
Niko Paic Valparaiso RJr. OL 3.75 Finance
Patrick Wagner St. Thomas Sr. TE 3.61 Business
DEFENSE
Garrett Carter Marist Gr. LB 3.40 / 3.85 Business Administration
Nate Fischer San Diego So. LB 3.53 Undeclared
Mikah Kent Davidson Sr. DE 3.43 Biology
Andrew Lieske Butler So. DB 3.92 Finance
Ruben Lopez San Diego Sr. DB 3.46 Business Administration
Ryan Meloche San Diego Sr. DB 3.71 Finance
Onuoha Onye Butler Gr. DB 3.66 Business Administration
Mateo Reyes Morehead State Sr. DB 3.55 University Studies
Sam Schmiesing Dayton RSo. LB 3.77 Accounting
Zeb Stroup Presbyterian Sr. DB 3.67 Business Administration
Benjamin Wilson Drake Sr. DB 3.59 Biology
SPECIAL TEAMS
Peter Lipscombe Presbyterian Sr. PK 3.80 Business Administration
Thomas Schwartz V Morehead State RJr. PK 3.72 Construction Management
David Maurer Dayton RJr. PK 3.68 4.00 B.S. Business Administration
Ethan Yuska Marist So. P 3.79 Business Administration
Note: Four special teams selections on the second team due to a tie in voting.