This Week in Valpo Football: The Valparaiso University football team will look to climb back over the .500 mark as the Beacons hit the road for the second straight week. This time, the destination is DeLand, Fla. to close the road docket against Stetson. Valpo will make its first trip to Stetson since 2018 in the penultimate week of the Pioneer Football League season.
 
Previously: Valpo controlled the lead and controlled a very viable path to a share of the Pioneer Football League championship with three and a half minutes remaining in last week's battle with PFL co-leader Dayton, but the Flyers scored two touchdowns in the final 3:18 to beat the Beacons 31-20 at Welcome Stadium in Dayton. Nic Lendino made two interceptions including a pick six and a spectacular one-handed grab.
 
Glancing Ahead: Valpo will close out the season on Saturday, Nov. 21 with Senior Day at Brown Field. The Beacons will host St. Thomas for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Tommies enter this week's home game against Drake with a 7-3 overall record and 4-2 PFL mark.   
 
Series Notes: Valpo holds a 5-2 lead in the all-time series, including last season's unforgettable 32-31, overtime victory on Senior Day at Brown Field. Valpo came from 24-0 down with 5:21 left in the third quarter. The Beacons went an absurd 4-for-4 on 2-point conversions including a game-winning 2-point reception by Colin Hayes in overtime. Valpo owns a three-game winning streak in the series with all three games coming at home. Each of the last two matchups have required overtime. The home team has won the last five matchups, dating back to Valpo's 21-18 win at Stetson in 2016. Four of the last six meetings have been decided by three points or fewer. Valpo was scheduled to play at Stetson on Oct. 8, 2024, but the game was canceled due to Hurricane Milton.
 
Following the Beacons: Saturday's game will air on YouTube. The hometown radio call with Todd Ickow (36^th season, play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (11th season, analyst) will be available on WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso and the TuneIn Radio app. For in-game updates, follow @valpoufootball on Instagram and X. Links to live video and stats can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.
 
Scouting Stetson

• Coming off a 33-14 loss at Davidson last week.
• Played one-score games against Presbyterian (47-43) and Morehead State (38-31).
• Set to close out the season at San Diego next week.
• Under the direction of second-year head coach Mike Jasper, a former NFL offensive lineman.

With a Victory on Saturday, Valpo Would…

• Extend its head-to-head winning streak against Stetson to four.
• Clinch a record of .500 or better in league play for the first time since 2022.
• Clinch the program's highest overall win total since 2022.
• Clinch the program's highest road win total since 2022.
• Move to within one win of clinching the program's first winning season since Spring 2021, first winning season in a full fall season since 2017 and the program's third winning season since 2003.
• Move to within one win of clinching the program's first winning season in league play since Spring 2021 and first in a full fall season since 2017.
• Allow head coach Andy Waddle to secure the most wins by a Valpo head coach in his first or second season since 1978. Waddle is currently tied with Landon Fox (four, Spring 2021, second) and Dave Cecchini (four, 2014, first) for the most since Bill Koch had five in his second season in 1978.

Nic's Picks

• Valpo redshirt junior Nic Lendino made two interceptions in the Nov. 7 game at Dayton.
• With 15 seconds left in the first half, Lendino made an impressive interception and then returned it 68 yards for a pick six, changing the complexion of the game at that point.
• In the fourth quarter, Lendino made his second interception of the game, a diving, one-handed pick. That play checked in at No. 3 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays.
• Thanks to Lendino's incredible play, Valpo Athletics was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 on consecutive days, as Justus McNair's buzzer-beater to beat Purdue was included the previous day. Valpo Athletics has been featured on SCTop10 22 times spanning six sports since 2017. This marked the football program's first Top-10 play since Nov. 23, 2024, Gary Givens III's game-winning touchdown catch vs. Davidson.
• Lendino had his second multi-interception game of the season as he also grabbed two picks on Oct. 10 vs. Drake.
• Lendino lifted his season total to a team-high five interceptions and his career total to nine.
• Lendino is tied for third nationally in FCS in interceptions.
• The pick six was Valpo's first since Kohlton Sherman set a program record with a 95 yarder on Nov. 12, 2022 at Marist.

Johnson Named Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award Finalist

• Valpo senior defensive back Mark Johnson has been named a finalist for the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award, which is presented annually to the player who exemplifies character, leadership and an outstanding commitment to community service and giving back. The honor is presented by the Premier Players Sports Foundation in partnership with the Solomon family.
• Johnson is one of three finalists for the award and the only FCS representative, joining Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie and USC quarterback Jayden Maiava.
• The award honors Freddie Solomon, an 11-year NFL veteran wide receiver who played for the Miami Dolphins and won two Super Bowl championships with the San Francisco 49ers.
• Also a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Johnson is a finalist for this award based in large part upon his selfless bone marrow donation to a 5-year-old boy in Paris, France. Additional details on Johnson's service are available later in the game notes.

Notes Wrapping Up Nov. 7 – Dayton 31, Valpo 20

• Jason Salman's interception was his third of the season, as he previously recorded picks against Lawrence Tech and Morehead State.
• Luke Scoma went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on PATs in the game. He has 10 made field goals on the season, one shy of entering the program's top five for makes in a single year.
• Max Samuel had one tackle for loss as he was credited with a ½ TFL on two separate plays. This boosted his season total to 18, three shy of Valpo's program record and currently third in program history.
• Valpo had five tackles for loss, lifting the team's season total to 62. Micah Markley and Kaiser Wilhelm had 1.5 TFL each.
• Anthony Feltrinelli notched a team-high 12 tackles, followed by Nic Lendino and Connor Cervantes with eight apiece. Salman and Wilhelm each added seven stops.
• Dayton held a 393-224 edge in total offense, including a 102-45 advantage on the ground. The Flyers were 9-of-14 on third down and 3-of-3 on fourth down.
• Chris Gundy, Marty O'Keeffe and Daniel White had three grabs apiece on a day where Keefe's 17 completions went to eight different receivers.

Gundy, Samuel Named FCS Midseason All-American

• Chris Gundy was named to Phil Steele's FCS Midseason All-America Second Team as a punt returner.
• Max Samuel was named to the FCS Midseason All-America Second Team by College Football Now.

Defending Brown Field

• Valpo is 3-1 at home with one home game remaining. 
• Valpo will at least tie for its highest home win total since 2017 (4-1 home), matching several other recent seasons where the Beacons had three Brown-Field victories.
• Valpo is 3-1 or better through four home games for the first time since 2017.
• If Valpo can win the home finale on Nov. 21 vs. St. Thomas, the Beacons would tie 2017 for the program's highest home win total since 2004.

Samuel's Stops Behind The Sticks

• Max Samuel owns 8.5 sacks and 18.0 tackles for loss on the season.

• Samuel ranks fifth nationally in FCS with 0.94 sacks per game and second nationally in FCS with 2.00 tackles for loss per game.
• His 18.0 TFL rank behind only Stony Brook's Khalid Bueno (22.5) in all of Division-I (FBS and FCS).
• With three games remaining, Samuel is on the brink of cracking the program record book for sacks in a single season. He has 8.5 sacks this season, needing just ½ sack to move into a tie for fifth. The program record of 13 was set by Franco Francese in 1999.
• Samuel already ranks third in program history for tackles for loss in a single season. He has the most TFL by a Valpo player in a single season since Mike Gluszewski's program-record 21.0 in 1991. Joel Bales' 1986 total of 20.0 ranks second all time.

Valpo Single-Season TFL Leaders
Rank    Name                          Year    TFL
1          Mike Gluszewski       1991   21.0
2          Joel Bales                   1986   20.0
3          Max Samuel               2026    18.0
t-4       Adam Rundh               2007   16.0
             Tony Bauer               1984    16.0
Program Record Book Watch – Single-Season Leaders
Player              Category         Value              Rank/Notes
Luke Scoma    FGM               10                    needs 11 for top 5
Luke Scoma    PATs               26                    needs 32 for top 5
Chris Gundy    PR Yards        287                  4^th, needs 299 for 3^rd
Chris Gundy    PR TDs           3                      1^st
Max Samuel   TFL                 18.0                 3^rd, needs 20.0 for 2^nd & 21.0 for 1^st
Max Samuel   Sacks               8.5                   needs 9.0 for top 5
Team               PR TDs           4                      t-1^st w/ 1993
Team               TFL                 62.0                 needs 70.0 for top 5
Team               Sacks               25.0                 needs 32.0 for top 5
Team               Blks                 7                      t-3^rd, needs nine for 2^nd
 
National Notes – Team Top-10 Rankings
Category                     Value  FCS     PFL
Blocked Kicks            7          1^st        1^st
Blocked Punts             5          1^st        1^st
Kickoff Returns          27.22   8^th        1^st
Interceptions               13        3^rd        1^st
Punt Returns               19.05   8^th        1^st
Team Pass Eff. Def.    106.45 10^th      1^st
Sacks/G                       2.78     9^th        1^st
 
Notes Wrapping Up Week 8 – Valpo 24, Presbyterian 7

• The Beacons knocked off a Presbyterian team that entered Saturday with a three-game winning streak and 3-1 PFL mark. The Blue Hose went 10-2 overall last season and tied for second in the PFL.
• Presbyterian entered the game ranked 25^th nationally in passing offense at 250.7 yards per game. The Beacons held the Blue Hose to 131 yards through the air.
• The 69-yard pass from Rowan Keefe to Ashton Allen represented Valpo's longest completion of the season. That marked Valpo's longest play through the air since Chris Duncan found Griffin Norberg for 75 yards on Nov. 10, 2018 vs. Jacksonville.
• Valpo's 275 passing yards marked the team's highest total since Oct. 29, 2022 at Dayton (323).
• Valpo's 379 yards of total offense represented the team's second-highest total of the season, narrowly behind 389 at Morehead State.
• The Valpo defense has shut out the opponent in the second half in three of the last four games. Morehead State, Drake and Presbyterian were all held scoreless after the intermission. In fact, Valpo held Lawrence Tech scoreless after halftime as well, so all four Valpo victories this season have involved second-half shutouts.
• Marty O'Keeffe hauled in a team-high five receptions for 44 yards on a day when Keefe's 21 completions went to 10 different players. O'Keeffe's five grabs represented a career high.
• Luke Scoma's 48-yard field goal was the longest of his career. This marked Valpo's longest field goal since Ryan Hawk's 50 yarder on Nov. 23, 2024 vs. Davidson.
• Cedric Benning III scored his fourth touchdown of the season. He has found paydirt in three of the last four games.
• Russell Tye scored the first TD of his collegiate career.
• Keefe's rushing touchdown was his fourth of the season and the seventh of his collegiate career.
• Micah Markley made his first career interception.
• Valpo held Presbyterian to just 2-of-14 on third down.
• The Beacons have doubled their win total from last season and secured their highest PFL win total since 2022.

Team of the Week

• Following the Oct. 10 victory over Drake, Valpo was named the FCS National Team of the Week by Stats Perform.
• This marked the first time since Oct. 30, 2017 that the program earned that high honor.

Return to Sender

• Chris Gundy broke a 60-year-old program record with his 95-yard punt return touchdown at Morehead State on Oct. 3. He outdid Tom Dohrmann's 92-yard return from Sept. 17, 1966 at Wabash.
• Gundy's punt return broke the Pioneer Football League record as well, outdoing the previous record of 94 that was set by Davidson's Toms Bernhards-Callahan and Jacksonville's D'Andre Randle in 2011.
• Gundy, who also ripped off a 36-yard kickoff return and totaled 108 punt return yards on two opportunities, was named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season after his big day against the Eagles. He also earned Honorable Mention for Stats Perform National FCS Special Teams Player of the Week.
• Gundy's punt return touchdown was his third of the season, making him at the time the NCAA leader across all divisions (FCS, FBS, Division-II and Division-III). He is the first player in program history with multiple punt return TDs in a single season.
• Gundy's 95-yard punt return was at the time a full 13 yards longer than the second-longest nationally in FCS this season. Gundy's 95-yard return was at the time the longest in the NCAA nation (FBS, FCS, D-II, D-III) this season. 
• In the last 12 seasons, Gundy's 95-yard punt return was the second-longest nationally in FCS behind only Elijah Kennedy (North Carolina A&T)'s 96-yarder on Oct. 25, 2025.
• Gundy tied the PFL record for punt return touchdowns in a season, equaling a mark set by Jacksonville's Elliott Finkley in 2008.

QB1 Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist

• Valpo quarterback Rowan Keefe was named a semifinalist for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football premier scholar-athlete award.
• The Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the best scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
• Keefe is one of 45 semifinalists from FCS programs, one of three from the Pioneer Football League and one of 206 semifinalists across all levels of college football. The NFF will announce 12 to 16 finalists on Oct. 21.
• Off the field, Keefe has served as a flag football referee for the Boys & Girls Club, has volunteered for gift drives for Christmas in Merrillville, has done volunteer construction work at a veteran home in Valparaiso and has participated in Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics.

Preseason Plaudits

• Two members of the Valpo defense – defensive back Nic Lendino and linebacker Anthony Feltrinelli – were tabbed to the Preseason All-Pioneer Football League Team by the conference office.
• Valpo was one of six teams with multiple Preseason All-PFL honorees.
• Return specialist Chris Gundy was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL First Team, while Lendino and Feltrinelli achieved Second Team status. A trio of third-team honorees rounded out Valpo's Phil Steele laurels – offensive lineman Noah Kline, tight end Colin Hayes and defensive back Mark Johnson.
• The Beacons were picked 11^th in the preseason poll. San Diego is the preseason favorite to win the league followed by Drake and St. Thomas.

A True Hero

• Team captain Mark Johnson made a selfless decision this past summer, when he agreed to donate bone marrow to potentially save the life of a 5-year-old child in Paris, France.
• Johnson learned that he was a match for the child after signing up for the national registry when he learned the touching story of head coach Andy Waddle's wife Kerry Jean, who had a rare bone marrow disease before receiving a life-saving donation from a man named Todd Spencer.
• Because of his selfless donation and his other community-service work, Johnson has been nominated for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. He is one of 175 total nominees from across all levels of college football and one of 49 FCS student-athletes.
• The story of Johnson's bone marrow donation was told by ValpoAthletics.com, The Victory Bell, The Times of Northwest Indiana, CBS-2 Chicago and NBC-5 Chicago.

Leading the Way

• Three Valpo players were named team captains prior to the season, as voted upon by their peers.
• Senior defensive back Mark Johnson was named a captain for the second consecutive season. He started all 12 games a year ago and has appeared in 33 games over the last three campaigns.
• Redshirt junior defensive back Nic Lendino is serving as a captain this season. He was tabbed All-PFL Honorable Mention last season and has started all 23 Valpo contests over the last two years.
• Redshirt senior quarterback Rowan Keefe is the lone offensive captain. A fifth-year member of the program, Keefe was named the team's Most-Improved Player for the second time in his career last season. Keefe played in all 12 games and made nine starts at quarterback a year ago.

Roster Rundown: Nearly half of the United States are represented on the Valpo roster, as Beacons hail from 21 different states. Illinois (29) and Indiana (23) are the most represented, followed by Ohio (17) and California (10).
 
Who's Back?: The 2026 Beacons return seven starters on offense and eight on defense from last season. This comes after Valpo featured just four returning starters on offense and three on defense last season.
 
Notes Wrapping Up 2025

• The team recorded the largest comeback in program history, rallying from 24-0 down late in the third to beat Stetson 32-31 in overtime, going 4-for-4 on 2-point conversions in the game.
• Five players earned all-conference accolades, two were Freshman All-Americans and one was a First Team FCS All-American, Valpo's first since 1999.
• The Beacons also boasted a Campbell Trophy semifinalist and four Academic All-PFL selections.
• Valpo led the nation in kick return average at 27.9.
• On defense, Valpo had 70 tackles for loss, tied for the fifth most in a single season in program history.
• On offense, the Beacons completed 59.9 percent of their passes, the team's highest single-season completion percentage since 2013 and third highest in program history.
• The 2025 squad opened the season with a 67-10 triumph over Virginia Lynchburg, the program's highest point total and margin of victory since 1958.

Head Coach Andy Waddle

• Andy Waddle (57-71 overall, 2-10 at Valpo) was named the 19^th head coach of the Valpo football program on Dec. 9, 2024. He is in his second season leading the Beacons in 2026.
• A two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Waddle possesses over two decades of collegiate coaching experience including the previous 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 his last two seasons in Ohio. 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.

Meet the Staff

• Reed Florence – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – In his second season at Valpo after spending the previous three seasons on Waddle's staff at Marietta, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
• Zach Feltrop – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach – In his second year at Valpo after spending the previous 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 seventh season on the Valpo football staff.
• Terry Geiger – Wide Receivers Coach / Recruiting Coordinator – Is in his second season at Valpo after spending the previous three years on staff at Marietta, where he was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator under Waddle.
• Peter Nank – Offensive Line Coach – Is in his second season at Valpo after spending the previous two seasons as the offensive line coach under Waddle at Marietta.
• Michael Joseph – Defensive Backs Coach – Is in his second season at Valpo. 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.
• Connor Vierstra – Tight Ends Coach – Is in his second season on Valpo's staff. 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.
• Weston Bridges – Running Backs Coach – Is in his first season on Valpo's staff after serving as the running backs coach at the University of Sioux Falls in 2025.
• Justin Schiets – Director of Football Operations / Defensive Ends Coach – Is in his first season at Valpo, serving as Director of Football Operations and coaching the defensive ends. Arrived at Valpo after a stint in player personnel and recruiting at Western Michigan.
• David Busch – Quality Control / Offensive Line – Is in his second season on Valpo's staff. Was a five-year starter on the Marietta offensive line from 2020 to 2024.
• Jaelon Quiero-Gordon – Quality Control / Safeties – Is in his first season serving in a quality control role and working with the team's safeties. He was a five-year football student-athlete at Marietta College under Waddle from 2020-2024 and broke into coaching by instructing the defensive backs at Ohio Dominican University.

Family Tree

• QB Marcus Brown and DB Donovan Brown are brothers.
• OL Billy Jack McCool and OL Spencer McCool are brothers.
• DB JQ Harris and LB Nathan Harris are brothers.
• DL Emmanuel Olojo's brother Jeremiah played football at Valpo in 2017 and 2018.
• QB Bo Brunner's older sister Belle golfed at Valpo from 2021-2025, uncle Brian O'Connor played baseball at Valpo from 1996-1999 before being drafted by the Houston Astros and grandfather Tom Brunner competed in track & field at Valpo from 1968-1972. His brother Tommy is a swimmer at Ball State.
• Spencer and Billy Jack's father Billy Wade McCool played football at Wake Forest (1999-2000) and Valdosta State (2000-2001) and rugby at North Texas (2001-2003).
• JQ and Nathan's uncle Robert Mathis played at Alabama A&M and for the Indianapolis Colts.
• DB Mark Johnson's father Mark played football at Vanderbilt from 1986-91.
• DL Bertrand Berry II is the son of former Notre Dame defensive end Bertrand 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.
• 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
• QB Nathan Downey's grandfather Jim Rucks played football, basketball and baseball at the University of Illinois from 1969-1973
• QB Johnny DiBlasio's relative Karen DiBlasio swam at Harvard and in the 1980 Olympics.
• 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.
• LB Floyd Watson III's uncle Kevin Watson played for the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. 
• LS Hayden Hourany's uncle Joe Brown played football at Ohio State (1996-2000) and for the Seattle Seahawks (2001-2002).
• P Will Struyk is related to George Washington.

Did You Know? #BeaconBits

• DL Alex Goworowski has never seen Star Wars, Rocky, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones or Caddyshack.
• OL Noah Kline's extended family is so large that at one point he had a relative living in every state except Maine.
• 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.
• 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 and a Christ College (honors college) student at Valpo.
• WR Isaac Tran had eight surgeries in a five-year span.
• DB JD Friday is a pro Fortnite player.
• DB Colten Tripp scored a 4 on the AP U.S. History exam.
• RB Niko Kokosioulis can play the piano and ukulele.
• RB Russell Tye did not start playing football until high school.
• RB Elijah Rose has 14 siblings.
• DL Mac McCormick grew up on a farm.
• LB Floyd Watson III was born on Leap Day, Feb. 29.
• DL Alex Prine had a close encounter with a black bear in Canada.

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

• QB #2 Rowan Keefe, R-Sr. – Team captain… Named the team's Most-Improved Player for the second time in his career in 2025… Earned 2025 Academic All-PFL Second Team honors… Enters the 2026 season having made 15 career starts at quarterback including multiple starts in each of the last three seasons… Completed 17 passes or more in each of his final four games of the 2025 season… Went 10-of-16 through the air for 133 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 0 vs. Lawrence Tech… Had career highs in completions (20) and passing yards (249) in Week 2 at Murray State… One-upped his career high with 21 completions on Sept. 19 at Indiana State… Passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one while setting a career high for a third straight week with 24 completions on Sept. 26 vs. Butler… Threw for two TDs and rushed for one in the Oct. 10 win over Drake… Eclipsed 1,500 passing yards for the season with a career-high 275 on Oct. 24 vs. Presbyterian, completing 20 passes or more for the fourth time this season.
• LT #74 Mason Knoch, R-So. – Played in 11 games on Valpo's offensive line in 2025.
• LG #63 Cooper Bothwell, R-Jr. – Played in 10 games on Valpo's offensive line in 2025 after transferring from Marist.
• C #56 Justin Hemmersbach, R-Jr. – Played in nine games and made eight starts on Valpo's offensive line in 2025… Started at center in the 2026 season opener before missing the next two games with an injury and returning to action on Sept. 26 vs. Butler.
• RG #60 Carson Scott, R-Fr. – Did not see game action in 2025, redshirting.
• RT #70 Noah Kline, Sr. – Named to the 2026 Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Third Team… Made his 40^th consecutive start on Oct. 24 vs. Presbyterian. 
• TE #11 Colin Hayes, R-So. – Named to the 2026 Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Third Team… Was on the receiving end of two successful 2-point conversion passes in the Nov. 15, 2025 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… Had a 2-point conversion catch in Week 2 at Murray State… Hauled in a touchdown catch on Oct. 3 at Morehead State.
• WR #13 Marty O'Keeffe, R-Jr. – Played in 12 games and made one start in 2025, hauling in six catches… Had a team-high three receptions including his first collegiate touchdown in Week 0 vs. Lawrence Tech… Led the team with 56 receiving yards on four catches on Sept. 19 at Indiana State… Squeezed three catches for a team-high 90 yards on Oct. 3 at Morehead State. 
• WR #17 Devin Yeats, R-Sr. – Played in 11 games and made seven starts in 2025, posting 222 receiving yards on 21 catches including three touchdowns… Had a 7-yard TD catch on Sept. 26 vs. Butler, his first TD grab of the season and the fourth of his career… Led the team with 70 receiving yards on four catches on Oct. 17 at San Diego.
• WR #9 Chris Gundy, R-Sr. – Had 19 catches for 276 yards and a touchdown in 2025 including a career-high 108 receiving yards on five catches on Oct. 25 vs. Morehead State… Has played in 32 career games entering the 2026 season… Was a yard shy of a career high with 107 receiving yards in Week 2 of 2026 at Murray State… Pulled down a team-high five receptions including his first touchdown catch of the season on Sept. 19 at Indiana State.
• RB #19 Cedric Benning III, Jr. – Made his first Valpo start and had 19 carries for 91 yards on Oct. 3 at Morehead State… Scored his third rushing touchdown of the season to account for Valpo's only trip to the endzone on Oct. 17 at San Diego… Had his fourth rushing touchdown of the season and third in the last four games on Oct. 24 vs. Presbyterian.

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

• DE #15 Gabriel Batres, R-Jr. – Was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 31 after a three-sack performance against Virginia Lynchburg… Was part of two takeaways as he recovered a fumble in the first quarter and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter of the Oct. 10 win over Drake.
• DT #91 Garrett Risley, Sr. – Played in eight games and made one start for Northeastern State in 2025… Blocked a PAT in Week 2 at Murray State… Had a season-high six tackles, doubling his total from the first six games combined, on Oct. 17 at San Diego, playing in his home state of California.
• DL #99 Emmanuel Olojo, R-Fr. – Named the 2025 Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year… Had a sack for a loss of eight in the Oct. 10 victory over Drake… Had a season-high six tackles on Oct. 17 at San Diego.
• DE #42 Alex Goworowski, R-Sr. – Played in all 12 games and made 11 starts in 2025… Blocked a PAT on Oct. 11, 2025 vs. Dayton… Recovered a fumble on the game's final play in the Oct. 10 victory over Drake… Had his second straight game with six tackles or more on Oct. 17 at San Diego… Blocked a punt and recorded a team-high 12 tackles in the Oct. 24 win over Presbyterian, earning PFL Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• LB #1 Max Samuel, R-Jr. – Started the first four games of the 2025 season before missing the rest of the year due to illness… Was the team's leading tackler with seven tackles including four solos and two tackles for loss in the season opener vs. Lawrence Tech… Had a career-high nine tackles and made his first career interception in Week 2 at Murray State… Had 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss on Sept. 26 vs. Butler… Racked up another 2.5 TFL on Oct. 3 at Morehead State… Had seven stops including 2.5 TFL in the Oct. 10 victory over Drake… Recorded a sack for the fourth straight game on Oct. 17 at San Diego… Blocked a punt and notched two sacks in the Oct. 24 win over Presbyterian.
• LB #51 Anthony Feltrinelli, R-So. – 2026 Preseason All-PFL Team pick… Named a Freshman All-American by Stats Perform FCS, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele in addition to earning All-PFL Honorable Mention status in 2025… Led the team with 12 tackles in Week 2 at Murray State… Was second on the team with eight tackles on Sept. 26 vs. Butler, his second time in the last three games with eight or more… Led the team with eight tackles on Oct. 10 vs. Drake… Led the team with nine tackles on Oct. 17 at San Diego… Led the team with a season-high 12 tackles on Nov. 7 at Dayton.
• LB #19 Connor Cervantes, R-Jr. – Played in 10 games and made nine starts in 2025, starting each of the final eight games of the season… Made his first career interception on Oct. 3 at Morehead State… Had a strip sack in the Oct. 10 victory over Drake.
• CB #0 Nic Lendino, R-Jr. – Team captain… 2025 Preseason All-PFL Team… All-PFL Honorable Mention and the team's Defensive Player of the Year in 2025… Finished 12^th in the PFL and second on the team with 86 tackles, averaging 7.2 per game in 2025… Made his first interception of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career on Sept. 19 at Indiana State… Paced the team with 13 tackles on Sept. 26 vs. Butler, matching his career high from last year, also against Butler… Grabbed a pair of interceptions in the Oct. 10 victory over Drake… Made two interceptions on Nov. 7 at Dayton, his second two-pick game of the season. One was a one-handed grabbed that ranked No. 3 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, and the other was Valpo's first pick six since 2022, featuring a 68-yard return.
• S #3 Mark Johnson, Jr. – Second-year team captain… Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Third Team… Became the first Valpo player with an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery in the same game in over two decades on Nov. 1, 2025 at No. 25/22 Presbyterian… Tied a career high by recording his third career 10-tackle game in Week 2 at Murray State… Led the team with a career-high 11 tackles on Sept. 19 at Indiana State, his second straight double-figure tackle output… Was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career after making two interceptions in the Oct. 10 victory over Drake… Named one of three finalists for the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award.
• S #22 Jason Salman, Jr. – Played in nine games in 2024 at Marietta College under head coach Andy Waddle, then played in 12 games and made five starts with the Beacons in 2025… Had his first interception at Valpo and the second of his collegiate career in the 2026 season opener vs. Lawrence Tech… Became the first Beacon with multiple interceptions this season with a pick in the Oct. 3 win at Morehead State… Made his third interception of the season on Nov. 7 at Dayton.
• CB #8 O.C. Nurse, Sr. – Played in 12 games and made 11 starts last season, totaling 24 tackles including a season-high eight on Oct. 18 at St. Thomas… Achieved a Valpo career high with nine tackles in Week 2 of 2026 at Murray State.

Specialist Quick Hits – Projected Starters

• K #26 Luke Scoma, R-So. – Played in all 12 games and made five field goals in 2025… Went 7-for-7 on PATs in the season opener vs. Lawrence Tech, the most PATs by a Beacon in a single contest since Brian Bartholomew drilled eight on Nov. 6, 2021 vs. Presbyterian… Made his only field-goal try on Sept. 19 at Indiana State, his third straight game with exactly one make… Had a good day as all four of his kickoffs went for touchbacks and he drilled all three extra points in the Oct. 10 win over Drake… Went 2-for-2 on field goals including a season-long 40 yarder on Oct. 17 at San Diego… Hit a career-long 48-yard field goal in the Oct. 24 win over Presbyterian… Went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on PATs including a 44-yard field goal on Nov. 7 at Dayton.

• P #88 Will Orlando, Fr. – Set the Indiana High School state championship record for punting average at 46.7 with a long of 53 in the 2025 state title game… Averaged 41.3 yards per punt on three attempts in his collegiate debut vs. Lawrence Tech, including a long of 50… Had a career-best 45.5 yards per punt with a long of 51 on Sept. 26 vs. Butler… Booted a 62-yard punt on Oct. 3 at Morehead State, Valpo's longest since Sam Johnson sent one 65 yards on Sept. 7, 2024… Averaged a season-best 53.5 yards per punt on four attempts on Oct. 17 at San Diego including a season-long punt of 71 yards that was the team's longest since April 17, 2021 (Ben Niesner, 72 yards, vs. San Diego).
• RS #9 Chris Gundy, Sr. – Phil Steele First Team Preseason All-PFL at return specialist… Led the PFL in kick return average at 28.6 in 2025… Had two punt-return touchdowns in Week 0 vs. Lawrence Tech, earning PFL Special Teams Player of the Week and honorable mention for Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week… Broke a 60-year-old program record and broke the Pioneer Football League record for longest punt return with a 95-yard touchdown on Oct. 3 at Morehead State. Following the contest, he was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season and earned honorable mention for Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week.