It's a busy week for the Valparaiso University football program, and it starts first and foremost with a cause near and dear to the heart of head coach Andy Waddle and his family.
 
Members of the campus community will have the opportunity to sign up to be part of the National Marrow Donor Program on Wednesday as members of the football program do their part to help save lives with sign-up tables available at the Athletics-Recreation Center, Harre Union, Arts & Sciences Building and Gellersen Engineering and Mathematics Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
Click here to read last year's ValpoAthletics.com feature story with full details on what it means to join the registry and what this cause means to the Waddle family.
 
"This is a life-changing mission for me and my family," Waddle said. "Anybody who has ever been affected by a transplant, both as a recipient and as a donor, is affected for life by something that is pretty special. My wife had a rare blood disease and did not have a sibling match, and needed to go out and find a match from the national registry. We're thankful that Todd Spencer said yes and was willing to give to a complete stranger and save her life. We want to pay that back as much as we possibly can."
 
While Waddle's efforts off the field save lives, his efforts on the field shape the lives of the young men in his program. Those student-athletes will have an opportunity to take the field in a game-like environment on Saturday at 11 a.m. with the program's annual spring game. This year's spring game will use an offense vs. defense format.
 
"I want to see execution at a high level," Waddle said. "Sometimes in practice we'll go out and play offense vs. defense, and one side or the other is winning the day. Are they winning the day because their execution is at a really crisp, superior level or is it because the other side of the ball is making mistakes? Some days this spring, it has been back and forth between the defense and offense, and that is mostly because our execution has improved."
 
The quarterback position naturally receives the most conversation among fans, and the Beacons have gotten better in that room through both internal improvement and external additions. FBS transfer Noah Ehrlich (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point [Miami]) has joined the mix, while returning starter Rowen Keefe (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) has been impressive. Nathan Downey (South Elgin, Ill. / Wheaton Academy), Jacob Ritter (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marist) and Marcus Brown (Richton Park, Ill. / Brother Rice) have all taken steps forward as well.
 
"I'm excited that we've improved at quarterback," Waddle said. "Rowan has been limited this spring, but you can see that he knows the offense at a much higher level than he did a year ago. His completion percentage is way up and turnovers are way down. Noah has done some really good things; you can see he's a natural leader and natural passer."
 
On the defensive side of the ball, the Beacons have several positions – particularly in the linebacker group – where they have players returning from injuries and other young players who took significant snaps during the 2025 season due to older players who were sidelined, creating depth and experience for 2026.
 
"I like our back seven defensively compared to where we were a year ago," Waddle said. "I'm excited about the secondary and the linebackers. We also have quality in our defensive line group."
 
The Beacons have several key players who will be out or limited for Saturday's spring game, including QB Rowan Keefe, OL Brendan McIlvenna, DB Nic Lendino, DB Nick Beidl and TE Colin Hayes, among others.
 
The game will begin at 11 a.m. at Brown Field and is free and open to the public. Check back to ValpoAthletics.com for a summary of the game and for a spring edition of "Valpo Football Weekly" with head coach Andy Waddle next week.