Two members of the Valparaiso University football program received preseason recognition on Tuesday as redshirt junior defensive back Nic Lendino (Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley) and redshirt sophomore linebacker Anthony Feltrinelli (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) were tabbed to the Preseason All-Pioneer Football League Team, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
 
Lendino finished 12^th in the PFL and second on the team with 86 tackles in 2025, averaging 7.2 per game. He tied for eighth in the league in passes defended with eight and tied for sixth among PFL defenders with three interceptions. Lendino's strong season helped him earn All-PFL Honorable Mention, PFSN All-PFL First Team, Phil Steele All-PFL Fourth Team and the team's Defensive Player of the Year Award.
 
Lendino, who was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the week on Nov. 16, 2025, was twice a PFL nominee for National Freshman of the Week honors in 2024. He was named the team's Newcomer of the Year following his redshirt freshman campaign.
 


Feltrinelli burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman last season, when he ranked third in the PFL at 8.5 tackles per game and was one of three players league-wide to eclipse the 100-tackle precipice with 102 including 51 solos. He racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, the 13^th most in the league despite being a linebacker.
 
Following his standout statistical season, Feltrinelli was named a Freshman All-American by Stats Perform FCS, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele. He also earned All-PFL Honorable Mention and was named to the Phil Steele All-PFL Fourth Team.
 
Valpo was one of six teams in the 11-team league with multiple Preseason All-PFL honorees.
 
The 2026 PFL Preseason Coaches' Poll was also announced this week. San Diego edged out Drake and St. Thomas atop the poll, while Valpo was projected to finish 11^th.
 
The Beacons will kick off the season on Aug. 29 vs. Lawrence Tech at Brown Field, the first of five home dates. Season tickets are on sale now at tickets.valpoathletics.com.
 

Pioneer Football League 2026 Preseason Coaches' Poll
Team		1st	2nd	3rd	Points
1.	San Diego	5	2	1	90
2.	Drake	5	1	2	88
3.	St. Thomas	1	5	4	87
4.	Dayton		1		69
5.	Butler		1	3	67
6.	Marist			1	52
7.	Presbyterian				47
8.	Morehead State				38
9.	Davidson		1		33
10.	Stetson				22
11.	Valparaiso				12
First-place votes in parentheses. 10 points awarded for a first-place vote, with one point less for each succeeding place. (Maximum score = 100) Coaches were not allowed to vote for their team.

 
2026 Preseason All-Pioneer Football League Team
Pos. Player School Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown
OFFENSE
WR Quentin Cobb-Butler (2) St. Thomas 5-7 165 Jr. Woodbury, Wis.
WR Cole Monach (2) San Diego 6-1 185 Gr. San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
WR Michael Mussari Dayton 6-1 196 Sr. Kings Mills, Ohio
QB Sonny Mannino Marist 6-5 245 RSr. Leesburg, Va.
RB Adam Criter (1) San Diego 6-3 205 Gr. Downers Grove, Ill.
RB Luke Hansen (2) Dayton 5-11 222 Sr. Indianapolis, Ind.
FB Luke Schuler (1) St. Thomas 6-4 243 Sr. Kenosha, Wis.
AP Gavin Lochow (1) Dayton 6-0 185 Sr. Proctorville, Ohio
TE Patrick Wagner St. Thomas 6-4 248 Gr. Crofton, Md.
OL Matthew Barnes Dayton 6-4 280 Sr. St. Louis, Mo.
OL Marcello Coleman Presbyterian 6-2 295 RSo. Jacksonville, Fla.
OL Charles Mackley (1) Butler 6-3 280 RJr. Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
OL James Morrison (2) St. Thomas 6-5 347 Gr. West St. Paul, Minn.
OL Maicah Talavou (1) San Diego 6-2 290 Sr. Long Beach, Calif.
DEFENSE
DL River Abenroth San Diego 6-2 270 Jr. San Diego, Calif.
DL Luke Green Butler 6-1 280 RJr. Pelham, N.Y.
DL KJ Hardesty Morehead State 6-2 240 RJr. Bowling Green, Ky.
DL Mirko Jaksic (1) Dayton 6-2 284 Sr. Norrdige, Ill.
DL Sean Scheck San Diego 6-3 260 Sr. Batavia, Ill.
LB Mason Armstrong Butler 6-0 210 RJr. Madison, Wis.
LB Anthony Feltrinelli Valparaiso 6-1 220 RSo. Westfield, Ind.
LB Joe Kingsbury Dayton 6-0 226 Sr. Frankfort, Ill.
LB Sam Schmiesing Dayton 5-10 186 Jr. Kings Mills, Ohio
DB Ruben Lopez (2) San Diego 6-0 180 Gr. Mission Viejo, Calif.
DB Garrison Codde (2) Drake 5-10 175 Jr. Verona, Wis.
DB Chase Hatton (2, FotY) Marist 5-11 208 So. West Chester, Pa.
DB Nic Lendino Valparaiso 6-1 195 RJr. Naperville, Ill.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Emiliano Salazar San Diego 6-1 170 Jr. Orange, Calif.
P Emiliano Salazar (1, PotY) San Diego 6-1 170 Jr. Orange, Calif.
RS Yosei Takahashi San Diego 5-7 170 Sr. Osaka, Japan
LS Carter Shupper San Diego 6-1 205 Jr. La Cañada, Calif.
Five defensive linemen due to a tie in voting.
Symbols in parentheses indicate 2025 All-PFL Team Recognition: 1 – was a First Team All-PFL selection; 2 – was a Second
Team All-PFL selection; all other players were honorable mention selections; PotY – returning Player of the Year in their
respective position group; FotY – returning Freshman of the Year in their respective position group.