Patriot League Announces 2026 Preseason Football Awards (7.29.26)

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Reigning Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Year Lehigh's Luke Yoder (Sr., RB) and Richmond's Camden Byrd (Gr., DL) were selected as the 2026 Patriot League Football Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Villanova took the top spot in the 2026 preseason poll when the League announced the awards during the 2026 Patriot League Preseason Football Show on ESPN+.

Yoder and Byrd highlight the 31-member Preseason All-Patriot League Team. The preseason favorite Wildcats earned a league-high seven spots on the preseason roster, with Ja'briel Mace (Jr., RB/RS) collecting two as a running back and return specialist. Richmond received six preseason All-League selections, while the two-time defending champion Mountain Hawks had five representatives.

Colgate and William & Mary each had four selections, with Bucknell, Fordham and Lafayette each placing two student-athletes on the preseason team. Georgetown and Holy Cross each had one preseason honor.

Villanova (12-3, 7-1 CAA) received 79 points and seven first-place votes after head coach Mark Ferrante led the Wildcats to the semifinals of the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS Championship. Lehigh (12-1, 7-0 PL), which was the No. 5 seed in the FCS playoffs last season, finished second in the preseason poll with 75 points and three first-place votes. Historic rivals Richmond (7-5, 3-4 PL) and William & Mary (7-5, 6-2 CAA) were in third place with 57 points and Lafayette (8-4, 6-1 PL) rounded out the top five with 55 points.

Holy Cross (3-9, 3-4 PL), which has claimed at least a share of six of the last seven League crowns, was sixth in the preseason poll with 38 points, while Colgate (5-7, 3-4 PL) finished close behind with 36 points. Fordham (1-11, 1-6 PL) and Georgetown (6-6, 3-4 PL) were ranked eighth and Bucknell (5-7, 2-5 PL) rounded out the 2026 preseason poll.

The Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team, the Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year were voted on, and the preseason poll was completed by Patriot League football head coaches from the 10 League schools. They were prohibited from voting for their own team or student-athletes.

2026 Patriot League Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Sr., RB, Palm Harbor, FL/East Lake

2025 stats: 13 GP, 198 carries, 1,425 rushing yards (108.4 ypg), 7.10 yards per carry, 15 TDs

*Yoder, a two-time All-Patriot League selection and 2025 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, ranks among the league and FCS leaders in rushing yards (1,409), rushing touchdowns (15) and rushing yards per carry (7.1).

*He helped the Mountain Hawks finish top-12 in the FCS in rushing offense in each of the past two seasons en route to back-to-back league titles.

* The Palm Harbor, Florida, native earned Patriot League and Stats Perform National FCS Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a career-high 234 yards and four touchdowns against Lafayette to clinch the League title and a spot in the FCS Playoffs.

2026 Patriot League Football Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Camden Byrd, Richmond, Gr., DL, Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry

2025 stats: 12 GP, 34 total tackles 18 solo), 11.5 TFLs from 83 yards, 8.5 sacks, 3 FF, 6 QBH

*Byrd is the Patriot League's returning leader in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (8.5) and forced fumbles (3). His 83 tackles for loss yards ranked second in the League last season.

*The Ashland, Virginia, native helped the Spiders rank second in the league in total defense (290.8) and scoring defense (22.7) last season.

*He earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors last season after being selected to Second Team All-CAA in 2024.

2026 All-Patriot League Preseason Football in Numbers (Statistics 2025)

Fifteen of the 2026 Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team selections earned All-Patriot League honors at the end of the 2025 season, including seven first-team honors. Lehigh's Yoder, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, and teammates Hayden Johnson (Jr., QB), Aidan Palmer (5th, OL) and Holy Cross' Cam Nolan (5th, OL) return from the offense. Richmond's Jordan Allen (Gr., DB) is back from last season's first-team defense and Bucknell's Sam Milligan (Sr., STNS) and Lehigh's Connor Poole (Jr., P) are back from the first-team special teams unit. Milligan made the first team as a non-special teams specialist.

Nine more preseason selections received second-team honors in 2025, including Bucknell's Milligan (Sr., WR), Lafayette's Sean Wilson (Sr., OL) and Richmond's Aziz Foster-Powell (Sr., RB) on offense. On defense, Byrd, Tayshaun Burney (Jr., DB) and Carter Glassmyer (Gr., LB), Colgate's Tymir Wynn (Sr., DB) and Georgetown's Chigozie Oge-Evans (Sr., DL) return. Colgate's Luke Vogeler (Sr., PK) also earned second-team All-Patriot League honors last season.

Four more preseason All-Patriot League selections earned All-CAA honors last season, including Mace, the 2025 CAA Special Teams Player of the Year. Villanova's Braden Reed (So., WR) earned third-team All-CAA honors last season as a punt returner. William & Mary's Stephon Hicks (Jr., LB) earned first-team special teams honors in the CAA after leading the FCS with four blocked punts. The Tribe's Sean McElwain (Sr., TE) was a third-team All-CAA honoree.

Patriot League football returning stats leaders

*Lehigh's Luke Yoder ranked second in the FCS, averaging 7.12 yards per carry. He ranks seventh in league history, averaging 5.83 yards per carry over his career.

*Yoder ranked 11th in the FCS with 15 rushing touchdowns and 28th in the nation with 7.4 points per game. He was seventh in the nation with 108.4 yards per game and eighth in the nation with 1,409 rushing yards.

*Lehigh's Hayden Johnson led the league and ranked 16th in the FCS in hitting efficiency (154.2).

*Lehigh's Johnson and Colgate's Jake Stearney (Sr., QB) were tied for second in the League and 34th in the FCS with 18 touchdown passes.

*Villanova's Ja'briel Mace (Jr., RB) ranked second in the FCS in kickoff returns (31.4 years) and first in kickoff return touchdowns (2). 14th in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game (125.47)

*Bucknell's Sam Milligan (Sr., WR) led the league and ranked 11th in the FCS with 10 touchdown receptions.

*Lafayette's Carson Persing (Sr, WR) ranked third in the League and 36th in the FCS with 5.0 receptions per game.

*Richmond's Camden Byrd (Gr., DL) ranked 25th in the FCS in sacks per game (0.71) and fourth in forced fumbles per game (0.25).

*Bucknell's Brandon Biagiarelli (Jr., LB) ranked 31st in the nation, averaging 8.7 tackles per game, while Fordham's Andrew Osmun (Sr., LB) ranked 46th with 8.3 tackles per game.

* William & Mary's Stephon Hicks (Jr., LB) captured the FCS lead with four blocked punts.

2026 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll

1. Villanova, 79 points (7 first place votes)

2. Lehigh, 75 (3)

T3. Richmond, 57

T3. Willem and Maria, 57

5.Lafayette, 55

6. Holy Cross, 38

7. Colgate, 36

T8. Fordham, 19

T8. Georgetown, 19

10. Bucknell, 15

2026 Patriot League Major Football Awards

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Sr., RB

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year - Camden Byrd, Richmond, Gr., DL

2026 Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team

VIOLATION (14)*

QB: Hayden Johnson, Lehigh, Jr.

RB: Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Sr.

RB: Aziz Foster-Powell, Richmond, Sr.

RB: Ja'briel Mace, Villanova, Jr.

WR: Sam Milligan, Bucknell, Sr.

WR: Winston Moore, Colgate, Sr.

WR: Carson Persing, Lafayette, Sr.

WR: Braden Reed, Villanova, So.

TE: Sean McElwain, William & Mary, Sr.

OL: Cam Nolan, Holy Cross, 5th year

OL: Sean Wilson, Lafayette, Sr.

OL: Aidan Palmer, Lehigh, 5th year

OL: Ronald Anderson, Richmond, Sr.

OL: Chris McCullers, Villanova, Jr.

DEFENSE (13)*

DL: Chigozie Oge-Evans, Georgetown, Sr.

DL: Camden Byrd, Richmond, Gr.

DL: Capri Martin, Villanova, Sr.

DL: Davin Dzidzienyo, William & Mary, Gr.

LB: Brandon Biagiarelli, Bucknell, Jr.

LB: Trooper Price, Colgate, Sr.

LB: Andrew Osmun, Fordham, Sr.

LB: Carter Glassmyer, Richmond, Gr.

LB: Omari Bursey, Villanova, So.

DB: Tymir Wynn, Colgate, Sr.

DB: Jordan Allen, Richmond, Gr.

DB: Tayshaun Burney, Richmond, Jr.

DB: Bryce Barnes, William & Mary, Sr.

SPECIAL TEAMS: (5)

PK: Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Sr.

P: Connor Poole, Lehigh, Jr.

RS: Ja'briel Mace, Villanova, Jr.

LS: Mike Doctor, Fordham, Sr.

Special Teams, Non-Specialist (STNS): Stephon Hicks, William & Mary, Jr.

*Additional student-athletes selected for offense and defense due to equal voting

ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement and continues to demonstrate that student-athletes can excel in both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved as its member institutions remain committed to the founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important part of a well-rounded education.

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