Football | 8/13/2026 12:00:00 PM
TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its Football Players to Watch list Thursday as the 2026 season is set to kickoff three weeks from today.
The list is highlighted by the three players who were named Preseason All-Americans by D3football.com Wednesday. They include junior defensive back Dante DeRubbo and sophomore offensive guard Grant Lefeld from defending PAC champion Washington & Jefferson College and junior defensive back Noah Wheeler from Grove City College. All three earned a spot on the national website's Third Team All-American list.
All three of those players were All-PAC performers a season ago. Overall, the conference's Players to Watch list includes 30 who earned All-PAC last year, with 11 of those garnering First Team recognition.
In addition to the Preseason All-Americans, the Players to Watch list also includes Westminster College sophomore quarterback Quentin Goode. Taking the reins at the mid-point of his freshman year, Goode led Westminster to a 4-1 record as the starting quarterback, completing 89-of-137 passing attempts (65.0%), throwing 13 touchdown passes, tallying 236 passing yards per game, and only committing three turnovers during that span. Goode picked up two PAC Newcomer of the Week accolades in his first year in New Wilmington and was named the PAC Newcomer of the Year following the season.
The opening weekend of the 2026 football season begins on Thursday, Sept. 3rd when Westminster travels to Marietta College and continues through the 5th with 10 teams playing a non-conference tilt. The PAC schedule kicks off Sept. 19th with two league games and the full conference slate starts Sept. 26th. That is the same day Saint Francis opens its initial PAC season with the Red Wolves hosting Grove City.
2026 PAC Football Players to Watch
1 = 2025 First Team All-PAC / 2 = Second Team / HM = Honorable Mention
| Allegheny |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Carson Colucci |
Jr. |
QB |
Brewster Ohio/Fairless |
| Coltin Colucci (HM) |
5th |
LB |
Brewster Ohio/Fairless |
| Drew Evans |
Sr. |
DL |
Erie, Col./Erie |
| Remington Rossow |
So. |
WR |
West Palm Beach, Fla./Forest Hill |
| Landon Wayne |
Sr. |
DB |
Albion, Pa./Northwestern |
| Bethany |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Blaike Adams |
Jr. |
DB |
Parsons, W.Va./Tucker County |
| Wyatt Conner |
So. |
DL |
Kimbolton, Ohio/Buckeye Trail |
| Caden Langley (HM) |
Jr. |
P/K |
Wellsburg, W.Va./Brooke County |
| Stephen Naputi |
So. |
OL/DL |
Kearneysville, W.Va./Washington |
| Nick Stuchell |
So. |
OL |
Jeannette, Pa./Jeannette |
| Case Western Reserve |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Aaron Filips |
Grad. |
QB |
Medina, Ohio/Highland |
| Yaw Gyamfi |
So. |
DB |
De Pere, Wis./De Pere |
| Andy Kavcic |
Jr. |
RB |
Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy |
| Jake Kavcic (2) |
Jr. |
DB |
Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy |
| Jack Tierney (HM) |
Jr. |
DL |
Denville, N.J./Seton Hall Prep |
| Geneva |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Roman Costanza (2) |
Sr. |
OL |
McMurray, Pa./Peters Township |
| Coltin Hill (2) |
Sr. |
DL |
New Castle, Pa./Laurel |
| Noah Hutcherson (HM) |
Jr. |
DB |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills |
| Cody Patterson |
Jr. |
DB |
Freedom, Pa./Freedom Area |
| Caleb Romano (2) |
Sr. |
QB |
Ravena, N.Y./Mount Dora Christian Academy |
| Grove City |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Gabe Hilty (1) |
Jr. |
OG |
Gibsonia, Pa./Kiski Prep |
| Brady Lane (1) |
So. |
K/P |
Jefferson, Ga./Mill Creek |
| Ryan Montgomery (HM) |
Grad. |
S |
Harrisville, Pa./Slippery Rock |
| Chase Rankin (HM) |
Sr. |
RB |
Coventry Township, Ohio/Coventry |
| Noah Wheeler (1) |
Jr. |
CB |
McKinney, Texas/McKinney Christian |
| Hiram |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Darius Cofield-Washington |
Jr. |
LB |
Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County |
| Kevin Dycks (HM) |
Sr. |
WR |
Dallas, Texas/Firestone |
| RJ Johnson |
Jr. |
RB |
Denham Springs, La./Denham Springs |
| Sean Tejeda (HM) |
Sr. |
QB |
San Antonio, Texas/McCollum |
| Devin Tufts (HM) |
So. |
WR |
Macedonia, Ohio/Nordonia |
| Saint Francis |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Marcus Fennell |
Jr. |
OL |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair |
| Collin Glassmyer |
Jr. |
LB |
York, Pa./Central York |
| Grayden Lewis |
Jr. |
DB |
Johnstown, Pa./Richland |
| Campbell Melzer |
Jr. |
DB |
Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny |
| Scott Raymond |
Sr. |
TE |
Clarence, N.Y./Clarence |
| Saint Vincent |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Patrick Connolly |
Jr. |
DB |
Odenton, Md./Arundel |
| Chris Downs (1) |
Sr. |
WR |
Gambrills, Md./Arundel |
| Robbie Labuda (HM) |
Sr. |
S |
Acme, Pa./Mount Pleasant |
| Nathan Parker (HM) |
Jr. |
LB |
Brockport, N.Y./Brockport |
| Jake Phillips (HM) |
Sr. |
QB |
Jeannette, Pa./Hempfield Area |
| Thiel |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Mekhi Carroll |
Sr. |
DL |
East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse-Minoa Central |
| Mahkye Cortes |
Jr. |
OL |
Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon |
| Na'Jier Howard |
So. |
QB |
Struthers, Ohio/East |
| Drevon Newton |
Jr. |
TE |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Nazareth Prep |
| Dwayne Simpkins |
Jr. |
LB |
Hopewell, Va./Prince George |
| Washington & Jefferson |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Dante DeRubbo (2) |
Jr. |
DB |
Washington, Pa./Trinity |
| Grant Lefeld (1) |
So. |
OL |
Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia |
| Michael Roginsky (1) |
Sr. |
OL |
Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills |
| Brock Sherman (1) |
Jr. |
LB |
Copley, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit |
| Antoine Smith (1) |
Sr. |
DL |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic |
| Waynesburg |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Isshak Adam (HM) |
Jr. |
DL |
Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley |
| Kory Ansell |
Grad. |
OL |
Mount Pleasant, Pa./Southmoreland |
| Zayne Cawley |
Sr. |
RB |
Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown |
| Joanes Polynice (HM) |
Sr. |
DB |
Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange |
| Carson Shriver (2) |
Sr. |
RB |
Fairview, W.Va./Clay-Battelle |
| Westminster |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Lamont Austin (1) |
Jr. |
DB |
Sharon, Pa./Sharon |
| Aiden Fletcher |
Jr. |
LB |
Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes |
| Quentin Goode |
So. |
QB |
Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa |
| Braden Mika (1) |
Sr. |
OL |
Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski |
| Sean O'Shea |
Jr. |
QB |
Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley |