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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Defending champion Lafayette tops the 2024 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll.
The Leopards (9-3, 5-1 PL) received 72 points and 12 first-place votes after head coach John Troxell guided Lafayette to its first FCS Playoff appearance since 2013, last season. Holy Cross (7-4, 5-1 PL), who earned a share of its fifth straight Patriot League crown, finished second in the preseason poll with 56 points and will enter its first season under head coach Dan Curran.
Fordham (6-5, 2-4 PL) placed third with 53 points and one first-place vote, while Colgate (6-5, 4-2 PL) ranked fourth with 46 points and the remaining first-place vote. Georgetown (27), Lehigh (24) and Bucknell (16) round out the 2024 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll.
Voting for the Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team, the offensive and defensive player of the year, and preseason poll was completed by Patriot League football head coaches and sports information directors from the seven League schools. They cannot vote for their team or student-athletes.
1. Lafayette, 72 (12 first-place votes)
2. Holy Cross, 56
3. Fordham, 53 (1)
4. Colgate, 46 (1)
5. Georgetown, 27
6. Lehigh, 24
7. Bucknell, 16
Lafayette junior running back Jamar Curtis claimed preseason offensive player of the year honors when the League office announced preseason honors on Wednesday. Fordham senior defensive lineman Matt Jaworski collected preseason defensive player of the year accolades.
Curtis and Jaworski highlight the 32-member Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Curtis is one of a League-high nine Leopards to earn a spot on the preseason squad, while Jaworski is one of the Rams’ eight honorees. Colgate placed five student-athletes on the team, with four Holy Cross student-athletes recognized. Georgetown (3), Lehigh (2) and Bucknell (1) were also represented.
2024 Patriot League Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, Jr., RB, Waldorf, Md./St. John’s College
2023 Stats: 11 GP, 235 Rush Att., 1,460 rush yards, 15 rush TDs, 19 rec., 164 rec. yards, 2 rec. TDs
*Curtis led the Patriot League and ranked second in NCAA DI FCS in rushing yards per game (132.7), while ranking second in the League and fifth in the nation with 15 rushing touchdowns.
*The Waldorf, Md. native was selected as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the FCS offensive player of the year.
*He received Second Team All-America honors from the Associated Press (AP) and Stats Perform after rushing for 127 yards and three touchdowns in the FCS Playoffs at No. 12 Delaware.
*The 2023 First Team All-Patriot League honoree posted two 200-yard rushing performances, finishing with 229 yards on 30 carries vs. then-No. 11 Holy Cross (Oct. 21) and 204 yards on 31 carries against Fordham (Nov. 11).
2024 Patriot League Football Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Matt Jaworski, Fordham, Sr., DL, Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis
2023 Stats: 11 GP, 44 total tackles, 13.5 TFL for 85 yards, 9.0 sacks, 3 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 1 blocked kick
*Jaworski earned First Team All-Patriot League honors after finishing second in the Patriot League and 12th in NCAA DI FCS with 0.82 sacks per game.
*The Buffalo, N.Y. native finished second in the Patriot League with 13.5 tackles for loss (TFLs) and ranked third in the League and 15th in the nation in forced fumbles per game (0.27).
*He earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 16, 2023, after posting two sacks and two forced fumbles in the Rams’ 26-7 win at Stony Brook.
*In League play, Jaworski recorded 8.5 TFLs and 5.0 sacks to rank second in both categories. He ended the season on a high note with 7.5 TFLs and 5.0 sacks in his final four games of the 2023 season.
2024 Preseason All-Patriot League Football by the Numbers (2023 Stats)
Overall, 20 of last season’s All-Patriot League selections made the 2024 Preseason All-Patriot League Team, including eight first-team honorees. Curtis, Holy Cross senior running back Jordan Fuller and Colgate junior wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders made the preseason squad after claiming first-team offense accolades in 2023. Jaworski and teammates James Conway (Sr., LB) and Nahil Perkins (Gr., DB), along with Lafayette senior defensive back Saiku White, were members of the 2023 first-team defense. Colgate senior punter Shelby Pruett was also a first-team honoree following the 2023 season.
Fordham junior quarterback C.J. Montes and Lafayette sophomore quarterback Dean DeNobile made the preseason squad after earning second-team honors last season. Lafayette junior wide receiver Eli Steward and senior offensive lineman Ryder Langsdale and Colgate fifth-year offensive lineman Bardhyl Gashi and senior offensive lineman Chance Niesner were also recognized after earning a second-team nod in 2023. On defense, Lafayette’s Jaylon Joseph (So., DL) the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, is joined by Fordham’s Claudy Robinson (Jr., DL), Colgate’s Christian Sweeney (5th, LB), and Lehigh’s Mike DeNucci (5th, LB) and Nick Peltekian (Jr., DB) were selected to the preseason team after appearing on last season’s second-team defense. Georgetown junior return specialist/WR Nicholas Dunneman was also recognized on the preseason team after a second-team All-League campaign in 2023.
Preseason All-Patriot League Football by Class
The 2024 Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team is led by 12 juniors and nine seniors. Seven players enter the season as fifth-year or graduate students, with four sophomores earning a spot on the preseason All-League squad.
Patriot League Leaders Back for 2024
*Fordham Jr. QB C.J. Montes led the Patriot League in passing yards (3,000), passing yards per game (272.7), touchdown passes (26) and passing efficiency (153.4) last season.
*Lafayette So. QB Dean DeNobile posted a League-best completion percentage (66.7) after completing 170-of-255 passes in 12 games.
*Lafayette Jr. RB Jamar Curtis rushed for a League-best 1,460 yards and 132.7 yards per game to rank second in NCAA DI FCS.
*Holy Cross Sr. RB Jordan Fuller led the Patriot League and the FCS with 18 rushing touchdowns while being one of four League ballcarriers to rush for more than 1,000 yards (1,046).
*Colgate Jr. WR Treyvhon Saunders finished second in the League in receptions per game (6.2) and third with 859 receiving yards.
*Fordham Sr. DL Matt Jaworski finished second in the League in TFLs (13.5), sacks (9) and forced fumbles (3).
*Fordham Sr. LB James Conway led the Patriot League with 129 tackles, while his 386 career tackles are 47 away from breaking the League’s record of 432 set by Holy Cross’s Jacob Dobbs last season.
*Lehigh Jr. DB Nick Peltekian and fifth-year LB Mike DeNucci ranked third and fourth in the League in tackles last season with 91 and 87, respectively.
*Fordham Gr. DB Nahil Perkins led the League and ranked fourth in the FCS with 1.55 passes defended per game while tying for second in the League with three interceptions.
*Lafayette Sr. DB Saiku White intercepted a League-leading four passes, returning one for a touchdown last season.
*Bucknell Jr. PK Matt Schearer tied for second in the League with eight made field goals, including tying for a League-long 49-yarder.
*Colgate Sr. P Shelby Pruett led the League and ranked 32nd in the FCS with 41.2 yards per punt.
*Georgetown Jr. WR/RS Nicholas Dunneman led the League and ranked 19th in the FCS with 10.4 yards per punt return.
2024 Patriot League Football Preseason Major Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, Jr., RB
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Matt Jaworski, Fordham, Sr., DL
2024 Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team
Offense (13)
QB: C.J. Montes, Fordham, Jr.
QB: Dean DeNobile, Lafayette, So.
RB: Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, Jr.
RB: Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross, Sr.
WR: Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, Jr.
WR: Justin Shorter, Holy Cross, Sr.
WR: Eli Steward, Lafayette, Jr.
TE: Dallas Holmes, Lafayette, Jr.
OL: Bardhyl Gashi, Colgate, 5th
OL: Chance Niesner, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Ryan Joyce, Fordham, Gr.
OL: Ryder Langsdale, Lafayette, Sr.
OL: Brian Baucia, Lafayette, Jr.
Defense (13)*
DL: Matt Jaworski, Fordham, Sr.
DL: Claudy Robinson, Fordham, Jr.
DL: William Robinson, Holy Cross, So.
DL: Jaylon Joseph, Lafayette, So.
LB: Christian Sweeney, Colgate, 5th
LB: Frankie Monte, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB: James Conway, Fordham, Sr.
LB: Mike DeNucci, Lehigh, 5th
DB: Nahil Perkins, Fordham, Gr.,
DB: Wedner Cadet, Georgetown, Jr.
DB: Saiku White, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: A.T. Ntantang, Lafayette, 5th
DB: Nick Peltekian, Lehigh, Jr.
Special Teams (6)*
K: Matt Schearer, Bucknell, Jr.
P: Shelby Pruett, Colgate, Sr.
RS: Nicholas Dunneman, Georgetown, Jr.
STNS: John Scott, Fordham, So.
LS: Walker Adkinson, Fordham, Jr.
LS: Sebastian Alonso, Georgetown, Gr.
*Additional student-athletes selected due to ties in the voting.
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its 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 component of a well-rounded education.
8/31 at Navy (FBS)
9/7 at VMI (FBS)
9/14 Merrimack
9/21 Marist
9/28 at Lehigh*
10/12 at Penn
10/19 Cornell
10/26 at Georgetown*
11/2 Lafayette*
11/9 Fordham*
11/16 at Holy Cross*
11/23 Colgate*
8/30 at Maine
9/7 Villanova
9/14 at Akron (FBS)
9/21 Cornell
9/28 at Penn
10/5 Holy Cross*
10/19 Georgetown*
10/26 at Merrimack
11/2 at Fordham*
11/9 Lafayette*
11/16 at Lehigh*
11/23 at Bucknell*
8/29 at Bowling Green (FBS)
9/7 at Central Connecticut
9/14 Stony Brook
9/21 at Dartmouth
9/28 at Monmouth
10/5 Lafayette*
10/12 at Holy Cross*
10/26 at Lehigh*
11/2 Colgate*
11/9 at Bucknell*
11/16 Georgetown*
11/23 Merrimack
8/31 Davidson
9/7 at Marist
9/14 at Sacred Heart
9/21 Brown
9/28 Columbia
10/12 at Lafayette*
10/19 at Colgate*
10/26 Bucknell*
11/2 Lehigh*
11/16 at Fordham*
11/23 Holy Cross*
8/31 at Rhode Island
9/7 New Hampshire
9/14 at Bryant
9/21 Yale
9/28 at Syracuse (FBS)
10/5 at Colgate*
10/12 Fordham*
10/19 at Harvard
10/26 at Lafayette*
11/9 Lehigh*
11/16 Bucknell*
11/23 at Georgetown*
8/29 at Buffalo (FBS)
9/7 at Monmouth
9/14 Marist
9/21 at Columbia
10/5 at Fordham*
10/12 Georgetown*
10/19 Sacred Heart
10/26 Holy Cross*
11/2 at Bucknell*
11/9 at Colgate*
11/16 Stonehill
11/23 at Lehigh*
8/30 at Army (FBS)
9/7 Wagner
9/14 at LIU
9/21 Princeton
9/28 Bucknell*
10/19 at Yale
10/26 Fordham*
11/2 at Georgetown*
11/9 at Holy Cross*
11/16 Colgate*
11/23 Lafayette*