ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Returning First Team All-Pioneer Football League selections in all-purpose back Gavin Lochow and defensive lineman Mirko Jaksic, both from the University of Dayton and named to Stats Perform Preseason Watch Lists for the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Awards, respectively, highlight the 2026 Preseason All-PFL Team, presented Tuesday.
Lochow and Jaksic were among seven Flyers selected to the Preseason All-PFL Team. The University of San Diego, the Preseason Coaches Poll favorite, led all teams with nine players selected to 10 positions on the team. The University of St. Thomas followed with four selections and Butler University had three named to the 31-person squad. Nine of the league’s 11 teams had at least one student-athlete named to the Preseason All-PFL squad.
The Preseason All-PFL Team is composed of the top returnees at each position based on head coaches’ voting for the 2025 All-PFL Team. Its release follows Monday’s presentation of the 2026 PFL Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Lochow, a senior from Proctorville, Ohio, is a Preseason All-PFL selection for the second consecutive year. He followed his 2026 preseason selection by earning First Team All-PFL after ranking third with 118.0 all-purpose yards per game. Lochow had 731 receiving yards (61 receptions), 362 rushing yards (62 carries), 205 kick return yards (9 kick returns), and 10 total touchdowns last season. He was one of 30 individuals named to Stats Perform’s 2026 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List earlier this month.
Jaksic, a senior from Norridge, Illinois, also returns after earning First Team All-PFL honors in 2025. He finished last season with 33 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Jaksic was the league’s representative on Stats Perform’s 30-person 2026 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List earlier this month.
Lochow and Jaksic are among seven returning First Team All-PFL selections from 2025. The other five returning first teamers are San Diego running back Adam Criter, St. Thomas fullback Luke Schuler, Butler offensive lineman Charles Mackley, San Diego offensive lineman Maicah Talavou, and San Diego punter Emiliano Salazar.
The upcoming 2026 season marks the 34th season of the Pioneer Football League. The league will feature 11 teams, each playing an eight-game schedule to determine the league champion and recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Championship. Nine teams will play during Week Zero, beginning with four games on Thursday, August 27. The race for the 2026 PFL Championship begins on September 26 with four games, including Drake’s conference-opener at Davidson.
About the Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is the only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The PFL is a truly national conference with members on each coast and throughout the nation’s heartland. Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, and Valparaiso University were among the league’s founding members in 1993, with Davidson College, Marist University, Morehead State University, Presbyterian College, the University of San Diego, the University of St. Thomas, and Stetson University joining to form the current 11-team league.
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. |
Norridge, 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. |
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