ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Drake University quarterback Riley Warzynski, Marist University safety Chase Hatton, Butler University kicker Beck Janki, and University of St. Thomas quarterback Nick Peipert are the Pioneer Football League’s Week 4 Players of the Week, announced Sunday.

Warzynski threw for three touchdowns and led Drake to its first victory of 2026 at Davidson to claim the league’s offensive award. Hatton claims the defensive honor with a team-high six tackles and led a defense that allowed just seven points in a win against Presbyterian. Janki connected on a pair of 40-yard-plus field goals to help Butler secure a come-from-behind win at Valparaiso for special teams honors. Peipert wins the freshman award for the third time after being responsible for five touchdowns in a victory against San Diego.

Offensive

Riley Warzynski, Drake (Graduate, Quarterback, Stevens Point, Wisconsin)
In just three quarters of action, Warzynski completed 31-of-48 passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns, powering Drake to its first win of 2026 with a 51-32 victory at Davidson. He also carried the ball eight times for 44 yards and was responsible for 22 first downs or touchdowns. Warzynski led the Bulldogs to touchdowns on their first four drives, capping two with touchdown tosses of 15 and 37 yards to Willis Nofsinger, who had nine receptions for 127 yards and two scores. His 24-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Garcia punctuated the third quarter’s opening drive and gave Drake a 38-14 lead.

Others Nominated

• Butler wide receiver Nick Munson caught three touchdown passes in a five-reception, 114-yard day in a 33-28 victory at Valparaiso.
• Davidson wide receiver Jacary Lightsey caught 10 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown in a loss against Drake.
• Marist quarterback Sonny Mannino passed for two scores and ran for another two in a 42-7 win against Presbyterian, completing 20-of-26 passes for 198 yards and picking up 63 yards on 15 carries for 261 total offensive yards.
• San Diego wide receiver Elijah Taylor had 10 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown in a loss at St. Thomas.
• St. Thomas wide receiver Stefano Gionvannelli needed just two receptions to record 110 yards and a touchdown in a 50-17 victory against San Diego.
• Valparaiso quarterback Rowan Keefe was responsible for three touchdowns, passing for two as part of a 24-of-35, 187-yard passing effort and running for another on five carries totaling 20 yards.

Defensive

Chase Hatton, Marist (Sophomore, Safety, West Chester, Pennsylvania)
Hatton led the Marist with six tackles (four solo), and the Red Foxes ' defense allowed just 232 yards in a 42-7 victory against Presbyterian. He also had a half tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Hatton started the day with a key tackle short of first down in the first quarter. His stop behind the line of scrimmage on first down put the Blue Hose behind the chains and ultimately led to a punt that was blocked and returned for a score. Hatton capped his day with a fourth-quarter pass breakup on third down to halt a drive that reached Marist territory. Thanks to Hatton and the Red Foxes’ defense, Presbyterian ventured into Marist territory only three times in 10 drives.

Others Nominated

• Butler linebacker Will Beasley finished with nine tackles (eight solo), including two for loss in a 33-28 win at Valparaiso.
• San Diego graduate defensive back Ruben Lopez notched eight tackles (seven solo), with one for loss, and two pass breakups in a loss at St. Thomas.
• St. Thomas defensive back Kyle Winchester had a 38-yard pick-six in a 50-17 victory against San Diego.
• Valparaiso linebacker Max Samuel posted seven tackles (five solo) with 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in a loss against Butler.

Special Teams

Beck Janki, Butler (Junior, Kicker, Atlanta, Georgia)
Janki connected on 2-of-3 field goals and three PATs in Butler’s 33-28 come-from-behind victory at Valparaiso. He opened the scoring with a career-long 41-yard field goal to convert an early Butler defensive takeaway. Janki then kicked three PATs before capping his day with a 40-yard field goal that gave the Bulldogs a 27-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Others Nominated

• Marist wide receiver Jayden Taylor returned a blocked punt 24 yards for a touchdown in a 42-7 victory against Presbyterian.
• San Diego running back Major Givens averaged 33.5 yards on two kick returns with both returns outside the Toreros’ 30-yard line in a loss at St. Thomas.
• Valparaiso punter Will Orlando averaged 45.5 yards on four punts, including a season-best 51-yarder, in a loss against Butler.

Freshman

Nick Peipert, St. Thomas (Freshman (RS), Quarterback, Barrington, Illinois)

Peipert was responsible for five touchdowns to lead St. Thomas past San Diego, 50-17. He completed 12-of-18 passes for 239 yards (19.9 yards per completion) and three touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns on five carries totaling 51 yards. After leading the Tommies to a touchdown on their second drive of the game, Peipert found Stefano Giovannelli for a 75-yard touchdown to convert a turnover on downs forced by the Tommies' defense. He added a 25-yard touchdown run and a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter. In the second half, he found Eli Paulson for a 17-yard touchdown pass and finished the scoring with a seven-yard touchdown run.

Others Nominated

• Butler defensive back Kian Kelly broke up a pass in the end zone to end the game and had two tackles in a 33-28 victory at Valparaiso.
• Drake defensive back Dax Wiskur had a team-best nine tackles (seven solo), including a tackles for loss, in his first collegiate start and a 51-32 victory at Davidson.
• Marist wide receiver Jayden Taylor returned a blocked punt 24 yards for a touchdown in a 42-7 victory against Presbyterian. He also ran for 43 yards and caught three passes for 40 yards.
• San Diego running back Omar Mbakwe caught two passes for 21 yards and had six carries for five yards in a loss at St. Thomas.
• Valparaiso punter Will Orlando averaged 45.5 yards on four punts, including a season-best 51-yarder, in a loss against Butler.

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 College, 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.