CAA Football Has Three Players Selected To Buck Buchanan Award Watch List
Rob Washburn
30 FCS Defensive Standouts Named to 2025 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List | Opta Analyst
RICHMOND, Va. (July 30, 2025) – CAA Football had three players chosen to the 30-person watch list for the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the national Defensive Player of the Year in FCS football.
Selected to the list were Villanova senior linebacker
Shane Hartzell, William & Mary senior defensive back
Jalen Jones and Rhode Island senior linebacker
A.J. Pena.
Hartzell recorded 121 total tackles, including a team-high 67 solo, and added 9.5 tackles for loss to earn first-team All-CAA recognition last season. The senior made double-digit stops in four contests, including a career-best 20 against UNH.
Jones was a consensus first team All-American and a Buchanan Award finalist in 2024 after leading FCS with 22 passes defended and 20 pass breakups. He added a pair of interceptions, two forced fumbles and 48 total tackles for the Tribe.
Pena registered 82 total tackles and ranked in the top 10 nationally with 22.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks last season to help Rhode Island capture a share of the CAA title. An All-American and a Buchanan Award finalist a year ago, he enters his senior season ranked second all-time at URI in TFL’s (44.5) and sacks (27).
The Buck Buchanan Award will be announced at the Stats National Awards Presentation on Jan. 3, 2026 in Nashville, Tenn.