BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Treyvhon Saunders,
Bardhyl Gashi,
Chance Niesner,
Christian Sweeney, and
Shelby Pruett will represent the Raiders on the 2024 Preseason All-Patriot League squad, the conference announced Wednesday morning. Colgate was also selected to finish fourth by league coaches and sports information directors and was one of only three teams to receive a first-place vote.
The announcement marks Gashi and Pruett's second straight year holding the honor after Colgate also placed five on the 2023 preseason team.
Last season, all five of the aforementioned Raiders held spots on the conference's All-League roster, including Saunders and Pruett, who were named as a first team wide receiver and a first team specialist, respectively.
Saunders emerged onto the Patriot League football scene with a stellar sophomore season in 2023. He paced the Raider offense and finished second in the conference with 68 receptions, the sixth-most catches in a season in program history. He also logged 859 receiving yards, the 10th-highest season total ever from a Raider wideout.
Up front, 2023 second team All-Patriot League selections Gashi and Niesner will continue to pave the way for a potent rushing attack that saw six different ball carriers find the end zone last year.
Fifth-year linebacker Christian Sweeney returns for his final season of college football after producing a career-high 74 tackles in 2023, good for second-most on the team and the 10th-highest output in the Patriot League.
Pruett's big leg will make an impact on the Raiders' special teams units after averaging 41.2 yards per punt last season and also launching the longest punt in the Patriot League, a 69-yard boot against Cornell on Sept. 30.
Sweeney and Gashi will speak with the media at the Patriot League Football Virtual Media Day on Thursday, July 25, at 11:15 a.m. Media members are encouraged to RSVP with Ryan Sakamoto (610 428-1492 – rsakamoto@patriotleague.com) for the Zoom link and password.
2024 Patriot League Preseason Poll
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
2024 Preseason All-Patriot League 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.
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
