USD Football
Thomas Christensen

Football

San Diego Leads PFL with 10 Selections to 2026 Preseason All-PFL Team

Toreros sweep all four special teams spots among 10 total selections

ST. LOUIS — San Diego football placed a league-high nine players on the 2026 Preseason All-PFL Team, presented Tuesday by the Pioneer Football League, accounting for 10 of the 31 spots on the squad. The Toreros, the Preseason Coaches Poll favorite, led all 11 programs in selections; Dayton was next with seven and St. Thomas had four. 

Three Toreros return after earning First Team All-PFL honors in 2025: running back Adam Criter, offensive lineman Maicah Talavou and punter Emiliano Salazar. Salazar, a junior from Orange, Calif., also returns as the league's Special Teams Player of the Year and was selected to the preseason team at both punter and placekicker. 

Wide receiver Cole Monach and defensive back Ruben Lopez, both graduate students, return after All-PFL Second Team selections a year ago. Monach, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and Lopez, of Mission Viejo, Calif., give San Diego five returning all-conference honorees on the preseason squad. 

San Diego also placed two of the team's five defensive linemen, junior River Abenroth and senior Sean Scheck, in a group expanded from four due to a tie in the coaches' voting. Return specialist Yosei Takahashi and long snapper Carter Shupper round out the Toreros' representatives, giving San Diego the selection at every phase of special teams. 

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 was followed by Monday's presentation of the 2026 PFL Preseason Coaches' Poll, in which San Diego was picked as the league favorite for the second straight year. 

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.
 
2026 PRESEASON ALL-PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM
Pos. Name Institution 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 Gr. 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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Players Mentioned

River Abenroth

#96 River Abenroth

DL
6' 2"
Sophomore
Adam Criter

#4 Adam Criter

RB
6' 3"
Senior
Ruben Lopez

#6 Ruben Lopez

DB
6' 0"
Senior
Cole Monach

#17 Cole Monach

WR
6' 1"
Senior
Emiliano Salazar

#41 Emiliano Salazar

K/P
6' 1"
Sophomore
Sean Scheck

#76 Sean Scheck

DL
6' 3"
Junior
Carter Shupper

#34 Carter Shupper

LS
6' 2"
Sophomore
Yosei Takahashi

#22 Yosei Takahashi

WR
5' 7"
Junior
Maicah Talavou

#55 Maicah Talavou

OL
6' 2"
Junior

Players Mentioned

River Abenroth

#96 River Abenroth

6' 2"
Sophomore
DL
Adam Criter

#4 Adam Criter

6' 3"
Senior
RB
Ruben Lopez

#6 Ruben Lopez

6' 0"
Senior
DB
Cole Monach

#17 Cole Monach

6' 1"
Senior
WR
Emiliano Salazar

#41 Emiliano Salazar

6' 1"
Sophomore
K/P
Sean Scheck

#76 Sean Scheck

6' 3"
Junior
DL
Carter Shupper

#34 Carter Shupper

6' 2"
Sophomore
LS
Yosei Takahashi

#22 Yosei Takahashi

5' 7"
Junior
WR
Maicah Talavou

#55 Maicah Talavou

6' 2"
Junior
OL