BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – The Duquesne University football team had a league-high 16 student-athletes recognized in the 2025 NEC postseason awards and all-conference teams, headlined by freshman wide receiver
Ryan Petras and sophomore defensive back
Caleb Jones, who were named the NEC Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, as announced Wednesday by the conference office.
It marks the first time in program history the Dukes have swept both rookie honors. It is just the fourth time in NEC history — and the first since 2005 — that one program claimed both awards in the same season.
Petras made an immediate impact as a true freshman from nearby Bethel Park. He scored on both his first career catch and rush in the home opener against Lincoln (Pa.) and went on to earn two NEC Rookie of the Week selections. Petras finished tied for third in the NEC with five receiving touchdowns—four in league play, tied for the second most—and closed his rookie campaign with 13 receptions for 249 yards and five scores. He recorded multiple catches in five of seven NEC games, highlighted by a three-catch, 82-yard, two-touchdown performance in the win over Stonehill.
Jones excelled in his first season on the defensive side of the ball after arriving at Duquesne as a running back in 2024. The Ravenna, Ohio native opened the 2025 season with six tackles at FBS foe Pitt, tying for the team lead. He finished the year with 34 tackles and a pass breakup, posting five or more stops in games against nationally ranked Lehigh, Pitt, and Stonehill. Jones recorded at least one tackle in all 12 contests and multiple tackles in nine games.
Petras follows
Shawn Solomon, Jr. as the second straight Duquesne player to earn NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year and the fourth overall in program history, marking just the fourth time in conference history a team has produced back-to-back offensive rookies of the year.
Jones became the second Duquesne player to earn NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year, joining Nathan Stone in 2014.
FULL 2025 ALL-NEC TEAMS
Six Dukes earned First Team All-NEC honors: wide receiver
Joey Isabella, offensive linemen
Brian Beidatsch, Jr. and
Cameron McLaurin, defensive linemen
Jack Dunkley and
Kevin Kurzinger, and defensive back
Antonio Epps.
Second Team All-NEC recognition included quarterback
Tyler Riddell, running backs
Ness Davis and
Taj Butts, offensive lineman
Gary Satterwhite III, defensive lineman
A.J. Ackerman, linebackers
Tyson Meiguez and
Avery Morris, defensive back
DJ Cerisier, and Isabella, who also earned a spot as the Second Team punt returner.
The Dukes have now had double-digit all-conference honorees in three consecutive seasons.
Joey Isabella (Gr. • Mayfield, Ohio)
First Team All-NEC WR / Second Team All-NEC PR
- 2025 Walter Payton Award Finalist for FCS National Offensive Player of the Year ... Back-to-back First Team All-NEC selection at wide receiver ... First-time honoree for punt return ... Finished regular season tied for first nationally in the FCS for receiving touchdowns (13) ... Career-highs in touchdowns, receptions (63) and yards (839) – all led the NEC ... His 13 TDs were at least seven more than any other NEC receiver this season ... Three 100-yard games (120 at FBS Pitt, 153 vs. nationally ranked Lehigh, 108 at RMU) ... Scored in nine of 12 games, multiple TDs in three, including three scores vs. New Haven ... Three-time NEC Prime Performer ... Multiple receptions in every game (20 straight to finish career) and tied career-high with eight catches three times (at Pitt, vs. Lehigh, vs. Stonehill) ... Finished career as one of five Dukes ever with 30+ receiving TDs and third in career receptions (163) playing 52 games in the Red and Blue ... Punt return: 8.1-yard average on 26 returns, most in league, with two 20+ yard returns.
Brian Beidatsch, Jr. (Sr. • Greenfield, Wisc.)
First Team All-NEC OL
- Back-to-back First Team All-NEC selection ... Started all 12 games at left tackle ... Protected the pocket and paved way for top-scoring NEC offense (28.4 PPG / 29.3 in league) ... Top rushing offense in league (209.9 ypg NEC / 188.4 ypg overall) ... Duquesne OL ranked in top-30 in FCS for fewest sacks allowed per game ... Never allowed more than 2 sacks vs. a league opponent; no sacks allowed in three games.
Cameron McLaurin (Gr. • McKees Rocks, Pa.)
First Team All-NEC OL
- Two-time All-NEC selection (Second Team in 2024) ... Starting center for all 12 games, 25-game start streak on OL ... Protected the pocket and paved way for top-scoring NEC offense (28.4 PPG / 29.3 in league) ... Top rushing offense in league (209.9 ypg NEC / 188.4 ypg overall) ... Duquesne OL ranked top-30 FCS fewest sacks allowed per game ... Never more than 2 sacks allowed vs. league opponent; no sacks allowed in three games.
Jack Dunkley (Jr. • Penndel, Pa.)
First Team All-NEC DL
- Back-to-back First Team All-NEC selection ... Tied for team lead with 9.5 TFL (t-9th in NEC) and 3.0 sacks ... TFL in nine of 12 games; season-high 2.0 TFLs at FBS Pitt opener ... Career-best 34 tackles; career-high 5 tackles in three games (vs. nationally ranked Lehigh, at LIU, at RMU).
Kevin Kurzinger (Gr. • State College, Pa.)
First Team All-NEC DL
- First career All-NEC honor ... Started all 12 games on defensive line ... Tied for team lead with career-high 9.5 TFL (t-9th NEC) and 3.0 sacks ... Seven TFLs in NEC play (5th-most NEC) ... TFL in five of seven NEC games ... Career-best 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks in shutout at Mercyhurst (NEC Prime Performer) ... Finished with 25 total tackles and tied team lead with six QB hurries.
Antonio Epps (R-Sr. • Liberty Borough, Pa.)
First Team All-NEC DB
- Back-to-back First Team All-NEC selection ... Tied team lead with 50 tackles, 32 solos, five pass breakups, one interception (sealed win vs. CCSU) ... Third straight season 50+ tackles; second straight as team leader ... NEC Defensive Player of the Week after game-winning interception vs. CCSU and career-high 12 tackles ... 3+ tackles in 8 of 10 games, 5+ tackles five times, including three of last four ... Started all 10 games played.
Tyler Riddell (Gr. • Tampa, Fla.)
Second Team All-NEC QB
- Finished sixth nationally in FCS passing touchdowns (26) – seventh most in a single season in program history – and led the NEC with 15 in conference play ... Completed 167-of-295 passes (57%) for 2,053 yards (171.1 per game) and led NEC with a 138.7 passing efficiency mark ... Career-high 26 touchdowns, surpassed 10,000 career passing yards in finale at Robert Morris (10,069), and finished with 81 career TD passes ... Five-time NEC weekly honoree, including Offensive Player of the Week after 3 passing and 2 rushing TDs vs. New Haven; four-time Prime Performer ... Threw for a TD in 11 of 12 games, including all 7 conference contests ... Multiple TD passes seven times, including career-high five in Rooney Field debut vs. Lincoln (Pa.) ... Five games over 200 passing yards ... Finished 14th nationally in points responsible for (176), adding three rushing TDs.
Ness Davis (R-So. • Athens, Ga.)
Second Team All-NEC RB
- Third in NEC with 927 rushing yards across 12 games ... Fourth in conference with 6.4 yards per carry (11th among FCS qualifiers) ... Two TDs in conference play – 20-yard run vs. Stonehill and 59-yard score at Mercyhurst ... Five 100-yard games (102 at Akron, 111 vs. Stonehill, 164 at Mercyhurst, 105 at LIU, career-high 179 at Robert Morris) ... Four-time NEC weekly honoree, including Offensive Player of the Week after 164 yards and TD at Mercyhurst; three-time NEC Prime Performer.
Taj Butts (R-Sr. • St. Louis, Mo.)
Second Team All-NEC RB
- First career All-NEC honor ... Played nine games, totaling 570 yards and four TDs ... Second in NEC with 7.2 yards per carry (8.1 in league play) ... NEC and national FCS Offensive Player of the Week after career-high 254 yards and three TDs vs. CCSU in final Rooney Field game ... Fifth-most single-game yardage in program history, most since 2003 ... Averaged 18.1 yards per carry in CCSU win with touchdown runs of 29, 57, and 59 yards (59-yard was career-long and game-winner) ... Career-best 570 yards and four TDs, 63.3 ypg in 2025 ... Added 18-yard TD run vs. Stonehill in NEC opener.
Gary Satterwhite III (Gr. • Farrell, Pa.)
Second Team All-NEC OL
- First career All-NEC honor ... Started nine games at right tackle ... Protected pocket and paved way for top-scoring NEC offense (28.4 PPG / 29.3 in league) ... Top rushing offense in league (209.9 ypg NEC / 188.4 overall) ... Duquesne OL ranked top-30 FCS fewest sacks allowed per game ... Line never allowed more than 2 sacks vs. league opponent; held New Haven and Lincoln sackless.
A.J. Ackerman (Gr. • Elizabeth, Pa.)
Second Team All-NEC DL
- Two-time All-NEC selection (First Team in 2024) ... Started all 12 games, surpassing 50 career games ... 21 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2 pass breakups, 3 QB hurries, blocked FG at Robert Morris ... QB hurry led to Morris pick-six vs. New Haven ... Career-high 7 tackles and 2.0 TFL at Wagner ... 16 of 21 tackles came in conference games, including all three TFLs.
Tyson Meiguez (Gr. • Fairburn, Ga.)
Second Team All-NEC LB
- Tied team lead with 3.0 sacks, all in conference play (tied 5th NEC) ... Finished with 34 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, one pass breakup, three QB hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery in 9 games ... Three NEC weekly honors; Defensive Player of the Week after 9 tackles, 1.5 TFL, PBU, FF vs. Stonehill; two-time Prime Performer ... 40-yard fumble return TD vs. Saint Francis ... 7+ tackles in three conference games; team tackle leader twice; TFL in four of six conference contests ... Career-high TFLs and sacks.
Avery Morris (Gr. • Humble, Texas)
Second Team All-NEC LB
- Started eight games, including all seven conference games; played all 12 ... Tied team lead with 50 tackles; 7.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, fumble recovery, interception ... Career-highs in tackles and TFLs in sixth season ... Team-high 37 tackles in conference; at least 3 tackles in every game, 5+ four times (five overall) ... Team tackle leader in three of final five games ... Two defensive TDs (34-yard pick-six vs. New Haven, 35-yard fumble return vs. Mercyhurst) ... Two-time NEC Weekly Honoree; Defensive Player of the Week after 8 tackles and scoop-and-score at Mercyhurst (also FCS honorable mention); one-time Prime Performer.
DJ Cerisier (R-So. • Cheltenham, Pa.)
Second Team All-NEC DB
- Back-to-back Second Team All-NEC selection at defensive back ... Led Dukes with 9 passes defended, top-10 NEC ... One interception (first career) vs. CCSU to close first half; eight PBUs total ... Six games with at least one PBU, including two vs. nationally ranked Lehigh and season finale vs. Robert Morris ... 100-yard "Pick-Two" defensive extra point score vs. New Haven – third such play in recorded FCS history ... Started every game for second straight season (23 straight starts) ... Career-best 24 tackles, 2.0 TFLs.
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