All-PSAC Team Announcement

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Slippery Rock University running back JayJay Jordan was named the Western Division Offensive Player of the Year in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and The Rock football team landed nine players on All-PSAC team that was announced Wednesday.
 
Jordan, a junior from Reading, Pennsylvania, becomes just the second running back in SRU history to be recognized as the Offensive Player of the Year in the conference and the first since Greg Paterra was honored in 1988. The Rock have earned the Offensive Player of the Year award eight times with six of those honors coming from quarterbacks, including three-time honoree Randy McKavish (1997, 1998, 2000) and more recent awardees Nigel Barksdale (2013), Roland Rivers III (2019) and Brayden Long (2023).
 
The head coaches in the PSAC West selected Jordan as the top offensive player in the division after he led the PSAC in every rushing and all-purpose yardage category and ranked among the best players in the country all season. His 1,858 all-purpose yards were the most among all players in Division II that played just 10 games this year and ranked third overall when counting the players that played in 11 games. His 185.5 all-purpose yards per game ranked No. 2 in the country.
 
Jordan ranked sixth in the country in total rushing yards with 1,375 and ranked second in the nation among players that played in 10 games. His 8.09 yards per carry and 137.5 rushing yards per game both ranked fourth best in the nation.
 
In addition to taking home the top offensive prize in the division, Jordan was also named to first team All-PSAC honors to headline a total of four first team picks for SRU. He was joined on the first team offense by linemen Joe Cooper and Luke Pugliese, while cornerback Kanye Thompson was the lone defensive player to earn first team honors.
 
The Rock also picked up five second team All-PSAC selections with lineman Eli Podgorski representing the offense and tackle Trever Valenti, linebacker Teddy Gregory Jr., linebacker Tyler Cain and safety Michael Henwood being recognized.
 
Cooper is the only SRU honoree this year to repeat as an All-PSAC selection and picks up his third consecutive award. He was named to second team honors in 2023 and first team honors in both 2024 and 2025. The other eight players recognized Wednesday are all first-time all-conference awardees.
 
A brief look at the season stats and accomplishments for the nine All-PSAC honorees can be found below.
 
Slippery Rock recorded the 16th consecutive winning season for the program this fall after entering the year with the ninth longest active streak of winning seasons among all programs in Division II.
 
JAYJAY JORDAN
• Offensive Player of the Year
• First Team Running Back
 
Jordan earns his first All-PSAC honor and takes home the top offensive award in the division in his first season as the starting running back. He became the first SRU back since 2018 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season with 1,375 yards in just 10 games. His 8.09 yards per carry and 137.5 yards per game both led the PSAC and ranked No. 4 among all players in Division II and his 185.5 all-purpose yards per game ranked second in the country and third in SRU single-season history. He ran for more than 100 yards in seven different games, topped 150 rushing yards in five games, had at least 180 all-purpose yards in six different games and topped 250 all-purpose yards three times this fall. Jordan will be the SRU nominee for the 2025 Harlon Hill Award.
 
JOE COOPER
• First Team Offensive Tackle
• 3x All-PSAC (2023, 2024, 2025)
 
Cooper picks up his second straight first team selection after starting every game this season at left tackle. A pro prospect that received visits from dozens of NFL scouts this year, Cooper graded out at 89 percent in 2025 and protected the left side on an offensive line unit that allowed just 10 total sacks all year. The Rock ran for 217.7 yards per game and put up 418.1 total yards of offense and 32.7 points per game. Cooper appeared in 43 games over his SRU career and started the last 38 straight games, missing zero starts in 2023, 2024 or 2025, despite playing through injuries. One of the highlights of Cooper's career came on Senior Day this fall, when he scored a one-yard rushing TD in a win over Clarion on the only carry of his career. Cooper will be the SRU nominee for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award.
 
LUKE PUGLIESE
• First Team Offensive Guard
 
Pugliese started every game of the last two seasons at the right guard position. He had the best season of his career this fall, grading out at 89 percent and helping to block for an offense that allowed just 10 total sacks all year. The Rock offense ran for 217.7 yards per game and put up 418.1 total yards of offense and 32.7 points per game.
 
KANYE THOMPSON
• First Team Defensive Back (corner)
 
Thompson picked up his first career All-PSAC award in football after finishing the year third on the SRU roster in tackles with 60 stops. He also had 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks to go along with team-highs of 10 pass breakups and four forced fumbles. His four forced fumbles ranked tied for second among all players in Division II this fall.
 
ELI PODGORSKI
• Second Team Offensive Guard
 
Podgorski started every game at the left guard position this fall in his first year as a starter and helped block for a unit that allowed only 10 total sacks all year. He graded out at 86 percent while helping The Rock to rush for 217.7 yards per game while putting up 418.1 yards of total offense and 32.7 points per game.
 
TREVER VALENTI
• Second Team Defensive Line (tackle)
 
Valenti started every game this season at defensive tackle and was one of only four players on the SRU defense to start in every game this fall. He ran his current streak to 23 consecutive starts. Valenti ranked fourth on the SRU roster this fall with 58 total tackles, including 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He also forced and recovered one fumble and was credited with two QB hurries.
 
TEDDY GREGORY JR.
• Second Team Linebacker
 
Gregory missed two games with an injury this fall but still finished second on the team in total tackles with 61 stops to go along with 2.0 tackles for loss and a half-sack. He also forced two fumbles, recovered one fumble, broke up four passes, intercepted one pass and returned it 51 yards and was credited with three QB hurries while filling out the stat sheet with stats in almost every possible defensive category.
 
TYLER CAIN
• Second Team Linebacker
 
Cain stepped into a starting role midway through the year with a season-ending injury to captain Jacob Snow and finished the year ranked fifth on the team in total tackles with 58 stops to go along with 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. He also tied for the team lead with two interceptions and was one of two players on the team to block a kick this fall.
 
MICHAEL HENWOOD
• Second Team Defensive Back (safety)
 
Henwood picks up his first All-PSAC honor after appearing in 48 games over his four-year SRU career, which included starts in each of the last 24 consecutive games over the last two seasons. He led the team in total tackles and solo tackles this fall with 67 total stops and 42 solo tackles. He also tied for the team lead with two interceptions and tallied three pass breakups. Henwood scored his first touchdown this year with a 53-yard pick six in a Senior Day win over Clarion.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PSAC OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
RB JayJay Jordan – 2025
QB Brayden Long – 2023
QB Roland Rivers III – 2019
QB Nigel Barksdale – 2013
QB Randy McKavish – 2000
QB Randy McKavish – 1998
QB Randy McKavish – 1997
RB Greg Paterra – 1988




To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official Athletic Communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).