VALPARAISO BEACONS FOOTBALL
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Valparaiso University fields its 100-player football roster from a student body of just 2,451 in Valparaiso, Indiana, representing one of the smallest Division I-FCS programs by enrollment. Founded in 1859, the institution competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference during the fall season under head coach Andy Waddle. The Beacons operate from their home venue while managing the unique challenge of maintaining competitive FCS-level football with limited institutional resources compared to larger conference peers.
Coach Waddle directs a program that must balance the demands of FCS competition against the constraints of Valparaiso's modest size and regional conference placement. The Missouri Valley Conference includes institutions ranging from similarly-sized programs to much larger universities, creating varied competitive levels within league play. With 100 athletes on the roster, Valparaiso's coaching staff focuses on recruiting and developing talent capable of competing in a conference that has produced competitive FCS football for years. The program's operations from campus facilities in northern Indiana position the Beacons within a recruiting footprint that extends across the Midwest and beyond.
KEY FACTS
| School | Valparaiso University |
| Sport | Football |
| Conference | Missouri Valley Conference |
| Division | D1-FCS |
| Location | Valparaiso, Indiana |
| Venue | Home Venue |
| Head Coach | Andy Waddle |
ROSTER (2025-26)
| # | Name | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Ashton Allen | RB |
| 58 | Jorge Benavente | OL |
| 78 | Michael Biesboer | OL |
| 63 | Cooper Bothwell | OL |
| 10 | Marcus Brown | QB |
| 81 | Max Carter | TE |
| 82 | Jackson Crawford | TE |
| 24 | Donovan Dey | RB |
| 11 | Johnny DiBlasio | QB |
| 44 | Dom DiNuzzo | TE |
| 18 | Jacob Diver | WR |
| 15 | Nathan Downey | QB |
| 86 | Nico Downie | WR |
| 84 | Luke Doyle | WR |
| 88 | Jack Elgin | WR |
| 3 | Kam Fouty-Koonce | WR |
| 6 | Quinn Fracassi | WR |
| 62 | Mathew Gasior | OL |
| 57 | Jacob Gorberg | OL |
| 9 | Chris Gundy | WR |
| 8 | William Hawkins IV | WR |
| 85 | Colin Hayes | TE |
| 56 | Justin Hemmersbach | OL |
| 66 | Billy Jack McCool | OL |
| 2 | Rowan Keefe | QB |
| 70 | Noah Kline | OL |
| 74 | Mason Knoch | OL |
| 73 | Bryce Koteles | OL |
| 79 | Austin Lambert | OL |
| 21 | Noah Long | RB |
| 27 | Micah Mackay | WR |
| 33 | DJ Manns II | RB |
| 7 | Michael Mansaray | RB |
| 67 | Brendan Mcilvenna | OL |
| 5 | Dawaiian McNeely | RB |
| 4 | Jay Melchiori | WR |
| 61 | Jackson Modder | OL |
| 65 | Marco Morales | OL |
| 13 | Marty O'Keeffe | WR |
| 50 | Niko Paic | OL |
| 68 | Ryan Pauley | OL |
| 14 | Ryan Ricketti | WR |
| 12 | Jacob Ritter | QB |
| 32 | Michael Rumoro | RB |
| 60 | Carson Scott | OL |
| 20 | Amir Simmons | RB |
| 36 | Colin Abercrombie | DB |
| 27 | David Akinbosoye | DB |
| 92 | Caleb Baczek | DL |
| 30 | Frank Bartell | DB |
| 15 | Gabriel Batres | DL |
| 52 | Jonathan Bauzon | DL |
| 2 | Nick Beidl | DB |
| 10 | Bertrand Berry II | DL |
| 39 | Aaron Briggs | DB |
| 25 | Donovan Brown | DB |
| 53 | Kamren Bryant | DL |
| 54 | Carsen Burckhardt | LB |
| 19 | Connor Cervantes | DB |
| 31 | Connor Dickson | DB |
| 51 | Anthony Feltrinelli | LB |
| 16 | Shawn Fester | DL |
| 94 | Nathan Fletcher | DL |
| 99 | Isaiah Fowler | DL |
| 37 | Xavier Gipson | DB |
| 42 | Alex Goworowski | DL |
| 12 | Tavion Grant | DB |
| 9 | Jacardon Hardemon | DL |
| 44 | Nathan Harris | LB |
| 32 | Easton Hill | LB |
| 18 | Christian Hilton | DL |
| 28 | Omar Jackson | DB |
| 40 | Nick Johnsen | DL |
| 3 | Mark Johnson | DB |
| 21 | Justin Jurmu | LB |
| 0 | Nic Lendino | DB |
| 5 | Wyatt Little | DB |
| 41 | Micah Markley | LB |
| 17 | Silas Mathis | DB |
| 38 | Tyler McBride | LB |
| 96 | Case-Edward Miller | DL |
| 33 | Matt Molnar | DL |
| 98 | Antony Morris | DL |
| 4 | Hunter Nabers | LB |
| 8 | O.C. Nurse | DB |
| 90 | Emmanuel Olojo | DL |
| 95 | Jake Paulline | DL |
| 93 | Alex Prine | DL |
| 34 | Tristan Pusateri | LB |
| 7 | Uriel Richardson | DB |
| 49 | Dawson Rye | LB |
| 22 | Jason Salman | DB |
| 1 | Max Samuel | LB |
| 48 | Nate Hillenburg | P |
| 43 | Zander Lankford | P |
| 47 | Ace Mckinnis | LS |
| 26 | Luke Scoma | PK |
| 99 | Liam Shepherd | PK |
| 45 | Sami Sir | P |
| 46 | Morgan Smith | P |
OTHER SPORTS AT VALPARAISO
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PROGRAMS
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Indiana Football ProgramsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What conference does Valparaiso Football compete in?
- Valparaiso Beacons Football competes in the Missouri Valley Conference conference at the NCAA D1-FCS level.
- Where does Valparaiso play football home games?
- Valparaiso Football plays home games at Home Venue in Valparaiso, IN.
- Who is the head coach of Valparaiso Football?
- The head coach of Valparaiso Beacons Football is Andy Waddle.
- When was Valparaiso Football program established?
- The establishment date for Valparaiso Football is not currently available.