The Valparaiso University football program continued to haul in postseason recognition on Wednesday as a pair of rookies received Freshman All-American honors from HERO Sports for their performances this spring. Defensive back Keyon Turner (Chicago, Ill. / Marist) and kick returner Charlie Maxwell (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Christian Academy) both earned the high accolade.

The lone freshman on the All-Pioneer Football League First Team, Turner finished his season as the FCS nation’s true leader in takeaways with six. He recovered fumbles in Week 1 and Week 6 sandwiched around a four-game stretch of contests with an interception in Weeks 2-5. The rookie was named the co-PFL Defensive Player of the Week for Week 3.

Turner’s four picks helped him become one of only five Valpo players with four or more interceptions in a single season over the last 12 years despite the fact that this year’s slate was shortened to six games. The FCS National Freshman of the Year finalist ranked in the top 10 nationally in interceptions per game, led the nation in interceptions per game among freshmen, became the first Valpo player with interceptions in four straight games in over two decades and became the first Valpo freshman with four interceptions in a season in over 20 years.

A Second Team All-PFL honoree, Maxwell finished his season as the FCS national leader in kickoff return average at 29.8 yards per return. He was named a national player of the week honorable mention following his Week 6 performance against San Diego, which featured an 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He accrued 151 return yards in that game, the most by any PFL player in a single contest this season. The 86 yarder marked the second-longest return by a PFL player this year.

Freshman All-American

Offense

QB Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State

QB Cameron Ward, Incarnate Word

QB Tony Muskett, Monmouth

RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State

RB Devon Starling, Tennessee State

RB Dontae McMillan, Weber State

RB Lan Larison, UC Davis

RB Damonta Witherspoon, Murray State

OL Evan Roussel, Nicholls

OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

OL Justice Guillory, Stephen F. Austin

OL Michael Dorundo, Duquesne

OL Clayton Frady, Gardner-Webb

WR Antwane Wells Jr., James Madison

WR Bo Belquist, North Dakota

WR Yogi Flager, Butler

WR Ty James, Mercer

WR Josh Sterns, Houston Baptist

TE Ethan Howard, Southern

Defense

DL Jared Verse, Albany

DL Ty French, Gardner-Webb

DL Carson Hatchett, The Citadel

DL Eli Mostaert, North Dakota State

DL Jonathan Hammond, Davidson

DL Caleb Fox, Stephen F. Austin

LB Isaac Dowling, Mercer

LB Adam Bock, South Dakota State

LB Jaylen Swain, Jacksonville State

LB Jamar Shegog, Robert Morris

DB Myles Harden, South Dakota

DB Keyon Turner, Valparaiso

DB Pig Cage, Nicholls

DB Alijah Huzzie, ETSU

DB Braiden Clopton, Sam Houston

DB Dorian Davis, Western Carolina

Special Teams

P Zach Haynes, SEMO

P Scotty Roblow, Northwestern State

K Seth Morgan, Sam Houston

K Tyler Larco, UT Martin

LS Micah Torres-Whitmer, Grambling State

PR Alijah Huzzie, ETSU

KR Charlie Maxwell, Valparaiso

Sophomore All-American

Offense

QB Justin Miller, Southern Utah

QB John Bachus III, UT Martin

QB Jeff Undercuffler, Albany

RB Juwon Farri, Monmouth 

RB Otis Weah, North Dakota

RB Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri

RB Javon Williams Jr., Southern Illinois

FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State

OL Garret Greenfield, South Dakota State

OL Mason McCormick, South Dakota State

OL Bucky Williams, Austin Peay

OL Tylan Grable, Jacksonville State

OL Noah Atagi, Weber State

OL Isaiah Helms, Western Carolina

OL Prince Pines, Sam Houston

WR Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas

WR Hayden Hatten, Idaho

WR Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, Alabama A&M

WR Xavier Gipson, Stephen F. Austin

WR Jaxon Janke, South Dakota State

TE Derek Kline, San Diego

TE McCallan Castles, UC Davis

Defense

DL Jevon Leon, Sam Houston

DL Davoan Hawkins, Tennessee State

DL Micheal Mason, Wofford

DL Logan Jessup, Central Arkansas

DL Damon Washington, Lafayette

LB Stone Snyder, VMI

LB Tristan Wheeler, Richmond

LB Jason Johnson, Eastern Illinois

LB Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross

LB Donovan Manuel, ETSU

DB Chris Edmonds, Samford

DB Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State

DB Eddie Heckard, Weber State

DB Cody Cline, Charleston Southern

DB Noah Plack, Delaware

DB Lance Wise, Mercer

DB Montrae Braswell, Missouri State

DB Marcis Floyd, Murray State

Special Teams

P Timmy Bleekrode, Furman

K Matthew Cook, Northern Iowa

LS Robert Soderholm, VMI

PR Devron Harper, Gardner-Webb 

KR Cameron Myers, Central Arkansas

All-American (All Classes)

Offense

QB Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington

QB Eric Schmid, Sam Houston

QB Cole Kelley, Southeastern Louisiana

RB Julius Chestnut, Sacred Heart

RB Otis Weah, North Dakota

RB Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State

OL Cordell Volson, North Dakota State

OL Drew Himmelman, Illinois State

OL Mason McCormick, South Dakota State

OL PJ Burkhalter, Nicholls

OL Raymond Gillespie, James Madison

WR Jakob Herres, VMI

WR Jequez Ezzard, Sam Houston

WR Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas

TE Trae Barry, Jacksonville State

Defense

DL Isaiah Chambers, McNeese

DL Jared Brinkman, Northern Iowa

DL Mike Greene, James Madison

DL Joseph Wallace, Sam Houston

DL Jordan Lewis, Southern

LB Colby Campbell, Presbyterian

LB Stone Snyder, VMI

LB Tre Walker, Idaho

LB Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham

LB Storey Jackson, Prairie View A&M

LB Logan Backhaus, South Dakota State

DB Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay

DB Robert Rochell, Central Arkansas

DB Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State

DB Qua Brown, Southern Illinois

DB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston

Special Teams

P Daniel Whelan, UC Davis

P Garret Wegner, North Dakota State

K Ethan Ratke, James Madison

LS Robert Soderholm, VMI

PR Jequez Ezzard, Sam Houston

KR Christian Watson, North Dakota State