Milligan Named MVP, Over 20 Honored at Bison Gridiron Club Awards Banquet

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Junior Bison wide receiver Sam Milligan was atop the award winners on Sunday evening when he received the Bison Gridiron Club Award as the Bucknell football team's Most Valuable Player at the 63rd Annual Bison Gridiron Club Awards Banquet. Milligan was one of 21 players to receive awards at the year-end celebration, which was held in the Terrace Room on Bucknell's campus.

Milligan played an influential role throughout the 2025 season for the Bison and really took off in Bucknell's home opener against VMI, where he broke the school's single-game receiving touchdown record with five. In that game, he also found himself at sixth in the record book in receiving yards for a single game with 192. Milligan was one of the four Bison that earned All-Patriot League honors at the conclusion of the 2025 season. He also earned an Academic All-Patriot League nod.

For the second consecutive year, Milligan earned a first-team nod as the special teams non-specialist and he added on a spot on the second-team as a wide receiver. He ended the season with 975 receiving yards, which ranks third in the record book for single-season receiving yards and ranks top-10 in the FCS this year. He also led the Patriot League in receiving touchdowns with 10, which ranked top-10 in the FCS rankings. Milligan saw time on all aspects of the field including as a wide receiver, special teams non-specialist, quarterback, running back and defensive back. The receiver rushed the ball 18 times for 63 yards and one rushing touchdown. He also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, went 2-for-2 in passing and recorded seven solo tackles throughout the season.

The other Bison to earn an All-Patriot League First Team honor was punter/kicker Matt Schearer. The senior earned a first team honor as a kicker and a second team nod as a punter. At the banquet, he was awarded the Special Team's Most Valuable Player Award.

Schearer served as a team captain for Bucknell and handled all placekicking and punting responsibilities for the second consecutive year. As a placekicker this season, he made 13 field goals which ties for second in the Bison record book for field goals in a single season. Schearer's season-long field goal was a 49-yarder. The 13 field goals also gave him a career-total 34, which is second in the record book. On the punting side, he recorded 60 punts for 2,457 yards with a season-long 58 yarder. The senior had four touchbacks, 19 fair catches, 13 punts inside the 20 and seven punts of 50 or more yards. His punting average of 40.95 yards in 2025 earned a spot at 6th in the record book for single season average and he now ranks third in career punting average with an average of 40.2.

John Ohnegian was the most decorated player of the night as he picked up three awards at the banquet. The senior was awarded the Bobby Pangburn Memorial Award for commitment, dedication and unqualified friendship, the John Campana Award as the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman and picked up the inaugural Iron Man Award, which is awarded to a senior who has started every game from the beginning of his sophomore season through the end of his senior year.

The senior is a rare two-time captain for Bucknell and started in every Bison football game for the past three seasons. He was awarded the John Camoana Award as the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman for the third year in a row on Sunday. Ohnegian earned All-Patriot League Second Team on the offensive line for the second year in a row and was honored with Academic All-Patriot League honors at the end of this season. He has been at the forefront of the Bison's record-breaking offensive efforts over the past three years and has shown commitment, resilience and determination for the Bison throughout his full four years with the program.

Junior TJ Cadden picked up two awards at the banquet on Sunday after earning Academic All-Patriot League in the 2025 season. The offensive powerhouse was awarded the Big Blue Award as the Outstanding Back or Receiver and the George L. McGaughey Memorial Award for being the Outstanding Player in the Lafayette Game.

Cadden started and played in all 12 games in the 2025 season. He recorded 52 receptions for 693 yards and six receiving touchdowns and rushed the ball once for 18 yards. He also was a major part of the kick return efforts for Bucknell as he returned 28 kicks for 570 yards and 16 punts for 195 yards. The receiver ranked top-20 in the FCS for All-Purpose Yards this season. In the Lafayette game, Cadden had five receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns with a game-long 35-yard reception. He also had one kick return for 23 yards in the game.

Offensive lineman Nathan Natoli and tight end Charlie Kreinbucher were other offensive players that were presented awards at the banquet. Natoli was awarded the Bub Morgan Award for Tenacity and Kreinbucher earned the C. Dale Wolfe Recognition Award for being the Most Inspirational Player.

Wide receiver Nate Anderson and defensive players; TJ Williams (captain), Aaron Davis and Bradley Pao all earned the Tom Gadd Coaches' Award for their inspiring play and leadership.

On the defensive side of the ball, Pao was also presented with the Keating-Rieu Award as the Outstanding Player in the Colgate Game. The senior recorded 10 tackles (eight solo) in the loss. Alongside the safety, defensive lineman Daniel Sierk was given the Theodore S. Ratkus Leadership Award for character, courage and commitment to team play.

The George Rieu Award for the Outstanding Defensive Lineman was awarded to Jack Inserra. The junior played in all 12 games on the defensive line and recorded 41 total tackles (28 solo). He had 7.5 tackles for loss with three sacks and a forced fumble.

Sophomore Brandon Biagiarelli was presented with the Clarke Hinkle Award as the Outstanding Defensive Back or Linebacker. He started in all 12 games as a linebacker in 2025 and recorded 104 total tackles (60 solo) which led the team and ranked fourth in the Patriot League. The linebacker also recorded eight tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and one interception throughout the season.

The Stuart M. Smith Memorial Award for the Outstanding Newcomer was awarded to safety Zachary Corna. The freshman was featured in 11 of the Bison's 12 games as a safety and was third on the team in tackles with 54 (36 solo). He earned one of Bucknell's four Patriot League weekly awards this season when he was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on September 15. The safety registered two pass breakups, one of which led to a game-changing interception in the Bison's narrow 33-28 win over Richmond.

Every year, the Bucknell coaching staff awards three Scout Team Player of the Year Awards. This year's recipients were freshman wide receiver JJ Gomez on offense, freshman defensive lineman Matti Krüger on defense and sophomore cornerback Tristano Menconi on special teams.

After a resilient season that ended with Bucknell going 5-7 overall and 2-5 in conference play, 57 Bison were awarded varsity letters. Alongside 22 first-timers, five athletes earned their fourth varsity letter this season; Alex Brown, Josh Gary, Charlie Kreinbucher, Matt Schearer and Daniel Sierk.

2025 TEAM AWARD WINNERS

Bison Gridiron Club Award (Team MVP): Sam Milligan

Tom Gadd Coaches' Award: Bradley Pao, Aaron Davis, Nate Anderson, TJ Williams

C. Dale Wolfe Recognition Award (Most Inspirational Player): Charlie Kreinbucher

Special Teams MVP: Matt Schearer

Big Blue Award (Outstanding Back or Receiver): TJ Cadden

Clarke Hinkle Award (Outstanding Defensive Back or Linebacker): Brandon Biagiarelli

George Rieu Award (Outstanding Defensive Lineman): Jack Inserra

John Campana Award (Outstanding Offensive Lineman): John Ohnegian

Stuart M. Smith Memorial Award (Outstanding Newcomer): Zach Corna

Keating-Rieu Award (Outstanding Player in the Colgate Game): Bradley Pao

George L. McGaughey Award (Outstanding Player in the Lafayette Game): TJ Cadden

Bobby Pangburn Memorial Award (Commitment, Dedication & Unqualified Friendship): John Ohnegian

Theodore S. Ratkus Leadership Award (Character, Courage & Commitment to Team Play): Daniel Sierk

Bub Morgan Award for Tenacity: Nathan Natoli

Scout Team Player of the Year (Offense): JJ Gomez

Scout Team Player of the Year (Defense): Matti Krüger

Scout Team Player of the Year (Special Teams): Tristano Menconi

INDIVIDUAL RECORDS SET IN 2025

Category New Record Previous Record

Pass Completions, Career 572 Ralph Rucker IV 571 Brandon Wesley (2010-13) Completion %, Career .660 Ralph Rucker IV .647 Ralph Rucker IV (2023-2024) Completion %, Season .690 Ralph Rucker IV .672 Ralph Rucker (2023)

Passing Yards, Career 6931 Ralph Rucker IV 6277 Brandon Wesley (2010-13) Touchdown Passes, Game 5 Ralph Rucker IV 5 (3x last in 2024)

Touchdown Passes, Career 57 Ralph Rucker IV 46 Ralph Rucker IV (2023-24)

Total Offense, Career 7306 Ralph Rucker IV 6952 Brandon Wesley (2010-13) Touchdown Catches, Game 5 Sam Milligan 3 (6x last in 2021)

Extra Points Made, Career 110 Matt Schearer 96 Chris Lundberg (1999-02) Scoring by Kicking, Season 71 Matt Schearer 67 Todd Krutchkoff (1990)

Scoring by Kicking, Career 212 Matt Schearer 192 Chris Lundberg (1999-02)

2025 LETTERMEN (number of letters)

Alex Brown (4)

Josh Gary (4)

Charlie Kreinbucher (4)

Matt Schearer (4)

Daniel Sierk (4)

Xavier Allen (3)