Ralph Rucker Named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year; Five Named to Preseason All-Patriot League Team
7/23/2025 11:05:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Bucknell football came in at 4th place in the 2025 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll and landed the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year as well as four other Preseason All-Patriot League players the league announced Wednesday.
Ralph Rucker IV has been named the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after a stellar 2024 performance with the Bison. Rucker earned five Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week Citations and Bucknell's first Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year honor at the end of the 2024 season. The quarterback broke 10 school records in his last season including the single season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also holds the Bucknell record for career passing touchdowns with 46.
Alongside Rucker on the 2025 Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team are four other Bison. On the offensive side of the ball John Ohnegian has been selected as an offensive lineman, on the defensive side of the ball Aaron Davis has been selected as a defensive back and on special teams both TJ Cadden and Sam Milligan have been selected.
Ohnegian, a senior and second time team captain for the Bison was the 2024 Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors following his 2024 campaign. The New Jersey native has been a staple of the Bison's offensive line throughout his time on the team and helped navigate the Bucknell offense to breaking the school record for total offense in a single season.
Davis had a strong season at defensive back starting in eight games and recording 33 tackles (26 solo), three interceptions, three tackles for a loss and six pass breakups. The senior was tied for fourth in the Patriot League with the three interceptions and ranked 12th in the league with six pass breakups.
Cadden, who earned a spot on the Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team as a return specialist, played in nine games as a return specialist and wide receiver in 2024. The junior was named to the 2024 All-Patriot League First Team. He recorded two punt return touchdowns which was tied for second among FCS schools. Cadden had a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown against Lehigh and a 73-yard punt return touchdown against Marist. He averaged 13.2 yards per punt return which led the Patriot League and ranked seventh in the FCS and averaged 25.6 yards per kickoff return which ranked second in the Patriot League and 19th in the FCS.
Milligan earned a spot on the Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team as a special teams player with no specialty. The junior played in all 12 games at tight end and special teams and earned an All-Patriot League First Team selection. He caught 19 passes for 281 yards and had five touchdowns.
Bucknell begins its 2025 campaign at Air Force on Saturday, August 30 and the home opener is set for Saturday, September 13 against VMI. Bucknell is entering its seventh season under head coach Dave Cecchini and is coming off of an offensive record-setting 2024 campaign where over 20 school records were broken individually and as a team.
Below is a complete list of the Preseason All-Patriot League Teams, major award winners and the 2025 Patriot League Preseason Poll.
2025 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll
1. Lehigh, 97 (13 first-place votes)
2. Richmond, 83 (3)
3. Holy Cross, 78
4. Bucknell, 51
5. Lafayette, 47
6. Georgetown, 32
7. Colgate, 31
8. Fordham, 29
2025 Patriot League Football Major Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Sr., QB
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Matt Spatny, Lehigh, Sr., DL
2025 Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team
OFFENSE (14)*
QB: Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Sr.
RB: Jayden Clerveaux, Holy Cross, Jr.
RB: Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Jr.
WR: Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, Sr.
WR: Jimmy Kibble, Georgetown, Sr.
WR: Max Mosey, Holy Cross, Sr.
WR: Elijah Steward, Lafayette, Sr.
TE: Sean Clarke, Richmond, Sr.
OL: John Ohnegian, Bucknell, Sr.
OL: Cam Nolan, Holy Cross, Sr.
OL: Langston Jones, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Aidan Palmer, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Gabe Carbajal, Richmond, 5th
OL: Scott Hummel, Richmond, 5th
DEFENSE: (12)
DL: Cooper Blomstrom, Georgetown, Jr.
DL: TJ Burke, Lehigh, Sr.
DL: Matt Spatny, Lehigh, Sr.
DL: Camden Byrd, Richmond, Sr.
LB: James Conway, Fordham, Gr.
LB: GianCarlo Rufo, Georgetown, Jr.
LB: Brycen Edwards, Lehigh, Sr.
LB: Carter Glassmyer, Richmond, Sr.
DB: Aaron Davis, Bucknell, Sr.
DB: Alex Kemper, Fordham, Sr.
DB: Cam Jones, Holy Cross, Jr.
DB: Nick Peltekian, Lehigh, Sr.
SPECIAL TEAMS (5)
K: Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Jr.
P: Will Haslett, Fordham, Gr.
RS: TJ Cadden, Bucknell, Jr.
STNS: Sam Milligan, Bucknell, Jr.
LS: Dylan Aguilera, Lafayette, Sr.
*Additional student-athlete selected to the offense due to a tie in the voting
