RICHMOND—Villanova was recognized for the academic achievement of its student-athletes during the fall semesters with 45 selections to the CAA Football Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.  The honorees on the fall semester Academic Honor Roll were announced by the conference on Tuesday afternoon.  This is the latest of several team and individual academic accolades that the Wildcats have earned for the fall semester.
 
Student-athletes are eligible for the CAA Football Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll by having a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher.  The honor roll is announced after both the fall and spring semesters.  There were 439 student-athletes from the 12 football schools that make up CAA Football to achieve honor roll distinction for the fall semester.  Four schools had at least 40 student-athletes named to the honor roll; of the four, Villanova is the lone school to finish the 2019 season with a winning record and advance to the FCS playoffs.
 
Included among the 45 honorees from the Wildcats are five student-athletes who were also recognized for their play on the field during the season.  Junior linebacker Forrest Rhyne (Waynesboro, Pa.) was a first team All-CAA selection on defense and was named to the Academic Honor Roll for the third straight semester.  Junior quarterback Daniel Smith (Leesburg, Va.), junior running back Justin Covington (Bronx, N.Y.) and junior offensive lineman Colin Gamroth (Mercer Island, Wash.) were each third team All-CAA selections who garnered academic honor roll status.  Gamroth also garnered academic honors for the third consecutive semester.
 
Senior safety Chucky Smith (Newbury Park, Calif.) earned Academic Honor Roll mention for the fifth time in his career.  Smith was announced at the end of the regular season as the annual winner of the CAA Football Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award, which is presented to a student-athlete who embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, teamwork and sportsmanship in academic and athletics.
 
The Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll was announced once per year prior to 2018-19 when the current system of announcing an honor roll each semester was implemented.  Since the change, the Wildcats have had 19 student-athletes be named to the honor roll in each of the last three semesters.  They include senior tight end Simon Bingelis (Brick, N.J.); junior tight end Jack Boomer (Ogden, Utah); junior wide receiver Robert Brady (Bloomington, Ill.); sophomore running back Dan Cirino (Collegeville, Pa.); junior long snapper Kevin Crabtree (Medfield, Mass.); junior long snapper Joey D'Antonio (Hope, R.I.); Gamroth, sophomore tight end Charlie Gilroy (Wilmette, Ill.); junior kicker Drew Kresge (Douglassville, Pa.); junior linebacker Patrick Reed (Westwood, Mass.); Rhyne, junior quarterback JJ Scarpello (Tabernacle, N.J.); junior quarterback Jack Schetelich (Cranford, N.J.); sophomore defensive back Anthony Siragusa (Florham Park, N.J.); Chucky Smith; sophomore defensive back Billy Solms (Marshall, Va.); sophomore offensive lineman PJ Szymanski (Doylestown, Pa.); senior linebacker Tyler Von Nessen (Manalapan, N.J.); and redshirt freshman defensive lineman Garrett Zobel (Hatfield, Pa.). 
 
The other Villanova student-athletes named to the honor roll for the Fall 2019 semester are junior defensive back Nowoola Awopetu (Staten Island, N.Y.), freshman running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye (Damascus, Md.); sophomore offensive lineman Michael Corbi (Arnold, Md.); Covington, freshman defensive back Hunter Cusimano (Greenwich, Conn.); junior defensive lineman Peter Fallon (Milford, Mass.); freshman defensive back Elijah Glover (Pleasantville, N.J.); freshman wide receiver Jaaron Hayek (Wayne, N.J.); senior linebacker Keeling Hunter (Franklin, Tenn.); junior offensive lineman Patrick Lawler (Milton, Mass.); sophomore defensive back Darryl McDaniel (Washington, D.C.); senior kicker Kevin McHugh (St. Michaels, Md.); sophomore tight end Colton Niedzielski (Worcester, Pa.); freshman linebacker Jake Northrop (Fairfield, Conn.); freshman quarterback Matt O'Connor (Ardmore, Pa.); senior running back Ike Osuagwu (Wilmington, Del.); sophomore wide receiver Andrew Perez (North Caldwell, N.J.); redshirt freshman offensive lineman James Petrovcik (Westfield, N.J.); junior defensive lineman Aaron Seigle (Harrisburg, Pa.); freshman linebacker Josh Slay (Douglasville, Ga.); Daniel Smith; sophomore defensive lineman Michael Taylor (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); redshirt freshman linebacker Owen Thomas (Lansdale, Pa.); freshman quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.); senior defensive lineman Tyler Will (Newtown Square, Pa.); and senior wide receiver Jared Wolfe (Seaford, N.Y.).