VILLANOVA, Pa.—Senior linebacker Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) was named one of 30 national finalists for this year's Buck Buchanan Award in an announcement made by Stats Perform on Tuesday morning. The award is presented each year to the top defensive player in the FCS, and Hartzell was initially named to this year's Watch List during the preseason. He has been the unquestionable leader of a stout Villanova defense during the 2025 season and has helped lead the team to eight straight wins entering this week's playoff opener against Harvard.
 
Hartzell leads the Wildcats with 75 total tackles on the year, including 41 solo stops. He also has team highs of 12.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries. Hartzell ranks in the top seven in CAA Football in both TFL and sacks, with his totals in each of those categories representing single season career highs. He has been as consistent as he has been good, with two double-digit tackle games during the season and three other occasions where he has made nine or more total stops. Hartzell has recorded six games with at least one tackle for loss (three games with two or more) and has had one or more sacks three times.
 
In the run-up to the 2025 season, Hartzell was named a second team Preseason All-American by Stats Perform to go along with being chosen for the CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team. He was a first team All-CAA selection a year ago and was named a Phil Steele second team All-American for the 2024 season. Hartzell has a career total of 364 tackles (180 solo), 37 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks. He is one of three members of the Wildcats active roster to have played in more than 50 career games at the collegiate level.
 
The Buck Buchanan Award is in its 31^st season and is named for legendary defensive lineman Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career. All 13 FCS conferences are represented by one or more finalists. The Buck Buchanan Award was first presented in 1995.
 
This year's award will be announced on January 3, 2026, at the Stats Perform National Awards Presentation in Nashville, Tenn. The presentation will also include the winners of the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman Player of the Year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year), HBCU National Player of the Year and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.