RICHMOND, Va.—Junior kick return specialist Ja'briel Mace (Somers Point, N.J.) became just the second player in Villanova history to be a conference Special Teams Player of the Year when CAA Football announced its postseason awards and all-conference teams on Tuesday afternoon. Mace garners his first career postseason accolades with the Special Teams major award and a spot on the CAA Football First Team Offense. This is the 16^th time since 2007 and the seventh time in the last eight years that the Wildcats have earned one of the league's major postseason awards.
 
Villanova was represented by 13 players who appeared on the CAA Football All-Conference and honorable mention lists. It is the most postseason honors for the Wildcats since the team had 14 honorees in 2010, while a combined 10 honorees on the first, second and third teams is the second time in the last three years that Villanova has had that many players recognized. The first team honorees from the Wildcats included Mace as a kick returner; graduate offensive linemen Temi Ajirotutu (Queens, N.Y.) and Stephane Voltaire (Randolph, Mass.); and senior linebacker Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.).
 
Hartzell is the only one of the four honorees on the first team who has reached that level of recognition before. He was also named to the First Team Defense last season while Ajirotutu and Voltaire have previously been third team and honorable mention selections, respectively. Hartzell was named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award earlier on Tuesday. Villanova is one of four schools out of 14 league members this season to have at least four players on the first team and 13 or more recognized in total. The accolades come as the Wildcats are riding their longest winning streak in 16 years and finished in second place in the CAA Football regular season standings. Villanova is headed to the FCS playoffs as the #12 national seed and begins its playoff run with a first round home game against Harvard this week.
 
Graduate wide receiver Luke Colella (Wexford, Pa.) was named to the Second Team Offense, while graduate defensive tackle Obinna Nwobodo (Wilmington, Del.) and senior safety Christian Sapp (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) each earned spots on the Second Team Defense. The third team selections from the Wildcats included sophomore running back David Avit (Frederick, Md.) and freshman punt returner Braden Reed (Pottstown, Pa.) on offense, in addition to sophomore cornerback Zahmir Dawud (North Brunswick, N.J.) on defense. Avit was last year's CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year, while he and Nwobodo were each 2024 honorable mention selections. Colella previously was an honorable mention All-Ivy pick while playing at Princeton in 2023.
 
Sophomore right tackle Kyle Fay (Cranford, N.J.), graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide (Solon, Ohio) and redshirt freshman safety Anthony Hawkins (Arnold, Md.) were named honorable mention selections in Tuesday's postseason awards release. Each of the three are earning CAA recognition for the first time in their careers; McQuaide was previously a second team All-Southland Conference selection during his undergraduate career at Nicholls.
 
Villanova first joined what was then the Yankee Conference in 1988 and has been a part of the league ever since as it transitioned to the Atlantic 10 (1997-2006) and CAA Football (2007-present). Dating back to 1988, the Wildcats have won 23 major conference awards and amassed 364 all-conference honorees and honorable mention selections. Mace is the first Villanova special teams player to earn first team accolades since punter Nathan Fondacaro in 2019; he is the first return man on the first team since Szczur made history in 2009 as the league's Offensive Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year in the same season.
 
 
This is the first time since 2010 that the Wildcats have had three offensive linemen earn all-conference honors, while Ajirotutu and Voltaire are the first Villanova players since Brant Clouser and Ben Ijalana in 2010 to be first team offensive linemen in the same season. The duo (Ajirotutu and Voltaire) have combined to play in 97 career games. Overall, this is the fifth time in the last six years that at least one member of the Wildcats offensive line has been a first team All-CAA honoree. Each of Ajirotutu, Fay and Voltaire has started all 11 games this season.
 
Below, in alphabetical order, are capsules of each of the Villanova postseason award honorees.
 
TEMI AJIROTUTU
Graduate Student, Left Guard, 6-5, 310, Queens, N.Y.
First Team All-CAA
 
Villanova has been one of the best offensive teams in CAA Football this season, and its offensive line has given the team almost unprecedented stability. Through the end of the regular season the Wildcats lead the CAA in rushing offense with 178.6 yards per game, rank third in the league in scoring offense at 30.6 points per game, and are fifth in the league having allowed just 19 sacks in 11 games played. Villanova has topped 200 rushing yards in nearly half of its games (five) and ended the regular season averaging 250.7 yards on the ground over its three most recent games.
 
Ajirotutu has been a mainstay on the Wildcats offensive line for virtually his entire collegiate career. He played in his 48^th career game last week and – if Villanova were to advance to the second round of the playoffs – would have a chance to become one of as many as six active players on the roster to have appeared in at least 50 career college football games. Ajirotutu was previously named to the CAA Third Team Offense in 2023. He is back on the postseason awards list this year after only playing in four games due to injury last season.
 
DAVID AVIT
Sophomore, Running Back, 6-0, 225, Frederick, Md.
Third Team All-CAA
 
Avit became the third-fastest player in school history to surpass 1,000 career rushing yards when he reached the milestone in the second game of the season at Penn State on September 13. Last year's CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year was once again among the top running backs in the country this season before sustaining an injury in the Towson game earlier this month. He nevertheless leads Villanova with 683 rushing yards on the year and is tied for the team lead with eight rushing touchdowns. Avit has averaged 75.9 yards per game on the ground in the nine games he has played during the season. He also has recorded nine receptions for another 84 yards. Avit rushed for over 100 yards in three straight games against Monmouth, William & Mary and New Hampshire earlier in the year. In the three games he totaled 49 carries for 370 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 7.55 yards per carry.
 
In his collegiate rookie campaign last year, Avit ranked third among all FCS freshmen with 923 rushing yards. He carried his success into this season and in 23 games played at the collegiate level he has 1,606 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Avit ranks sixth in school history in rushing yards per game (69.8), 12^th in yards per carry (5.43) and 20^th in career rushing yards. At the time of his injury this season, Avit was ranked third in CAA Football in rushing yards per carry as well as fourth in the league in rushing yards, yards per game and rushing touchdowns.
 
LUKE COLELLA
Graduate Student, Wide Receiver, 5-10, 195, Wexford, Pa.
Second Team All-CAA
 
Colella has been one of the top playmakers for the Villanova offense this season and is the team's leading receiver with 58 catches for 844 yards and seven touchdowns. All but one of his touchdown receptions have come on plays of 20 yards or longer and he has 13 catches in all for 20+ yards. Colella has topped 100 receiving yards five times in 11 games and is just one 100-yard game away from tying the single season school record. He currently ranks fourth in the CAA in receiving touchdowns and fifth in the league in both receiving yards per game (76.7) and receptions per game (5.27). In the win at Elon on October 11, Colella became the first Villanova player since Matt Szczur in 2010 to have 10+ receptions in a game. He recorded 10 catches for 138 yards and the first two touchdowns of his Wildcats career in the Elon game.
 
This is the first season at Villanova for Colella, who is a graduate transfer from Princeton. He was an honorable mention All-Ivy performer for the Tigers in 2023 and topped 2,000 career receiving yards during Villanova's win over Sacred Heart last week. Colella has 151 receptions for 2,032 yards and 18 touchdowns in 39 collegiate games played. His 139 receiving yards on nine catches at New Hampshire on October 4 set a new career high.
 
ZAHMIR DAWUD
Sophomore, Cornerback, 6-0, 185, North Brunswick, N.J.
Third Team All-CAA
 
Dawud has recorded two or more tackles in every game this season and has started nine of 11 games played at cornerback. He leads the team with nine pass breakups and 10 passes defended (one interception) while recording 38 total tackles on the year (26 solo). Dawud has three games with five stops during the season, including each of the last two contests of the regular season against Stony Brook and Sacred Heart. In the Stony Brook game, he became the first Villanova player since Trey Johnson in 2017 to have four pass breakups in a game. He combines with Hawkins and Sapp to give the Wildcats secondary three postseason CAA honorees for the first time since 2015.
 
As a redshirt freshman last season, Dawud was one of the key reserves for Villanova and played in all 14 games while making four starts. He was an honorable mention All-CAA selection in 2024 and has now played in 29 career games for the Wildcats. Dawud has a career total of 87 tackles (58 solo), four tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He notched the third interception of his career in the win over UAlbany on October 25.
 
KYLE FAY
Sophomore, Right Tackle, 6-6, 310, Cranford, N.J.
Honorable Mention
 
Villanova has been one of the best offensive teams in CAA Football this season, and its offensive line has given the team almost unprecedented stability. Through the end of the regular season the Wildcats lead the CAA in rushing offense with 178.6 yards per game, rank third in the league in scoring offense at 30.6 points per game, and are fifth in the league having allowed just 19 sacks in 11 games played. Villanova has topped 200 rushing yards in nearly half of its games (five) and ended the regular season averaging 250.7 yards on the ground over its three most recent games.
 
Fay has started 12 consecutive games at right tackle dating back to last season. He has appeared in 26 games overall for the Wildcats and is earning his first career postseason accolade. Fay is one of eight current offensive linemen on the roster who have played in at least 20 games during their Villanova careers. He joins Ajirotutu, Voltaire and sophomore right guard Chris McCullers in having started every game this season.
 
SHANE HARTZELL
Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 230, Perkasie, Pa.
First Team All-CAA
 
Hartzell has been the unquestionable leader of a strong Villanova defense this season and leads the team with 75 total tackles (41 solo), 12.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries. He ranks in the top seven in the CAA in both TFL and sacks, while his totals in each of those categories are single season career highs. Hartzell has been as consistent as he has been good. He has two double-digit tackle games during the season and has made nine total stops on three other occasions. He 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.
 
Earlier on Tuesday, Hartzell was named one of 30 national finalists for this year's Buck Buchanan Award which is presented to the top defensive player in the FCS. He was initially named to the Watch List for the award entering the season and was a Stats Perform preseason second team All-American on the heels of a Phil Steele second team All-America last year. Hartzell has 364 career tackles (180 solo), 37 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks. He is one of three members of the active roster who has played in more than 50 career games.
 
ANTHONY HAWKINS
Redshirt Freshman, Safety, 6-3, 195, Arnold, Md.
Honorable Mention
 
Hawkins is part of a young and dynamic secondary for Villanova which has made incredible strides over the course of the 2025 season. He has started all 11 games at safety and ranks fourth on the team with 45 total tackles (33 solo) during the season. Hawkins ranks second on the team with eight pass breakups and is the only player on the team to have INT return yards for the year (ten). His stat line includes one interception, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. One of those tackles for loss came in the regular season finale against Sacred Heart. He previously had a career high seven tackles at Monmouth and recorded his first career forced fumble in that game.
 
After getting his first taste of collegiate competition with four games played as a true freshman a year ago, Hawkins has emerged as one of the key players on the Wildcats defense this season. His current career totals in 15 games played are 47 tackles (35 solo, 12 assisted). Hawkins combines with Dawud and Sapp to give Villanova three members of its starting secondary on the CAA All-Conference teams for the first time since 2015.
 
JA'BRIEL MACE
Junior, Running Back/Kick Returner, 5-9, 175, Somers Point, N.J.
Special Teams Player of the Year
First Team All-CAA
 
Mace is the only player in CAA Football and one of just five nationally at the FCS level to have two kickoff return touchdowns this season. He was the first of the five to accomplish the feat and – maybe even more impressively – did it in a span of three games. Mace had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against William & Mary on September 27, then broke away for a 97-yard return in the fourth quarter of a tight win against Elon two weeks later. He ranks second in the country with an average of 32.7 yards per return this season and is bidding to become the first Villanova player since Bob Dunn in 1963 to average better than 30 yards per return for a full season.
 
Although Mace earned his Special Teams Player of the Year honor and first team all-conference accolade for his prowess on kickoff returns, there is of course much more to his game. He broke the Wildcats single game record for rushing yards with a 291-yard performance at Towson on November 8, a legendary game in which he scored all four Villanova touchdowns and rushed for 198 yards in the second half and 138 in the fourth quarter alone. Mace has three games with three or more total touchdowns and ranks 10^th nationally with an average of 128.6 all-purpose yards per game. He has six plays of 50 yards or longer on the season, including two rushing touchdowns for at least 80 yards.
 
Not only is Mace the second player after Szczur to be the CAA Special Teams Player of the Year, he and Szczur are also two of just five players in school history to have two or more career kickoff return touchdowns. His 100-yard return against William & Mary was the Wildcats first kickoff return for a score since 2019 and is one of eight plays of any kind (six kickoff returns) in school history for 100 yards or longer.
 
PAT MCQUAIDE
Graduate Student, Quarterback, 6-0, 205, Solon, Ohio
Honorable Mention
 
McQuaide has been a revelation under center for the Wildcats this season and has become one of the top signal callers in the CAA. He ranks second in the conference in passing efficiency with a mark of 150.2 during the regular season and is also third in the conference in passing yards per game (214.2), yards per completion (13.39) and yards per attempt (8.18). McQuaide has thrown 19 touchdowns with just two interceptions on the year and is 176-of-288 (61.1%) through the air for 2,356 yards. He needs just 144 more passing yards to record the 14^th season in school history of 2,500 yards or more. McQuaide has thrown two or more touchdown passes six times in 11 games, including a career-high five passing touchdowns against Hampton.
 
Previously a second team All-Southland Conference honoree at Nicholls, McQuaide has flourished in his first season at Villanova and ranks in the top 20 for a single season in almost every passing category in the school record book. Entering the playoffs, McQuaide is fifth in Wildcats history in single season yards per completion and single season yards per attempt, sixth in passing efficiency, 15^th in passing yards, tied for 17^th in passing touchdowns and tied for 20^th in completions. He has 30 completions on the year for 20 yards or longer and 11 for at least 40 yards. Including his career at Nicholls and this season with Villanova, McQuaide is 571-of-974 as a collegiate passer for 6,770 yards and 46 touchdowns.
 
OBINNA NWOBODO
Graduate Student, Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 300, Wilmington, Del.
Second Team All-CAA
 
Nwobodo has started 25 consecutive games at defensive tackle over the last two seasons while developing into one of the key players on the team's defensive line. This year in 11 games played Nwobodo has 23 tackles (13 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. The highlight of his collegiate career came in the Hampton game on October 18 when he forced and recovered a fumble which he returned 53 yards for a touchdown. It was the first fumble return for a touchdown by a Villanova player since safety Jaquan Amos had one in 2017; Nwobodo is the Wildcats first defensive lineman to score a touchdown since NFL veteran Tanoh Kpassagnon in 2016.
 
The selection of Nwobodo to the CAA Football Second Team Defense makes him the first Villanova defensive lineman to be on the first or second team since 2021. Nwobodo played in his 41^st career game in the regular season finale against Stony Brook and has career totals of 71 tackles (35 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and one blocked kick. He was an honorable mention All-CAA selection last season and was named a preseason all-conference choice heading into this year.
 
BRADEN REED
Freshman, Wide Receiver/Punt Returner, 5-9, 180, Pottstown, Pa.
Third Team All-CAA
 
Reed has quickly established himself as a key playmaker for Villanova as a true freshman this season. He is the team's top punt returner and ranks second nationwide with an average of 16.4 yards per return. Reed has 17 punt returns for a total of 278 yards with a long return of 41 yards. He has eight returns of 20 yards or longer on the season; the Wildcats last player to even have five punt returns of at least 20 yards in a single season was Villanova Hall of Famer JJ Outlaw in 2004. Reed's average of 16.4 yards would be the third highest in a single season in school history and the best mark since Poppy Livers averaged 16.8 yards per punt return in 2012.
 
In addition to his special teams contributions, Reed has made 18 receptions for 289 yards and a touchdown at his wide receiver position. He is third on the team in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. Reed scored his first career touchdown on a 37-yard play in the Stony Brook game two weeks ago. He ranks second on the team with 14 plays of 20+ yards, including eight punt returns and six receptions. Reed is tied for fourth on the team with 567 all-purpose yards.
 
CHRISTIAN SAPP
Senior, Safety, 6-0, 195, East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Second Team All-CAA
 
Sapp earns the first postseason honor of his collegiate career for a regular season in which he played in all 11 games and ranked third on the team with 50 total tackles (33 solo). He has two tackles for loss on the season as well as two pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry. Sapp has recorded five or more tackles seven times this season, including in each of the final three games of the regular season against Towson, Stony Brook and Sacred Heart. He had a career high nine total stops in a win over Elon earlier in the year. In the Stony Brook game on November 15, Sapp recorded his second career forced fumble and first fumble recovery. He combines with Dawud and Hawkins to give Villanova three members of its starting secondary on the CAA All-Conference teams for the first time since 2015.
 
Last week was the 45^th career game played for Sapp. He has career totals of 110 tackles (72 solo), seven tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He possesses outstanding speed and has been a kickoff return option at times during his career. Sapp has nine career kickoff returns with an average of 22.9 yards per return. His only kickoff return this year was for 32 yards at Monmouth on September 20.
 
STEPHANE VOLTAIRE
Graduate Student, Left Tackle, 6-5, 315, Randolph, Mass.
First Team All-CAA
 
Villanova has been one of the best offensive teams in CAA Football this season, and its offensive line has given the team almost unprecedented stability. Through the end of the regular season the Wildcats lead the CAA in rushing offense with 178.6 yards per game, rank third in the league in scoring offense at 30.6 points per game, and are fifth in the league having allowed just 19 sacks in 11 games played. Villanova has topped 200 rushing yards in nearly half of its games (five) and ended the regular season averaging 250.7 yards on the ground over its three most recent games.
 
Voltaire has been one of the most durable players on the Wildcats roster and has started 38 consecutive games entering this week's playoff opener. He has started 41 of his 49 career appearances dating back to 2021. Voltaire jumps up to first team All-CAA after being an honorable mention selection last year and again in a preseason poll of league head coaches entering the current campaign. When the Wildcats take the field against Harvard in the first round of the playoffs this week, Voltaire can become the fourth current member of the roster to have played in at least 50 career college football games.