Kutztown, Slippery Rock Top PSAC Polls
August 7th, 2025 12:00pm
From PSAC Communications:
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – For the second consecutive year, the Kutztown Golden Bears were selected No. 1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s Eastern Division Football Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches.
In 2025, Kutztown earned the maximum seven first-place votes and are the two-time defending PSAC champions. The Golden Bears return seven starters from a defense that led NCAA Division II by allowing just 10.2 points per game in 2024.
East Stroudsburg, voted No. 2 in the East, led the PSAC in scoring at 33.6 points per, overall offense with 419.3 yards per game, and only allowed 15.9 points per game to opponents (third-best in the conference.)
The No. 3 team in the poll is West Chester, which won four of its last six contests and returns QB Cooper Jordan for his fourth and final season under center. On defense, seven starters are back – in addition to LB Connor Noble, who recorded 117 tackles last fall.
Shepherd earns the No. 4 spot in this year’s poll after finishing with a 6-5 overall record in 2024. The Rams return multiple All-PSAC East honorees on offense, including RBs Malakai Brown and Jordan Barnett and offensive linemen Brandon Carr and Ty Lucas.
Bloomsburg was voted No. 5 in the 2025 poll after improving to a 6-5 overall record last fall. The Huskies will feature a pair of returning offensive standouts in WR Jerry Griffen-Batchler and QB KJ Riley, while LB Brady Thompson (85 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks) is back to help lead the defense.
Lock Haven, ranked No. 6 in this year’s poll, welcomes Joe Battaglia as its new head coach. The Bald Eagles had the No. 1-ranked passing offense in 2024, averaged 389.7 yards per game (second-most in the PSAC), and return QB Jackson Ostrowsky.
Shippensburg comes in at No. 7 in this year’s poll. The Raiders return six starters on offense and seven on defense. In 2024, the SU defense was tied for the best in the PSAC in fourth-down situations, allowing just a 36.4 percent conversion rate.
Millersville ranks No. 8 and returns QB Ryan Zeltt, who started seven of the final eight games in 2024, ranking fourth in the PSAC in completion percentage (64.8). The Marauders return just four starters on defense but they include top tacklers LB Bryce Beutler (72) and safety Nick Romano (61).
In the Western Division, Slippery Rock was selected No. 1 in the Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches.
In 2024, The Rock accumulated a 12-2 overall record and advanced all the way to the NCAA semifinals. Slippery Rock collected four first-place votes in the 2025 poll and returns plenty of talent, including All-American left tackle Joe Cooper.
IUP was voted No. 2 in this year’s poll with three first-place votes. The Crimson Hawks were 7-3 overall in 2024 and boasted the West’s best defense in multiple categories, including scoring (14.4 PPG) and total yards allowed (258.9 per game.)
California, voted as No. 3 in the 2025 poll, are the defending PSAC West champions, finishing undefeated in conference play for only the fifth time in school history.
Gannon finished tied for third in the PSAC West in 2024 with a 3-3 conference record and comes in at No. 4 in this year’s poll for the fourth consecutive year.
Seton Hill has a new head coach in Kevin May, who spent the last six seasons as the Griffins’ defensive coordinator. The Griffins are ranked No. 5 in the 2025 poll and return All-PSAC First Teamers RB Ky’Ron Craggette and LB Ritchie McCormack.
No. 6 Edinboro has a new head coach in Matt Scott and brings back eight starters on the offensive side of the ball, including four of the five offensive line spots, as they look to improve on last year’s 3-8 overall record.
The Golden Eagles of Clarion were voted No. 7 in the 2025 poll but return eight starters from an offense that ranked sixth in the conference with 364.9 total yards per game. Two All-PSAC defensive players (DT Owen Kling and LB Griffin Buzzell) return to anchor that unit.
