POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Red-shirt junior right tackle
Chris Leonardo of the Marist University football team was named to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team for the second straight year on Tuesday.
Additionally, Leonardo is one of 12 finalists for the 25
th Annual FCS ADA $5,000 Postgraduate Scholarship. Two of the following 12 will earn the scholarship:
- Jaden Craig – Harvard, quarterback
- Jaxon Duttenhefer – North Dakota State, defensive tackle
- Titan Fleischmann – Montana State, offensive tackle
- Shane Hartzell – Villanova, linebacker
- Xavier Jennings – Mercer, offensive lineman
- Logan Kopp – North Dakota State, linebacker
- Chris Leonardo – Marist, right tackle
- Brandon Maina – Wofford, defensive lineman
- John Ohnegian – Bucknell, offensive lineman
- Ryan Osborne – Harvard, tight end
- Sam Regina – West Georgia, guard
- Tommy Rittenhouse – Illinois State, quarterback
Leonardo is the first player in program history to be named an FCS Academic All-Star twice in his career. Previous Marist winners include Mike Arrington (2022), Terrence Turner (2009), Jake Dembow (2008), and Ray Fiumefreddo (2007).
Leonardo has earned numerous honors this season. He was a national finalist for the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, a national semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, and a First Team Academic All-Pioneer Football League selection. The First Team Academic All-PFL honor was the third of his career. He has also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District the previous two years, and he was named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll the past three years.
A total of 57 student-athletes were named to the FCS Academic All-Star Team.
