Villanova Football: Omari Bursey Named Player of the Week, Top 25 Votes Still Possible

Villanova Football linebacker Omari Bursey earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Lafayette, racking up nine total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack that forced a turnover on downs and an interception returned for a touchdown in the Wildcats’ 44-21 win.

This marks the sophomore’s second player of the week award this season. Bursey’s 6.89 solo tackles per game lead the FCS: he has 99 total tackles, 10.5 for a loss, and 4.5 sacks so far in 2026, his first full season as a starter. Villanova (5-4, 4-2 Patriot League) has won three games in a row and is in the thick of the race for the conference throne after looking dead in the water through the first six weeks of the season.

Winning the Patriot League is almost certainly their only path to the FCS playoffs, as their early season losses dropped them out of the top 25. Despite their winning streak, the Wildcats haven’t started picking up votes again in either the AFCA Coaches Poll or the FCS Stats Perform Poll, but the fact that teams like Yale (4-3) are appearing on ballots means Villanova could pop up again soon. Even if they did manage to sneak their way back into the top 25, automatic bids take up 13 of the 24 spots in the FCS playoffs; an at-large bid would be difficult to come by given their current standing.