Villanova Football
Villanova Football: Preseason Poll Places ‘Cats in Top 15
After making the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finishing with the No. 12 ranking in 2024, at least one preseason poll expects Villanova Football to repeat their performance. Stats Perform, which honored a pair of Wildcats with preseason All-American nominations, placed Villanova in the No. 13 spot in their preseason poll published on Monday, Aug. 4.
That’s a testament to their stability under ninth-year head coach Mark Ferrante. Even after losing quarterback Connor Watkins, defensive back Isas Waxter II, linebacker Brendan Bell, kicker Ethan Gettman, and a series of other senior contributors to graduation, pundits still expect Villanova to rank among the top teams in the nation.
A third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance would put the Wildcats in rarefied air, as they’ve made the tournament for three seasons running just once in their more than 130 year history: between 2008 and 2010, when they won a national championship under head coach Andy Talley.
Expected key contributors this season include running back David Avit, last season’s CAA rookie offensive player of the year, linebacker Shane Hartzell, and offensive lineman Jake Picard. All three Wildcats earned at least one preseason All-American selection.
The Wildcats will open their season on Saturday, Sept. 6 against Colgate.
