By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications

DENVER, Colo. – Defending champion Colorado State University Pueblo and runner-up Western Colorado University, led by their respective returning players of the year, are picked to battle for the 2025 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football championship. The ThunderWolves and Mountaineers share the honor as preseason favorite in the RMAC Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll released Thursday in conjunction with the league’s Football Media Day.

In addition, Western Colorado redshirt junior defensive end Ricky Freymond and CSU Pueblo senior wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff – the league’s 2024 defensive and offensive players of the year, respectively – lead the 2025 Preseason All-RMAC Team. The RMAC’s preseason teams are determined by placing returning players in order of head coaches’ voting from the league’s 2024 All-RMAC Teams.

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference 2025 Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll
PL	Team (1st-2nd-3rd)	Points
1.	CSU Pueblo (5-3-1)	76
	Western Colorado (5-3-1)	76
3.	Colorado School of Mines (0-4-4)	66
4.	Colorado Mesa (0-0-4)	58
5.	South Dakota Mines	43
	Black Hills State	43
7.	Chadron State	31
	New Mexico Highlands	31
9.	Fort Lewis	17
10.	Adams State	9

Both CSU Pueblo and Western Colorado received an identical vote tally – five first-place, three second-place votes and one third-place vote – to record 76 points each. Colorado School of Mines, with four second- and third-place votes, was picked to finish third with 66 points. Colorado Mesa University received the remaining four third-place votes and tallied 58 points to finish fourth in the poll.

South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State University tied for fifth place with 43 points, followed by another tie between Chadron State University and New Mexico Highlands University for seventh place at 31 points. Fort Lewis College is picked ninth (17 points), followed by Adams State University in 10th (nine points).

Last season, the ThunderWolves defeated the Mountaineers by a 44-34 score on Nov. 2 in Gunnison. Retzlaff broke loose for three touchdown receptions in a seven-catch, 138-yard day. Freymond finished with six tackles and two tackles for loss. The rematch takes place on Nov. 1 when CSU Pueblo returns to Western Colorado.

Also returning after winning one of the league's major awards, Retzlaff was the first CSU Pueblo player to win the league’s Offensive Player of the Year honor since 2015. He finished the season ranked third among Division II receivers in receiving yards per game (111.6 ypg), amassing 1,228 receiving yards on 67 receptions with 12 touchdowns.

Freymond was the fourth Mountaineer to win the Defensive Player of the Year honor last season. He ranked third among all Division II defensive players with 1.9 tackles for loss and was seventh with 0.92 sacks per game. Freymond recorded 68 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 12.0 sacks in his third season with the Mountaineers.

In addition to the league returning both Players of the Year, it sees both Freshman of the Year selections return in New Mexico Highlands running back Tevita Valeti and Western Colorado linebacker Cameron Cooper. The 2025 Preseason All-RMAC Football Team sees 13 members of the 2024 First Team All-RMAC return, along with 11 second team selections and five honorable mentions.

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.
 

2025 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown
QB	Drew Nash  (1)	Western Colorado	6-2	215	RSr.	Torrance, Calif.
RB	Landon Walker (2)	Colorado School of Mines	6-2	225	RSr.	Fort Worth, Texas
RB	Tevita Valeti (1, FRotY)	New Mexico Highlands	6-0	210	So.	Springville, Utah
WR	Tommy Thomas (2)	Chadron State	6-2	190	Sr.	Fort Collins, Colo.
WR	Reggie Retzlaff (1, PotY)	CSU Pueblo	6-3	212	Gr.	Corona, Calif.
WR	Flynn Schiele (1)	Colorado School of Mines	6-4	205	RSr.	West Linn, Ore.
TE	Daniel Parsek (2)	Western Colorado	6-1	230	RSr.	Johnstown, Colo.
OL	Zach Brumfield (1)	Western Colorado	6-5	270	RSr.	Las Vegas, Nev.
OL	Tyler Ethridge (1)	CSU Pueblo	6-4	283	Jr.	Midlothian, Texas
OL	AJ Kelly (2)	South Dakota Mines	6-6	310	RSr.	Rock Springs, Wyo.
OL	Domingo Prince II (2)	CSU Pueblo	6-2	320	Sr.	Aurora, Colo.
OL	Jayson Rouse (2)	Black Hills State	6-4	285	RSr.	Angleton, Texas
2025 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Defense
Pos.	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown
DE	Ricky Freymond (1, PotY)	Western Colorado	6-5	265	RSr.	Chino, Calif.
DE	Jaydon Young (H)	Western Colorado	5-8	160	RSo.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
DT	Kellen Collier (1)	Black Hills State	5-10	270	RSr.	Willard, Utah
DT	Mikey Smith (2)	Western Colorado	5-11	280	RSo.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
ILB	Jacob Penney (2)	Fort Lewis	6-0	200	RJr.	Sparks, Nev.
ILB	Gary Seidenberger (2)	CSU Pueblo	6-1	220	Jr.	Fredericksburg, Texas
OLB	Cameron Cooper (H, FRotY)	Western Colorado	6-2	230	So.	Gilbert, Ariz.
S	Kahden Rullo (H)	CSU Pueblo	6-1	185	Jr.	Denver, Colo.
S	Dax Yeradi (1)	Chadron State	6-0	195	Sr.	Wright, Wyo.
CB	Donovan English (1)	CSU Pueblo	6-0	170	Jr.	Pomona, Calif.
CB	Keith Mckaney (H)	CSU Pueblo	6-0	181	Sr.	Avondale, Ariz.
2025 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Special Teams
Pos.	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown
PK	Matt Eich (2)	Colorado School of Mines	5-9	180	RSr.	Broomfield, Colo.
P	Brodie Eisenbraun (2)	Chadron State	6-2	195	Sr.	Sturgis, S.D.
PR	Kash Bradley (1)	Colorado Mesa	5-11	165	Sr.	Bushland, Texas
PR	Zack Rakowsky (1)	CSU Pueblo	5-8	141	Sr.	Loveland, Colo.
KR	Kash Bradley (1)	Colorado Mesa	5-11	165	Sr.	Bushland, Texas
LS	Brayden Starmer (H)	CSU Pueblo	6-0	165	Sr.	Mesa, Ariz.
Notes: Two punt returners due to a tie in the voting. Symbols in parentheses are 2024 All-RMAC Recognitions: PotY – was a Player of the Year at their position group; FRotY – was a Freshman of the Year at their position group; 1 -was a First Team All-RMAC selection; 2 - was a Second Team All-RMAC selection; H - was an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection.