ALFRED, NY – Eleven different members of the Alfred University football team earned All-Empire 8 honors, as announced by the conference on Thursday.

"I definitely want to congratulate all our players that ended up making the list for All-Empire 8," Head Coach Bob Rankl said. "It is well-deserved, and I am very proud to see them rewarded for their efforts. There were a few other players that I thought were worthy of recognition, but I do understand that the Empire 8 is a very competitive conference and there were a lot of deserving players."

All-Empire 8 First Team

Dion Anderson (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) enjoyed a historic sophomore season with Alfred University, becoming just the fourth player in program history to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Anderson finished in the top 25 in the nation for Division III in receiving yards and receiving yards per game. Anderson finished the regular season with a conference-high 1,016 receiving yards to go with eight touchdowns. He additionally earned First Team honors as a return specialist and was listed as part of the Second Team as an all-purpose talent.

Alexander Coffey (Columbia, MD/Long Reach) received First Team recognition for his efforts in the backfield for AU. This season, Coffey recorded eight total touchdowns for the Saxons, averaging 6.3 yards per carry as the listed fullback. Coffey added a 37-yard receiving touchdown as well.

The offensive line was led by Ryan Belanger (Wayland, NY/Wayland), who was named to the All-Empire 8 First Team. Belanger assisted with the Saxons gaining 4.6 yards per carry during the 2024 season, which is the highest total dating back to the 2019 season.

Joe Copp (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) is wrapping up his historical collegiate career with Alfred University, receiving All-Empire recognition for the fourth consecutive season. Copp ranked 26th in the nation for Division III with 50 solo tackles. Against St. John Fisher University, Copp broke the career tackles record for AU football, currently sitting with a total of 436 entering this weekend's Bowl game. Copp was additionally credited with three sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery during his graduate season.

Danny Quiñones (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) joined Copp on the All-Empire 8 First Team Defense, receiving recognition for the fourth straight season. Quinones led the defensive front for Alfred University, totaling 37 total tackles, eight of which for a loss. He additionally totaled 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for the Saxons.

All-Empire 8 Second Team

Chris Kelly (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY/Lake Ronkonkoma) was named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team. Kelly put together an impressive season under center for the Saxons, totaling 1,908 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. He added 186 rushing yards with an additional touchdown through the run game. Against Juniata, Kelly logged 357 passing yards, which ranks as the fourth-highest total in a single game in program history. The passing touchdowns total for Kelly in the 2024 season currently sits as the seventh-highest mark in program history for AU football. 

Max Freeman IV (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post) is finishing up his successful collegiate career with Alfred University, earning All-Empire 8 honors for the fourth straight season. Freeman led the backfield with 821 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Entering this weekend, Freeman is just 27 yards shy of 3,000 career rushing yards, which only five other players in program history have accomplished.

For the third time in his collegiate career, Adam Mietz (Akron, NY/Akron) earned All-Empire 8 recognition. The defensive captain totaled 60 tackles this fall, 39 of which were solo. Mietz was additionally responsible for a pair of interceptions and blocked kicks, while also being credited with seven pass breakups.

Dominic Bronco (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) was named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team following his efforts with the special teams unit. Bronco finished the regular season 7-of-8 on field goal attempts, while converting 37-of-39 PATs. On November 4, Bronco was recognized as the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week.

All-Empire 8 Third Team

Both Carter Fronk (Avon, NY/Avon) and Conor Todd (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse) were listed as part of the All-Empire 8 Third Team for their success on the offensive line for Alfred University. The Saxons surrendered just 13 sacks during the fall campaign, which was the lowest total dating back to the 2019 season.

Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year

Andrew Cisco (East Amherst, NY/Canisius) was Alfred University's selection for Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. Cisco has distinguished himself and consistently exhibits the critical traits as an outstanding sportsman.