ST. LOUIS – Adam Dolan, Joey Suchy and Nick Bafia were named to the 2024 All-Pioneer Football League Preseason Team on Wednesday afternoon. That trio joined 27 additional student-athletes to make up this year's team.
 
Returning players named to the league's 2023 All-PFL Teams were automatically placed on the 2024 Preseason All-PFL team, in order of head coaches' voting.
 
Four of the PFL's five major award winners from 2023 return for the 2024 season, led by Drake linebacker Finn Claypool, the reigning PFL Defensive Player of the Year.  He is joined on the preseason team by teammate Shane Dunning, the reigning PFL Special Teams Player of the Year and a preseason honoree as both a placekicker and punter.
 
Stetson swept last season's freshmen honors, and both student-athletes return, with linebacker Andrew Martin earning a Preseason All-PFL nod while Ronnell Johnson just missed a spot on the preseason team. 
 
Defending PFL Champion Drake saw a league-leading six players earn a total of seven Preseason All-PFL selections, led by Claypool and Dunning. That pair was joined on the preseason team by wide receiver Mitchell January, quarterback Luke Bailey, offensive lineman Ross Palmer, and long snapper Brett Welsing.
 
Davidson had four student-athletes named to the preseason squad. Butler, Morehead State, Presbyterian, and San Diego each had three selections. Dayton and St. Thomas each picked up two preseason picks, while Marist, Stetson, and Valparaiso each claimed one preseason honoree.
 
Dolan and Suchy highlight the offensive side of the ball for Butler after earning All-PFL honors in 2023. Dolan was a First Team PFL selection in 2023 after being named honorable mention as a freshman. He started at left tackle in every game last season and made eight starts there in 2022.
 
Dolan was part of a Butler offensive line unit that helped the team rank second in the PFL in scoring (28.9 ppg), total yards of offense (4,052), offensive yards per game (368.3), and yards per play (5.7) in 2023. BU ranked second among all PFL teams in first downs (216) and were tied for second in offensive touchdowns scored (34). He also opened up running lanes for the PFL Offensive Player of the Year in Jyran Mitchell.
 
Suchy was used as a short-yardage specialist in 2023. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry and ended the year ranked fourth on the team in rushing yards with 152. Suchy has over 200 carries in his Bulldog career and needs just 129 yards as a senior to reach 1,000. Over 32 games played, Suchy has scored seven touchdowns and averages about 30 rushing yards per contest.
 
The Top Dawg on Butler's defense heading into the 2023 season is defensive back Nick Bafia. Butler's leading tackler in 2023 is back for his senior season after being tabbed First Team All-League a year ago. Bafia recorded 65 total tackles (41 solo) as a junior while adding three forced fumbles, six pass breakups and an interception. He had a career-high 12 tackles in the season opener at Montana last year and moved forward to average 5.9 tackles per game in 2023 to rank 20th among all PFL players.
 
2024 All-Pioneer Football League Preseason Team
OFFENSE
WR Dominic Kibby - Presbyterian
WR Ryan Upp - Morehead State
WR Mitchell January - Drake
QB Luke Bailey - Drake
RB Mari Adams - Davidson
RB Hope Adebayo - St. Thomas
FB Joey Suchy - Butler
AP Ryan Upp - Morehead State  
TE Worth Warner - Presbyterian
OL Dylan DeMaison - Dayton
OL Adam Dolan - Butler
OL Malik McDaniel - Davidson
OL Ross Palmer - Drake
OL Alec Rasmussen - St. Thomas
 
DEFENSE
DL Finn Claypool - Drake
DL Sam Hafner - Valparaiso
DL Malachi Cooper - San Diego
DL Julian Rawlins - Davidson
LB Andrew Martin - Stetson
LB Aiden McKinley - Dayton
LB Alex Herriott - Presbyterian
LB Chase Lyons - San Diego
DB Nick Bafia - Butler
DB Jihad McCall - Morehead State           
DB Eric Haney - San Diego
DB Daniel Carter - Davidson
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Shane Dunning - Drake
P Shane Dunning - Drake
RS Tristan Shannon - Marist
LS Brett Welsing – Drake