URI football coach Fleming, linebacker Peña honored by CAA
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Tuesday brought more hardware and recognition for the University of Rhode Island football program.
The Rams took home a pair of major Coastal Athletic Association honors and had three players selected to watch lists for national awards.
AJ Peña and Jim Fleming were named Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in the league, respectively. Peña also was named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Devin Farrell and Marquis Buchanan were named finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top offensive player in FCS.
It’s an impressive haul for URI, which booked a second straight trip to the postseason thanks to a 10-2 overall mark and a perfect 8-0 record against conference opponents. The Rams placed five players on the all-conference first team after improving to 15-1 against the league in the last two seasons. They’ll host Central Connecticut State for a noontime kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Meade Stadium, a rematch of a game they won in 2024.
Peña returned after a semester at Memphis as a transfer and continued the All-American form he flashed as a junior. He totaled 61 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three pass breakups in 2025. Peña became the all-time URI program leader in both tackles for loss and sacks while excelling throughout his fourth season as an outside linebacker.
Fleming led the Rams to their first outright league championship in 40 years, matching the program’s perfect trip through the Yankee Conference in 1985. He’s up to 58 career wins in Kingston, trailing only legends Bob Griffin (79) and Frank Keaney (70). Fleming is also a finalist for the second straight year for the Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the top coach in the FCS.
Farrell and Buchanan are among 30 players vying for Payton honors and one of three sets of teammates nationally. Farrell completed 66.6% of his passes for 3,087 yards, threw for 20 touchdowns and rushed for two more while starting all 12 games. He’s on track to open under center against the Blue Devils despite leaving in the second quarter of a 38-10 win against Hampton in the season finale due to a toe injury.
Buchanan won the CAA receiving title with 66 catches for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games. The former All-State selection at Classical High posted five 100-yard games, including a season-high 167 on just six catches in an opening win against Campbell. Buchanan averaged 17 yards per reception and totaled at least five catches 10 times.
Buchanan was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation FCS Player of the Year watch list the previous afternoon. That goes to the top overall player in FCS, and it comes after a second straight 1,000-yard receiving season in Kingston. He teamed with Malik Grant in 2024 and Antwain Littleton Jr. in 2025 to give the Rams their only two sets of teammates in program history to go for 1,000 yards receiving and 1,000 yards rushing in the same season.
Farrell, Buchanan, tight end Connor Finer, Peña and defensive back Ayinde Johnson were all named to the CAA postseason first team. Finer collected 407 receiving yards and three touchdowns while becoming the first URI tight end to earn first-team honors since Darren Rizzi in 1992. Johnson posted 11 pass breakups, two interceptions and 44 tackles for the league’s best pass defense in 2025.
Littleton, wide receiver Greg Gaines III, offensive linemen Tre Alexander and Brock Bethea and linebacker Rohan Davy were named to the CAA second team. Offensive lineman Christian Smith, defensive lineman Case Mankins and linebacker Moses Meus — the former St. Raphael star and All-State pick — were named to the CAA third team. Offensive lineman Thomas Buxton, kicker Garth White and safety Andre DePina-Gray — a high school teammate with Meus while playing for the Saints — were named honorable mention.
The Buchanan, Payton, Robinson and Camp award winners will all be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: URI football coach Fleming, linebacker Peña honored by CAA
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