DETROIT -- The Wayne State University football team held its 2025 awards banquet on Sunday inside the MotorCity Casino Banquet Hall.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Drew Hickmott (Ortonville, Mich. / Ortonville-Brandon [Michigan]) was selected as the 2025 Offensive Most Valuable Player becoming the first wide receiver to earn this honor since Troy Burrell shared the 2011 Offensive MVP award with Josh Renel.  An Honorable Mention All-GLIAC selection this past fall, Hickmott started all 11 games and had at least one reception in every contest.  He tied-for-second on the squad in receptions (26) and was second in receiving yards (298), while leading the team in touchdown catches (3).  Hickmott posted a WSU season-best with two touchdown catches against Quincy.

Redshirt junior defensive end Will Fennema (Middleville, Mich. / Grand Rapids South Christian [Madonna] was voted as WSU's Defensive Most Valuable Player.  A College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team selection, he started all 11 games at defensive end after playing in just one contest the year prior before suffering a season-ending injury.  Fennema finished second on the squad with four quarterback hurries and led all WSU defensive linemen with 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.  He finished seventh in the GLIAC in tackles for loss yards (38), tied-for-eighth in sack yards (24) and tied-for-10th in tackles for loss (7.5).

Redshirt sophomore CJ Gordon (Benton Harbor, Mich. / Berrien Springs) was selected as the squad's Special Teams Most Valuable Player.  Gordon saw action on three special teams (kickoff coverage, kickoff return and punt return) in all nine games played, and on punt coverage in eight contests.  He led the squad with six special teams tackles (3-0 on kickoff coverage and 3-0 on punt coverage), which included tying for the team lead in KOC and PC tackles.  Gordon was selected WSU Special Teams Player of the Week for the Saginaw Valley State contest.

Senior safety Elijah Fowlkes (Cleveland, Ohio / Cleveland Heights) was the recipient of the Ron Solack Memorial "35" Award.  A team captain, he started all six games played at safety and finished second among all WSU defensive backs with 35 tackles (18-17).  Fowlkes concluded his Warrior career having played in 30 games in his four seasons and making 27 starts.  He becomes the first two-time recipient in the 55-year history of the award.  The first football jersey ever retired at Wayne State University is the number 35 last worn by Ron Solack.  Ron died of post-surgery complications in 1968, on the eve of the opening of the new Wayne State University Stadium.  Ron wore his Wayne State uniform with unmatched pride and played the game with enthusiasm.  He would have been a senior member of the 1969 team.  An award was instituted in his name in 1969 and has been presented every year since (except the COVID season of 2020).

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jordan Bell (Benton Harbor, Mich. / St. Joseph) was presented the Randy Guzowski Award, which goes to the individual who has demonstrated team leadership and shown exemplary school and community citizenship.  Guzowski won three letters as a WSU football player and spent 15 years on the WSU Police Force.  A Sport Management major, Bell has worked with the Salvation Army, the Warrior Strides program, Detroit PAL, Boys and Girls Club and Make-A-Wish.  He has earned academic recognition in three different semesters.  After not seeing any game action his first two years with the Green and Gold, Bell appeared in eight games this past fall and recorded WSU's longest reception of the season (47 yards at Wisconsin-La Crosse). 

The WSU Offensive Rookie of the Year award went to true freshman Haiden Bollini (Sandusky, Ohio / Perkins).  He appeared in all 11 games, making four starts at fullback (vs. Findlay, Michigan Tech, Ferris State and Grand Valley State).  Bollini had a seven-yard reception at Northern Michigan negated by a penalty.  He saw action on the PAT/FG unit in the first five games, on kickoff return in four contests, on punt return and punt coverage in two games each, and on kickoff coverage vs. Davenport.

The Defensive Rookie of the Year award recipient was true freshman linebacker Luke Johnson (Oxford, Mich.).  He appeared in all 11 games, and saw action as a back-up linebacker in the last seven contests.  Johnson was selected WSU's Defensive Player of the Week after contributing a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Davenport (longest interception return by a Wayne State true freshman in at least the last 36 years and the second-longest by a freshman since Jeremy Jones had an 86-yard return during his redshirt freshman campaign on October 18, 2008, at Ferris State).

Two awards were created in 2005 by the coaching staff.  The Scholar-Athlete Award, which recognizes the football student-athlete(s) with strong academic credentials, while the Ultimate Warrior is for the football student-athlete who did outstanding work in the weight room.

The recipient of this year's Scholar-Athlete Award is defensive end Will Fennema (Middleville, Mich. / Grand Rapids South Christian [Madonna]).  An Exercise and Sport Science major, he has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) all four semesters at WSU, including two 4.0 terms.  Fennema has a cumulative GPA of 3.92 at WSU through 63 credit hours.

The team's 2025 Serxho Guraleci/Ultimate Warrior award went to true freshman defensive end Tyler Torey (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota) for his outstanding work in the weight room.

An award instituted in 2011 is the Courtney "Cortez" Smith Award which recognizes a member of the Wayne State University football program whose contributions include:  a positive approach to all aspects of the program both on and off the field; noticeable improvement to academic growth and progress, as well as skill and physical development; and finally, growing spiritually and contributing to the overall vitality of the football program.  It was developed in conjunction with the Smith Family.

The 2025 recipient is redshirt junior offensive lineman Ethan Gates (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview).  Gates appeared in 25 contests in three seasons with the Green and Gold, making 10 starts (nine at right tackle, and one at left tackle).  He played every offensive snap in six games this past fall.  A 2024-25 recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award, Gates is a three-time (2023, 2024 and 2025) GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team selection.

Elijah Fowlkes, Luke Johnson and redshirt senior wide receiver Angel Carrillo (Atascosa, Texas / Southwest [Univ. of Fort Lauderdale / Livingstone College]) were recognized with the Captains Award.  Carrillo served as a team captain for all 11 games, while Fowlkes was a team captain for eight games (six games played plus two other contests).  Johnson served as a team captain for six games.