DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) -- The NCAA announced its first regional rankings for the 2021 Division III football season and the Delaware Valley University football team was mentioned in the new Region I rankings. 

The first rankings of the year are listed alphabetically and not in any particular order. The Region I rankings are as follows:

Delware Valley        8-0
Endicott                 7-2
Framingham St.      6-2
Husson                  6-2
Lycoming               6-2
Merchant Marine    7-1
Salve Regina          8-1
Widener                 6-2

The Aggies are the only team in Region I without a loss and one of three Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) teams featured. DelVal has maintained a top-10 ranking in the country all season and in the latest American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) poll they rank 7th while in this week's D3football.com top-25 they remain at 10th.  

The Aggies are 8-0 for the first time since 2017, the last time the squad finished the regular season without a loss. To reach that feat again this year, DelVal will have to get by second place Wilkes University on the road this weekend and then challenge Widener University at home in the annual Keystone Cup rivalry game.

The Green and Gold have been led by the strength of their top-ranked defense all season. The unit ranks inside the top-10 in all of Division III in 13 statistical categories:

First in Total Defense (106.9 ypg.)
First in Passing Yards Allowed (78.4 ypg.)
First in Rushing Defense (28.5 ypg.)
First in First Downs Defense (60 allowed)
First in Passing Efficiency Defense (66.21)
Second in Third Down Conversion Percentage (.168 opp. percentage)
Third in Defensive Touchdowns (4)
Third in Red Zone Defense (.429 opp. percentage)
Third in Scoring Defense (7.1 ppg.)Fourth in Fourth Down Conversion Percentage (.125 opp. percentage)
Seventh in Turnovers Gained (23)
Eighth in Team Tackles For Loss (8.8 per game)
Tenth in Fumbles Recovered (10)

Individually, junior defensive end Yusuf Aladinov is the nations leader in fumble recoveries with five while senior linebacker Anthony Tedesco's three forced fumbles is tied for 14th-best. Junior cornerback Jamir Prevard is tied sixth in Division III with five interceptions. Special team standouts include senior punter Bobby Miller who ranks seventh in the nation with 40.5 yards per punt and sophomore return specialist Tahmir Barksdale is 17th with 13.6 yards per return. 

To see where the Aggies rank in all of the statistical categories nationally, click here.