The Division III football season is closing in fast, and D3football.com has already given one Little Falls native some early hardware to carry into it.
Returning Utica University tight end Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) has been named a Preseason First Team All-American by D3football.com, the publication announced last week.
The honor makes Frederick the first Pioneer to earn D3football.com First Team All-American recognition – preseason or postseason – since wide receiver Anthony Acevedo, a New Hartford native, did so ahead of the 2014 season.
For Frederick, a graduate student entering his final season in Utica blue and gold, the preseason nod caps a run of accolades that’s been building for more than a year.
A Breakout Senior Season
Frederick’s rise to preseason All-American status wasn’t sudden. Last fall, he played in 10 of Utica’s 11 games and hauled in 74 receptions for 867 yards and 12 touchdowns – numbers that rank among the best single seasons by a tight end anywhere in Division III.
At one point during the year, he led all D-III tight ends nationally in receptions per game.
That production translated into a stack of postseason honors: fourth-team All-American from D3football.com, second-team All-American from the Associated Press, a spot on the Walter Camp Division III All-American team, first-team All-Region II, first-team All-ECAC, and first-team All-Empire 8 offense.
Frederick also picked up the Empire 8’s Torchbearer Award, given to the standout student-athlete with the top cumulative GPA among the conference’s top two teams – a nod to his work in the classroom as he pursues a physical therapy program at Utica.
By the end of last season, he had been named to three of the four major Division III All-American teams, with only the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America team left to complete the sweep.
From the Hardwood to the End Zone
Frederick’s path to becoming one of the top tight ends in Division III wasn’t a straight line. He arrived at Utica in 2023 after transferring from the basketball program at Herkimer College, choosing to focus solely on football.
He didn’t immediately settle in at tight end, either – the position switch came only after encouragement from teammates and Utica’s tight ends coach, who helped him work up the nerve to approach head coach Blaise Faggiano about making the move.
The gamble paid off. Frederick now sits among the most productive tight ends in program history, ranking in the top 10 in career receptions and receiving yards for the Pioneers, all built in a relatively short window since switching positions.
He briefly considered stepping away from Utica this year, given the demands of his physical therapy coursework, but ultimately chose to return for a final season, saying he wanted to help the program chase goals it hasn’t yet reached – namely, a first Empire 8 Championship and just the second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
Season Opener on the Horizon
Utica opens its 2026 campaign at home on Saturday, Sept. 5, hosting Washington & Jefferson – last season’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference champion – in the Mastrovito Auto Group Believe Bowl at Gaetano Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.
The Pioneers return a deep core of talent from a team that fell just short of an NCAA Tournament berth a year ago, and Frederick’s return headlines a roster with high expectations for the fall.
With his preseason All-American recognition already banked, all that’s left for the Little Falls product is to prove it on the field one more time.
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