WALTHAM, Mass. – Salvatore Lupoli Jr. was named the top NCAA D-II/D-III football player in New England, the New England Football Writers announced Tuesday.

New England Football Writers release

Lupoli, a graduate student linebacker, rounded out his prestigious collegiate career as the Most Valuable Player in the Northeast-10. The Chelmsford, Mass. native is the first defensive player in the conference since 2000 to earn NE10 MVP. Lupoli is Bentley's first NE10 MVP since Bryant Johnson in 2010.

Lupoli led all of NCAA D-II in tackles per game (12.3). He became Bentley's all-time leading tackler with 337, surpassing Bryan Hardy's career record of 332 tackles (2013-16) during the NE10 championship game at New Haven (Nov. 11).

Lupoli's 123 tackles in 2023 tied the school record held by Matt Zahoruiko since 2009.

During the fifth week of the season at St. Anselm, Lupoli notched a career-high 23 tackles (13 solo). It was the most tackles by a Falcon in a game in more than 30 years. Lupoli was subsequently named the NE10 Defensive Player of the Week, D2football.com Defensive Player of the Week, and received the Gold Helmet for best NCAA D-II/D-III player in New England that week.

Lupoli's 13 tackles-for-a-loss paced the NE10 this year, and his six sacks were 0.5 shy of tying the conference lead.

Tajon Vassar was also named to the 2023 New England Division II/III All-New England Team as a kick returner. The Worcester, Mass. native had an average of 33.5 yards per kickoff return to lead all of NCAA D-II, and he returned two kicks for a touchdown in 2023. Vassar was twice named the NE10 Special Teams Player of the Week in 2023. Vassar was named All-NE10 Second Team as a return specialist, and All-NE10 First Team has a corner back. He tied for the conference in interceptions with five.