RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – On Wednesday, the Great American Conference announced the 2025 all-conference teams, year-end superlative awards and academic honor roll. The coaches voted Harding running back Braden Jay the Offensive Player of the Year and linebacker Clark Griffin the Defensive Player of the Year. Arkansas Tech running back Bryson Roland garnered Freshman of the Year and the Bisons’ ?Paul Simmons won Coach of the Year.
Additionally, a total of nine student-athletes also received the Elite Scholar Athlete award, presented by Conway Regional Health System, in Arkansas-Monticello’s Tevontae Bond, Cayden Dominey, Derius Franklin, Ndubuisi Nwankwo and Joshua Richardson; Arkansas Tech’s Peyton Tatum and Gavin Waits, East Central’s Seth Spady and Southern Nazarene’s Kendall Robertson. All nine have maintained perfect 4.00 grade-point averages.
2025 GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL AWARDS
Jay joined former quarterback Park Parish as the only Bisons named Offensive Player of the Year. Parish won in 2016. Jay ran for 1,043 yards on only 74 carries. Each of the 23 1,000-yard rushers in Division II have at least 153 carries. He averaged 14.1 yards per carry and he scored 16 touchdowns, 10th-most in the country. Griffin, the fourth Bison lauded as Defensive Player of the Year, led the conference with 116 tackles. He added 10.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. He scored on an interception return against Oklahoma Baptist. Under Simmons, the Bison defense ranks first in Division II in scoring defense, total defense and red zone percentage. They shut out four opponents.
Roland, the first Wonder Boy named Freshman of the Year, ranks third among Division II freshmen with 1,054 yards and seventh with nine rushing touchdowns. He helped the Wonder Boys secure their first winning season and first bowl appearance since 2017.
Led by Jay and Griffin, the GAC champion Bisons placed 12 on the First Team. Fullback Andrew Miller made the team by unanimous consent. He finished the regular season with 1,363 rush yards, the seventh-best total in DII. His 19 rush touchdowns rank third nationally. Three members of the Bisons offensive line - Mike Ericson, Jake Mitchell and Cobe Williams - made the First Team. The Bisons lead all of college football in rush yards per game, 460.1, and rushing touchdowns, 66.
Ty Dugger unanimously made the team at safety. He also made the team at the special teams position. He made 53 tackles and averaged 10.6 yards per punt return. Four additional members of the Harding defense - Jordan Mays, Joseph Oluwayemi, Justin Sobczak and Troy Wiseman - landed on the First Team, as did kicker Magnus Lepak.
Three from Ouachita Baptist, Henderson State and Southern Arkansas made the First Team. The Tigers’ Carter McElhany made the team at both wide receiver and return specialist. He led the GAC in both receiving yards, 772, and receiving touchdowns, eight. He averaged 30.1 yards per return and had a 99-yard return touchdown in the season opener against East Central. Linebacker Justin Crutchmer and cornerback Steven Weston made the team. Crutchmer led the Tigers with 79 tackles and Weston intercepted three passes.
Quarterback Andrew Edwards, tight end Cayden Davis and safety Lanard Harris represented the Reddies on the First Team. Edwards led the GAC in passing yards, total offense and touchdowns responsible for. He became the fourth quarterback in league history to throw for 10,000 yards in a career. Davis caught 44 passes for 573 yards and four touchdowns. Harris made 48 tackles and intercepted two passes.
SAU’s First-Team representation included punter Jay Todd Baker, running back Arkez Gomez and lineman Connor Hagerty. Baker averaged 44.7 yards per punt. He placed 11 of his 32 punts inside the 20-yard line. Gomez accounted for 837 combined rushing and receiving yards. He scored five touchdowns.
Southwestern Oklahoma State produced a pair of First-Team honorees in wide receiver Baylor Nash and defensive tackle Cameron Guyton. Nash averaged 20.3 yards per reception and scored seven touchdowns. Guyton recorded 5.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks.
Arkansas Tech defensive end Israel Whitmore, ?Arkansas-Monticello linebacker Ghee Evans, Oklahoma Baptist wide receiver Nick Harris and Southeastern Oklahoma State offensive lineman Trinton Jones rounded out the First Team. Whitmore led the Wonder Boys with 8.0 tackles-for-loss. Evans led the league with 15.0 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks. Harris finished the regular season ranked second in the GAC with 749 receiving yards.
The GAC Academic Honor Roll featured a total of 243 student-athletes to have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50, or higher, combined with at least one year of one-year of full-time college residency.