Keep up with all of the postseason All-American awards for players from the OVC-Big South Football Association below.

CJ Bennett, WR - Lindenwood
• FCS Football Central Freshman All-American
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 3rd Team (PR and AP)
Ranked 29th nationally (and fifth among freshmen) in combined kick return yards (514) … Had 16 punt returns, averaging 10.7 yards/return (which ranked 19th nationally and third among freshmen) with a long of 31 … Had 15 kick returns, averaging 22.9 yards (which ranked 34th nationally and sixth among freshmen), with a long of 39.

Rico Bond, WR - Lindenwood
• FCS Football Central Freshman All-American
• Stats Perform Freshman All-American Team
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 1st Team
Finalist for Jerry Rice Award… Led Lindenwood with 61 catches in 12 games, finishing with 701 yards and a team-best six touchdowns … His 5.0 receptions/game ranked second in the OVC-Big South and third nationally among freshmen … Had a season-best 119 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a victory over Stony Brook … Added eight catches in that contest, a total that he also equaled against Gardner-Webb … Had seven catches for 102 yards and a touchdown against FBS foe Appalachian State.

Elijah Bowser, OL - UT Martin
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
Part of an offensive line for the OVC-Big South runner-up … Team ranked first nationally in time of possession (34:38), second in red zone offense (94.1%) and third in completion percentage (70.7%) … Team had four different players rusher for more than 400 yards on the season, as team tallied 1957 yards of rushing offense … Team also threw for 2,160 yards in 12 games.

Jobe Bryant, PR - Southeast Missouri
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 4th Team
Averaged 9.1 yarsd on 15 punt returns, tallying 37 total yards ... Had a long return of 61 yards ... Had four returns against Tennessee Tech and three against each Eastern Illinois, Gardner-Webb and Lindenwood ... 

Rashawn Cunningham, WR - Charleston Southern
• FCS Football Central Freshman All-American
Finalist for the Jerry Rice Award ... Cunningham led Charleston Southern with 33 catches for 604 yards and seven touchdowns in his debut season. His seven receiving touchdowns were second-most in the OVC-Big South and were third nationally among freshmen. He averaged 18.3 yards per reception, which was 27th nationally and fifth in the FCS among all freshmen. Against UT Martin he hauled in seven passes for 216 yards and a touchdown; it marked the fifth-most by a FCS player in 2025, the third-most in CSU history and fourth-most in OVC-Big South single-game history. Cunningham had a touchdown in five of the final six games of the season, including two in a victory at Western Illinois.

Theron Gaines, LB - Tennessee Tech
• FCS Football Central All-American Team - 1st Team
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
• Stats Perform All-American Team - 2nd Team
Finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award ... Anchored a defense that ranked first nationally in defensive touchdowns (5), second in rushing defense (76.1 yards/game), team sacks (3.75/game) and team tackles for loss (8.6/game), seventh in total defense (292.6 yards/game) and 11th in scoring defense (17.7 points/game) … Led team with 86 tackles (40 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks while also scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns, one on an interception and another on a fumble recovery … Ranked 12th nationally in fumble recoveries (2), while adding seven QBH and 2 PBUs … Team was 11-1 (8-0 Conference) and achieved highest Top 25 ranking ever.

Josiah Harris, DB - Gardner-Webb
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
Led Gardner-Webb with five interceptions, including a career-high three picks in a win at Tennessee State ... Had 57 total tackles (31 solo) and three pass breakups in 12 games ... Had a season-high nine tackles against FBS foe Ohio.

Cade Hechter, K - UT Martin
• AFCA All-American Team - 2nd Team
Missed only two kick attempts all season, going 15-of-17 in field goals and 27-of-27 on point after attempts … Ranked seventh nationally in field goal percentage (88.2%) and 12th in field goals made/game (1.25) … Was perfect from inside 41 yards (missing only a 44 and 51-yarder during the year).

Kyle Hicks, LS - Tennessee State
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 3rd Team
Long snapper for a team that was perfect on PATs, made 14 field goals and averaged 41.8 yards per punt.

Robert Holtz, DL - Gardner-Webb
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
• Stats Perform All-American Team - 3rd Team
Finished the regular season by ranking 10th nationally in sacks (0.92/game) and 13th in tackles for loss (1.38/game) … In 12 total games, registered 53 tackles (23 solo) with 16.5 tackles for loss (for -66 yards), 11.0 sacks (for -59 yards), 11 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles … Had a season-best 3.0 tackles for loss in three different games (all GWU victories), including a season-best 3.0 sacks (for -16 yards) in a victory over Southeast Missouri. He added a season-best nine tackles against UT Martin.

Veguer Jean-Jumeau, OL - Tennessee State
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 3rd Team
Started all 12 games for the Tigers and anchored an offensive line that supported TSU's balanced attack throughout the season.

Justin Joe, OL - Charleston Southern
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 4th Team
Started 12 games at center for CSU .. Team averaged 195.2 passing yards and 118.3 rushing yards/game ... Team had a season-high 442 yards at Lindenwood and added 434 yards of total offense against Gardner-Webb.

Keyshawn Johnson, DL - UT Martin
• FCS Football Central All-American Team - 1st Team
• Associated Press All-American Team - 1st Team
• Stats Perform All-American Team - 2nd Team
• AFCA All-American Team - 1st Team
• Phil Steele All-American Team - 1st Team
OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Year … Ranked third nationally in tackles for loss/game (1.67) and sacks (1.13/game) … Established UT Martin single-season sacks record (13.5), including five over his last three games and eight over his final five contests … Had 20.0 tackles for loss, including 3.5 vs. Tennessee Tech in season finale … Finished with 53 total tackles (30 solo), two forced fumbles and 10 quarterback hurries … Had multiple sacks in four games and multiple tackles for loss in seven contests, including 2.0 each against a pair of FBS foes in Oklahoma State and Missouri State.

Rahfeeq Katumbusi, OL - Eastern Illinois
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 1st Team
Among 12 offensive linemen honored on OVC-Big South 1st and 2nd Teams, he was the only freshman (and only player who was not a junior or senior) … Started 11 of 12 games at center for the Panthers … Team was fourth in the OVC-Big South in rushing offense (133.4 yards/game).

Chris Lofton, WR - Gardner-Webb
• Phil Steele All-American Team - 1st Team
Led Gardner-Webb with 56 catches and 934 receiving yards in 12 games ... Averaged 77.8 yards/game (first in the OVC-Big South), scoring five touchdowns and had a long catch of 67 yards ... Had his best game in the season finale against Western Illinois, making 11 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown ... Had six catches for 130 yards against UT Martin and six catches for 125 yards against Southeast Missouri ... His 5.25 receptions/game in Conference play ranked second ... 

Mason Miller, P - Eastern Illinois
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
• Stats Perform All-American Team - 3rd Team
OVC-Big South Special Teams Player of the Year … Led OVC-Big South and ranked fourth nationally in punting, averaging 47.4 yards per punt … Punted 53 times with only one touchback, which came in the second game of the season … Had a long punt of 65 yards (coming against nationally ranked Illinois State) and 19 of his punts traveled more than 50 yards … Was consistently able to flip the field for the Panthers, landing 19 of his punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Payne Miller, DL - Western Illinois
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 3rd Team
Played in 11 games during his redshirt freshman season ... Made 18 tackles (11 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and one pass breakup ... Had three tackles, including a tackle for loss, against Northwestern.

Anthony Paulk, DB - Charleston Sousthern
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 4th Team
OVC-Big South Defensive Freshman of the Year … Stuffed the stat sheet, recording 33 tackles (22 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception, six pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks in 12 games … His two blocked punts, coming in victories over Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State, ranked him tied for sixth nationally … Had six tackles against both South Carolina State and Eastern Illinois while he had an interception and a forced fumble against nationally ranked Tennessee Tech.

Andrew Smith, DB - Tennessee Tech
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
Had three interceptions on the season, two of which he returned for touchdowns ... Returned one 94 yards for a score against Tennessee State; the next week had a 16-yard interception return for a score against Western Illinois ... Also added seven pass breakups and seven tackles (six solo) during the regular season.

James Stewart, DL - Tennessee State
• FCS Football Central All-American Team - 2nd Team
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
Ranked eighth nationally in tackles for loss (1.46/game) and 15th in forced fumbles (0.25/game) … In 12 games tallied a team-best 68 tackles (32 solo) to go along with his 17.5 tackles for loss (for -65 yards), 6.0 sacks (for -34 yards), four pass breakups, seven quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles … Had a season-best 3.5 tackles for loss against UT Martin (in a game he had a season-high nine tackles) and added 3.0 at Eastern Illinois … Only once during the season did he have fewer than four tackles in a game.

Andrew Swingle, OL - Lindenwood
• Phil Steele Freshman All-American Team - 3rd Team
Appeared in 12 games ...  helped seven guys earn All-Conference honors on the offensive side of the ball ... Team ranked third in the OVC-Big South in scoring offense (24.8 points/game) and third in total offense per game (347.25 yards/game).

Logan Weedman, OL - Tennessee Tech
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
• Stats Perform All-American Team - 1st Team
• AFCA All-American Team - 1st Team
• Phil Steele All-American Team - 3rd Team
Anchored the offensive line for Association champions who were 11-1 overall (losing only to FBS Kentucky) and 8-0 in League play during the regular season while achieving its highest Top 25 ranking in school history … Team ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense (40.2 points/game), 15th in red zone offense (90.0%) and team pass efficiency (156.64), 16th in rushing offense (201.2 yards/game) and 21st in total offense (426.6 yards/game).

Drew Wilder, OL - Tennessee Tech
• FCS Football Central All-American Team - 3rd Team
• Associated Press All-American Team - Honorable Mention
Helped anchored line for Association champions who were 11-1 overall (losing only to FBS Kentucky) and 8-0 in League play while achieving its highest Top 25 ranking in school history … Team ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense (40.2 points/game), 15th in red zone offense (90.0%) and team pass efficiency (156.64), 16th in rushing offense (201.2 yards/game) and 21st in total offense (426.6 yards/game).


Full Listing of 2025 All-American Teams
• FCS Football Central Freshman All-American
• FCS Football Central All-American Team
• Associated Press All-American Team
• Stats Perform All-American and Freshman All-American Team
• AFCA All-American Team
• Phil Steele All-American and Freshman All-American Team