Vidlak, Gray, Carthel Headline ‘Jacks’ 16 All-SLC Honorees

Photo by: Erika Cruz

Vidlak, Gray, Carthel Headline ‘Jacks’ 16 All-SLC Honorees

11/25/2025 1:43:00 PM | Football

2025 SLC Football All-Conference Teams

SFA puts a league-best dozen players on the first team; seven defenders receive all-league plaudits

FRISCO, Texas – Led by Southland Conference Coach of the Year Colby Carthel as well as SLC Offensive Player of the Year Sam Vidlak and Offensive Lineman of the Year Erik Gray, Stephen F. Austin football placed a league-leading 16 players on all-conference teams including five first-team defenders per the league's announcement on Tuesday morning.

Coach of the Year: Colby Carthel
2025 FCS Eddie Robinson Award finalist
In his seventh season, Carthel, who on Monday was named one of 15 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, has led the 'Jacks (10-2, 8-0 SLC) to the program's fifth Southland Conference title and its ninth FCS postseason appearance. SFA received the seventh seed in the upcoming FCS Playoffs and will host a non-opening round home game inside Homer Bryce Stadium for the first time since 1989. The December 6 second-round kickoff marks the latest home game on the calendar in program history and the first Christmas month home game since 2010.

The 'Jacks concluded the regular season on a 10-game win streak, the longest single-season streak in program history and tied for the longest overall. It's the program's fifth season of 10+ wins and first since 2009. SFA produced the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play. Carthel led SFA to the program's ninth unbeaten regular season home record in program history. Additionally, he captured career win No. 100 in the victory at Houston Christian and has moved into third place all-time on SFA's coaching wins list.

SFA enters the playoffs as a consensus Top 10 team holding the No. 10 ranking in both the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Media Poll and the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. The 'Jacks hold top 10 team statistical marks nationally in team tackles for loss (1st), punt return average (1st), total defense (2nd), third-down defense (2nd), first downs defense (3rd), rushing defense (3rd), scoring defense (3rd), red zone defense (4th), team sacks (7th), net punting (7th) and punt return defense (8th). Eight times this season a Lumberjack was named a Southland Conference Player of the Week with Jaydon Southard (10/6) and Bugs Mortimer (11/24) earning Stats Perform FCS National Player of the Week plaudits.

Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Vidlak
SLC Offensive Player of the Week (10/6)

At regular season's end, Vidlak boasted the highest efficiency rating in SLC at 159.9, ranked second in SLC in passing touchdowns (14) and completion percentage (68.2) and third in passing yards (1,401) and passing yards average (200.1). The Applegate, Oregon native threw three TD passes in wins over McNeese, UIW and Northwestern State and completed 15 or more passes in seven games with 30 completions against ETAM. This season, Vidlak crossed over 200+ passing yards seven times with multiple TD passes in five league games and in seven games total.

Vidlak's 18 total passing touchdowns rank second in the SLC, while his completion percentage (66.3%) ranks inside the FCS top 25. Overall, he's third overall in the SLC in passing efficiency (148.0), passing yards (2,090), passing average (190.0) and completions per game (16.45). Additionally, he is fourth overall in SLC in total offense (177.3), points responsible for (108) and passing yards per completion (11.55). Vidlak crossed over 5,000 collegiate passing yards this season, moved into the program's top 10 all-time in passing yards and became the ninth SFA quarterback to reach 40 passing TDs in a career.

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Erik Gray
Vidlak's successes were a direct result of the protection provided up front, and those efforts were orchestrated by the league's top offensive lineman in Amarillo native Erik Gray. Gray rates as the league's top center according to PFF's FCS player grades. His 73.7 offensive rating along with his 72.9 run blocking grade are tops among all SLC centers, while his pass blocking grade is fifth best among linemen with 390+ snaps played. Gray helped protect SFA quarterbacks to the tune of the league's fourth-best passing attack (225.3) and he was an integral part of a unit that allowed the fewest sacks per game in the SLC (1.42); which rates inside the FCS top 30. His run blocking provided space for the SLC's fourth-best overall rushing attack (162.8), an FCS top 20 redzone offense (89.4%) and an FCS top 25 first downs offense (257).

SLC FB First Team Offense
Sam Vidlak, QB
Erik Gray, OL

Jerrell Wimbley, RB
SLC Offensive Player of the Week (9/29)
SLC Offensive Player of the Week (9/22)
Houston native Jerrell Wimbley ranked second in SLC action in rushing yards (682) and rushing yards per game (85.3). He was one of two SLC backs with 130+ attempts in league play and he accounted for three 100+ yard rushing games including a career-high 171 yards on 29 attempts against McNeese. Overall, Wimbley produced the second-most rushing yards of any SLC back this season (888; 31st FCS) and he rates second overall in rushing average (74.0; 38^th FCS), third overall in the SLC in rush yards per carry (5.38; 45th FCS), fourth overall in SLC in rushing touchdowns (7) and fourth overall in the SLC in all-purpose yards per game (84.33). Wimbley's nine total touchdowns this season are a top ten mark in the league. This season, Wimbley crossed over 2,000 career rushing yards to move inside the program's all-time top ten in addition to eclipsing 3,000 career all-purpose yards.

Kylon Harris, WR
SLC Special Teams Player of the Week (9/22)
A native of Reserve, Louisiana, Harris' 2025 regular season saw him produce as the Only SLC receiver with 40+ catches and eight receiving TDs in league only action. He tied for the lead in touchdown catches (8) and rated second in the SLC in eight conference games in receiving yards (615) and receiving yards per game (76.9) and fourth in receptions (45). Harris concluded the '25 regular season as the fourth-highest PFF graded receiver in the SLC with a RECV rate of 78.1. Overall, Harris ranks 15th nationally in TD catches with nine, while his SLC ranks in receiving yards (800) and receiving yards per game (66.7) rate fourth. Additionally, Harris ranks third overall in the SLC (22nd nationally) in receptions per game (5.33), fourth in total touchdowns (10) and tenth in SLC in yards per reception (12.50) with top 12 marks in scoring average (5.0) and total points scored (60). Harris set a new program record with 16 catches and a career-high 183 receiving yards in the win at East Texas A&M which highlighted four 100+ yard receiving games during the regular season. He produced three or more catches in 11 of 12 games played this season. Harris also rates 11th in the SLC in all-purpose yard average (74.17), and he delivered a punt return TD vs. Cal Poly.

Chimdia Nwaiwu, OL
Nwaiwu, a native of Aledo, Texas, holds PFF's highest grade among SLC offensive tackles which includes the highest overall offensive rating among tackles as well as a league-best 82.5 pass block rating. He protected the outside edge of an SFA quarterback room that rated fourth in the SLC, while protecting the gunslingers at an SLC-best effort of 1.42 sacks per game: which rates inside the FCS top 30. His run blocking provided space for the SLC's fourth-best overall rushing attack (162.8), an FCS top 20 redzone offense (89.4%) and an FCS top 25 first downs offense (257).

Tug Sanford, LS
A native of Allen, Texas, Sanford has handled the long snapping duties for an SFA punting unit that leads the SLC in net punting (40.71) which rates seventh in FCS. SFA owns the league's top punt return defense (3.64) which rates eighth nationally in FCS. Sanford has recorded three tackles this season and has handled the holding duties for a field goal and extra point operation group that includes All-SLC second team place kicker Carlos Alvarado. The 'Jacks are 12-of-13 on FGA in 2025 including two from 54+ this season and have converted 51-of-52 XPA.

SLC FB First Team Defense
Ky Thomas, DL
2025 Doris Robinson FCS Scholar-Athlete Award finalist
2025 Williams V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist
A native of Elkhart, Texas, Thomas led the SLC with 5.5 sacks (.69 per game) in conference play and he was the only SLC player with double-digit TFL in league play (10.5; 1.31 per game). For the entire regular season, Thomas ranked third in the SLC in sacks per game (0.50) and fifth in tackles for loss per game (1.05). Thomas is SFA's top rated edge defender with PFF grades of 81.3 (DEF) and 82.5 (RUN DEF) which rates as the fifth best among all SLC edge defenders. In 11 games, Thomas has registered 11.5 TFL, 11 QBH and two pass break ups for an SFA defense that boast multiple top five rankings nationally including FCS-best tackles for loss production and total defense.

Aaron Austin, DL
An imposing presence among a nasty front seven, Austin ranked second in SLC with .64 sacks per game in conference play. He was the only SLC player with 4.0+ TFL in seven conference games played and he finished the regular season as one of eight SLC defenders with 5.0+ sacks. The Crowley, Texas native posted the second-highest PASS RUSH (84.9) PFF metric among SLC edge defenders in the regular season with the eighth-highest OVR DEF (78.5) PFF metric. He leads SFA in QBH with 13. In 11 games, Austin has been a massive part of an SFA defense that rates in the top five nationally in eight categories including leading the nation in tackles for loss and rating second in overall defense.

Jaydon Southard, LB
2025 FCS Buck Buchanan Award finalist
Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week (10/6)
SLC Defensive Player of the Week (10/6)
A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in FCS, Southard fits that mold. The Wichita Falls, Texas native rates eighth nationally in tackles average (10.0) which leads the Southland Conference. He is one of seven SLC defenders with 75+ tackles and a 9.5 tackles average in conference games and he is one of nine SLC defenders with 7.5 TFL in league action. Southard boast the fifth highest PFF DEF grade among all SLC linebackers which includes the third-highest PFF RDEF grade (91.7) and fourth-highest PFF PRUSH grade (76.1). Among the plethora of big plays made by the veteran 'Jack in '25 are a 46-yard fumble recovery vs. Nicholls and a 17-yard interception return vs. Cal Poly. He recorded 7+ tackles in seven of eight conference games, posted three straight games with 13+ tackles to open conference play and became the first SFA defender to cross over the century mark in tackles in a single season since 2019. Additionally, he is the first Lumberjack with multiple games of 16+ tackles in the same season since 2010.

Charles Demmings, DB
2026 East-West Shrine Bowl Invitee
Panini Senior Bowl Top 300
Highly touted and deservingly so, Demmings holds the third-highest passes defended average (1.00) in conference games. His eight passes defended (3 INTs, 5 PBUs) this season moved the longtime Lumberjack to the top of the career pass breakups chart in program history. He delivered pass breakups in four games including two vs. McNeese. The Mesquite, Texas native holds top 10 PFF metrics among all SLC cornerbacks in COV (78.2) and OVR DEF (78.1). A vocal leader, Demmings' presence has aided an SFA defense that ranks second in total defense in FCS along with a top three scoring defense and third down defense.

Jalen Mayo, DB
A native of Hampton, Virginia, Mayo's impact as a first year 'Jack has been undeniable. He leads the SLC leader in passes defended (10), passes defended per game (1.25) and interceptions (4). He is one of five SLC defenders with 6+ break ups this season. Mayo is the highest graded PFF cornerback in the Southland with a DEF grade of 89.6 which lands as the eighth-best mark nationally. He's the top coverage cornerback in the SLC with a PFF grade of 87.0, and he is the only SLC cornerback with a run defense grade of 90.0+. Overall, Mayo leads the SLC in passes defended average (1.00) which ranks 23rd in FCS, while his interceptions average per game of .33 ranks second in the SLC and 22nd nationally. A welcomed addition to an already stingy SFA secondary, Mayo's presence has helped the 'Jacks build the nation's second-best total defense with top five rankings in rush defense, scoring defense and team sacks among others.

Bugs Mortimer, PR
Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week (11/24)
SLC Special Teams Player of the Week (11/24)
SLC Special Teams Player of the Week (11/10)
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Mortimer is the nation's leader in punt return average (21.5), total punt return yards (537) and punt return touchdowns (4). The two-time SLC Special Teamer of the Week with a national honor following the regular season finale, Mortimer set a new Southland Conference single season record and SFA record with 537 punt return yards behind the league's fourth-highest single season return average of 21.5. His punt return yardage total is 165 more than any other FCS player in 2025. His 21.5 yards per return is the fifth highest among all NCAA (FBS, FCS, DII, DIII) returners, while his four scores lead the entire country. His name is also atop the single-game program record in punt return yards with 159 which he dazzled with against Nicholls. This season, Mortimer has totaled four games with 60+ punt return yards, holds a top 15 SLC mark in all-purpose yards average at 67.36 and has added 25 catches for 201 yards.

SLC FB Second Team Offense
Carlos Alvarado, PK
SLC Special Teams Player of the Week (11/17)
Alvarado finished the regular season as the SLC leader in points per game (8.1) behind a league-high 65 points. He owns the best FG% in league play at 90.9%, the second-most XPs at 35 and the second-most FGs with 10. His FG% rates fourth nationally and he carries a top 10 SLC mark in points responsible for (81) and points responsible for 7.4 points per game. That scoring average ranks second in the SLC and is a top 35 mark nationally. The Lecheria, Venezuela native is 7-for-8 on FGs of 30+ this season and he nailed a career-long 43 against Lamar in the first 3 FG game of his career.

SLC FB Second Team Defense
Eli Fields, DL
Fields concluded the regular season as the top rated SFA interior defensive lineman in terms of PFF grades. He holds the fourth highest PFF DEF grade among all SLC interior defenders and the second-best PFF RDEF grade of 86.6. The Houston, Texas native was run-stopping force for an SFA defense that boasts the nation's second-best total defense and third-best rushing defense. SFA allowed 90 or fewer rushing yards to an opponent seven times this season with no FCS opponent managing more than 146 yards in addition to four foes recording less than 40 yards on the ground.

Aaron Sears, DB
Sears delivered multiple tackles in nine games, including a season high five against UTRGV. The Tyler, Texas native recorded 3.5 tackles for loss, three QBH, one fumble recovery and an interception. He played a pivotal role for a Lumberjack defense that enters the playoffs holding top 10 team statistical marks nationally in team tackles for loss (1st), total defense (2nd), third-down defense (2nd), first downs defense (3rd), rushing defense (3rd), scoring defense (3rd), red zone defense (4th) and team sacks (7th).

Richard Reese, KR
A first-year 'Jack, Reese averaged 20.2 yards per kickoff return this season. He produced five games of 20+ kick return yards including a season-high 65 return yards highlighted by a 30-yard return at UIW. Overall, the Bellville, Texas native ranks 12th in the SLC in combined kick returns. Additionally, Reese was more than just a return threat. He recorded the longest rush and reception of his collegiate career vs. Sul Ross State and in 11 games he totaled 467 offensive yards on 74 touches with four touchdowns. In all, Reese accounted for 669 all-purpose yards on 84 touches.

TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets for the December 6 second-round matchup inside Homer Bryce Stadium are ON SALE NOW at: sfajacks.evenue.net/events/FPO.

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