Harding Football Players Earn AP All-America Honors

SEARCY — Three Harding University football players have been recognized for their outstanding performances, with two earning first-team All-America honors and one receiving second-team recognition.

Senior defensive lineman Gage Price and senior linebacker Clark Griffin both earned first-team All-America honors. Price, a 6-foot-3, 283-pound nose guard from Hamburg, Arkansas, recorded 37 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. His dominant performance helped Harding lead the nation in total defense (200.6 yards per game). Price finished fifth in Gene Upshaw award voting, the highest finish by a nose guard since 2008.

Griffin, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound linebacker from Mountain Brook, Alabama, led Harding with 110 tackles, the third-highest total at Harding since 2000. He added 12.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, playing a crucial role in the Bisons' defensive success.

Senior right tackle Jake Dugger was named to the second-team All-America offense. Dugger, from Searcy, Arkansas, started all 14 games for the Bisons, helping Harding lead NCAA Division II in scoring offense (48.1 points per game) and rushing offense (413.9 yards per game). The Bisons also ranked fourth in total offense (483.7 yards per game).

With these three honorees, Harding football has now had 12 AP All-Americans in program history. The tradition of excellence began with current Harding head coach Paul Simmons, who earned first-team honors as a linebacker in 1994. Last season, defensive lineman Nathaniel Wallace and offensive lineman Hunter Willis were also recognized as AP All-Americans.

The AP Division II All-America team is selected by a panel of sports information directors representing the four Division II super regions.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Nathaniel Wallace: DL; 6' 2"; Senior

#74 Hunter Willis: OL; 6' 2"; Senior

#57 Jake Dugger: OL; 6' 3"; Senior

#24 Clark Griffin: LB; 5' 9"; Senior

#55 Gage Price: DL; 6' 3"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#32 Nathaniel Wallace
: 6' 2"; Senior
: DL

#74 Hunter Willis
: 6' 2"; Senior
: OL

#57 Jake Dugger
: 6' 3"; Senior
: OL

#24 Clark Griffin
: 5' 9"; Senior
: LB

#55 Gage Price
: 6' 3"; Senior
: DL