SEARCY, Ark. — Following a flawless 11-0 regular season that saw them capture the GAC Championship and earn the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II playoffs, the No. 2 ranked Harding Bisons dominated the 2025 Great American Conference (GAC) Football Awards. The Bisons secured three of the league's four major individual honors and placed 11 players, totaling a conference-high 12 selections, on the All-GAC First Team, the league announced Wednesday.
The major award winners included senior running back Braden Jay as Offensive Player of the Year, senior outside linebacker Clark Griffin as Defensive Player of the Year, and Paul Simmons who was named Coach of the Year.
Major Awards and Statistical Dominance
Jay's Offensive Player of the Year award is the second in Harding's GAC history, following Park Parish's win in 2016. Jay, a senior from Cabot, Arkansas, was the catalyst for the Bisons' nation-leading rushing attack (460.2 yards per game). He totaled 1,043 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging a phenomenal 14.1 yards per carry—a figure that ranks among the highest in Division II history.
He joins First-Team selection, junior fullback Andrew Miller (a unanimous choice), to form one of the GAC's most dominant backfields. Miller was the GAC's rushing leader, finishing the season with 1,363 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, which ranks third in all of Division II football.
Clark Griffin's Defensive Player of the Year honor continues a tradition of excellence, marking the program's fourth such award since 2016 (Tre'von Biglow in 2016, T.J. Winslow in 2018, and Nathaniel Wallace in 2023). Griffin, a unanimous selection, anchored a Bisons defense that led the GAC in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 6.36 points per game. The Mountain Brook, Alabama native led the unit with 113 total tackles (44 solo, 69 assist) and became the NCAA-era leader in career tackles for the program during the season. He was also a key component of a defense that held opponents to just 96.9 rushing yards per game.
Simmons received his second career Coach of the Year award (also winning in 2023) after guiding the Bisons to their third consecutive GAC championship and the program's third 11-0 regular season finish.
2025 All-GAC Honorees (24 Total Selections)
Harding's record-breaking season was reflected in its total of 24 All-Conference selections, spanning the First, Second, and Third teams:
First Team All-GAC (12 Players, 13 Selections)
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Offense: Braden Jay (RB), Andrew Miller (FB* - Unanimous), Cobe Williams (C), Mike Ericson (OL), Jake Mitchell (OL).
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Defense: Clark Griffin (OLB* - Unanimous), Justin Sobczak (DE), Jordan Mays (ILB), Joseph Oluwayemi (DT), Troy Wiseman (CB), Ty Dugger (S* - Unanimous).
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Special Teams: Magnus Lepak (K), Ty Dugger (S/T Returner).
Second and Third Team All-GAC (11 Selections)
The Second-Team honorees were:
The Third-Team honorees were:
Academic Excellence: All-GAC Scholar-Athletes
Harding's success was not limited to the field; the program also displayed exceptional academic excellence, leading the conference with 33 players earning Academic All-GAC honors (requiring a minimum 3.50 GPA with at least sophomore academic standing).
This group includes multiple All-GAC athletic honorees, highlighting the program's commitment to balancing competition and academics. Notable players earning both distinctions include Offensive Player of the Year Braden Jay, First-Team safety Ty Dugger, First-Team fullback Andrew Miller, and First-Team lineman Cobe Williams.
2025 Academic All-GAC Honorees (3.50+ GPA):
