SEARCY, Ark. – Harding University senior offensive tackle Jake Mitchell has been named one of eight national finalists for the 2025 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award, the Manheim Touchdown Club announced Friday.
Mitchell represents Super Region 4 and is Harding's second consecutive finalist for the award (Gage Price, DL, 2024).
A native of Greenhill, Alabama, Mitchell is the leader of a Harding offensive unit that ranks as the most dominant rushing attack in the country. The 6-foot-2, 270-pound tackle has powered the Bisons to a 13-0 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II Championship quarterfinals.
Mitchell, a 2025 First-Team All-Great American Conference selection, anchors an offensive line that leads NCAA Division II in rushing offense with 455.2 yards per game. The unit also ranks No. 1 nationally in fewest sacks allowed and fewest tackles for loss allowed. Mitchell serves as a primary blocker for 2025 Harlon Hill finalist Andrew Miller, who is one of two 1,000-yard rushers for the Bisons this season.
The eight finalists—two from each of the four NCAA Division II super regions—were selected by sports information directors from across the country. Mitchell is joined in Super Region 4 by Central Washington center Slade Edwards.
The other six finalists include:
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Super Region 1: Joe Cooper (OT, Slippery Rock) and Ryan Schernecke (OT, Kutztown)
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Super Region 2: Will Hart (OG, Wingate) and Avery Swinton (OT, Catawba)
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Super Region 3: Tim Anderson (OT, Ferris State) and Michael Shimek (DE, Ashland)
Mitchell is one of three finalists still competing in the NCAA playoffs, alongside Kutztown's Schernecke and Ferris State's Anderson.
The award is voted upon by sports information directors from across Division II. The winner will be announced on Friday, Dec. 12.
The award is named in honor of the late Gene Upshaw, who was an All-Pro lineman for the Oakland Raiders and later served as the executive director of the NFL Players Association for 25 years. Upshaw, a standout at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
