LAKE CHARLES – McNeese defensive lineman Phillip Bradford, offensive lineman William Bressi, and punter Fabrizio Pinton were named to the 2025 All-Southland Conference Football First Team while offensive lineman Cody Brackeen earned Second Team honors, the league office released on Tuesday.
 
The Cowboys won four of their last six games, including capturing the Battle of the Border trophy in a 21-19 season finale win at Lamar. That victory finished McNeese's conference record at 4-4, marking the first time since 2019 the Cowboys finished .500 or above in league play for the season. Overall, McNeese compiled a 5-7 record but was 5-5 minus the two FBS games.
 
Bradford, a junior from Monroe, had a breakout season for the Cowboys. He tied a single-season school record with two interceptions returned for a touchdown. He led the conference and ranked seventh in the nation with 15.5 tackles for a loss on the season and led the Cowboys while ranking third in the league with 5.5 sacks. He totaled 40 tackles, three pass break-ups, five quarterback hurries and recovered a fumble while playing in all 12 games.
 
In his first season with the Cowboys, Pinton led the conference and ranked 15^th in the nation in punting with a 43.8 average which is tied as the second-best average in school history. His punting led McNeese to a school-record 40.39 net punting average for the season. The senior from The Woodlands saw 16 punts downed inside the 20, second-most in the conference and booted seven kicks that traveled 50 yards or more.
 
Bressi and Brackeen anchored an offensive line that helped the team provide the league's No. 1 rushing attack with 2,329 yards and a 194.1 per game average. That also ranked McNeese No. 20 in the FCS. The Cowboys scored 23 rushing touchdowns, 16^th-most in the nation while the 4.85 yards per carry ranked as the 22^nd-highest average in the country.
 
Bressi, a senior from Forney, Texas, started all 12 games for the Cowboys and played a total of 758 snaps out of 808 on the season, a 94 percent rate. He ranked second on the team with 30 knockdown blocks. He was a key part of an offense that rushed for 300 yards or more in a game three times on the season.
 
Brackeen led the Cowboys with 773 snaps played which was 96 percent of the total snaps on the season. The senior from Springtown, Texas started all 12 games and recorded a team-high 35 knockdown blocks. He was part of an offense that averaged 201.1 yards per game rushing in league play.
 
2025 Southland Conference Football Individual Superlative Winners
Player of the Year: Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern
Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Vidlak, SFA
Defensive Player of the Year: KK Reno, Southeastern
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Erik Gray, SFA
Newcomer of the Year: Eddie Lee Marburger, UTRGV
Freshman of the Year: Tony Diaz, UTRGV
Coach of the Year: Colby Carthel, SFA
 
2025 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Offense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
QB	Sam Vidlak*	SFA	Sr.	Applegate, Ore.
QB	Eddie Lee Marburger*	UTRGV	R-Sr.	MIssion, Texas
RB	Xai'Shaun Edwards	HCU	R-Fr.	League City, Texas
RB	Jerrell Wimbley	SFA	Sr.	Houston, Texas
TE/HB	Devyn Gibbs	Lamar	Jr.	Tomball, Texas
WR	Jalen Walthall	UIW	R-Sr.	Missouri City, Texas
WR	Kylon Harris	SFA	Sr.	Reserve, La.
WR	Tony Diaz	UTRGV	R-Fr.	San Marcos, Texas
OL	Erik Gray	SFA	Jr.	Amarillo, Texas
OL	William Bressi	McNeese	Sr.	Forney, Texas
OL	Chimdia Nwaiwu	SFA	Jr.	Aledo, Texas
OL	Reggie Brooks	Lamar	Sr.	Wylie, Texas
OL	Knox Boyd	Lamar	Sr.	Denton, Texas
PK	Ben Woodard	Lamar	Sr.	Plano, Texas
P	Fabrizio Pinton	McNeese	Sr.	The Woodlands, Texas
LS	Tug Sanford	SFA	Jr.	Allen, Texas

 
2025 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Defense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
DL	Kaleb Proctor	Southeastern	Sr.	Oak Grove, La.
DL	Ky Thomas	SFA	Gr.	Elkhart, Texas
DL	Phillip Bradford	McNeese	Jr.	Monroe, La.
DL	Aaron Austin	SFA	Sr.	Crowley, Texas
LB	Jaydon Southard	SFA	Sr.	Wichita Falls, Texas
LB	KK Reno	Southeastern	Sr.	New Iberia, La.
LB	Declan Williams	UIW	Sr.	Hamilton, Texas
DB	Charles Dmemings	SFA	Sr.	Mesquite, Texas
DB	Kristian Pugh	Lamar	Sr.	Beaumont, Texas
DB	Tyran Chappell	HCU	R-Fr.	Denton, Texas
DB	Jalen Mayo	SFA	R-Jr.	Hampton, Va.
DB	Ty Marsh	Nicholls	R-Sr.	Dallas, Texas
KR	Brandon Hayes	Southeastern	Sr.	Hattiesburg, Miss.
PR	Bugs Mortimer	SFA	R-Jr.	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

2025 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Offense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
QB	EJ Colson	UIW	R-Fr.	Byron, Ga.
RB	Deantre Jackson	Southeastern	Sr.	New Orleans, La.
RB	Miequle Brock Jr.	Nicholls	So.	Pensacola, Fla.
TE/HB	Cade Collier	Southeastern	R-Sr.	Mobile, Ala.
WR	Jaylon Domingeaux	Southeastern	Jr.	Lafayette, La.
WR	Devin Matthews	East Texas A&M	So.	Seguin, Texas
WR	Christian Jourdain	East Texas A&M	Sr.	New Orleans, La.
OL	Holden Karekowsky	Southeastern	R-Sr.	New Orleans, La.
OL	Kortez Winslow	Lamar	So.	Houston, Texas
OL	Nick Hughes	UTRGV	R-Fr.	San Antonio, Texas
OL	Traveon Newsome	UIW	Gr.	Acres Home, Texas
OL	Cody Brackeen*	McNeese	Sr.	Springtown, Texas
OL	Jadin Jones*	East Texas A&M	Sr.	Killeen, Texas
PK	Carlos Alvarado	SFA	R-So.	Lecheria, Venezuela
P	Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling	UTRGV	R-Jr.	Grandview Heights, Ohio
LS	Cade Collier	Southeastern	R-Sr.	Mobile, Ala.

2025 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Defense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
DL	Ian Box	UTRGV	R-Jr.	Seguin, Texas
DL	Joshua Randall	Southeastern	R-Sr.	New Orleans, La.
DL	Peyton Christian	Lamar	Jr.	Oak Grove, La.
DL	Elijah Fields	SFA	Jr.	Houston, Texas
LB	Jake Dalmado	Nicholls	Jr.	Mandeville, La.
LB	Koby-Sebasyen King	East Texas A&M	Sr.	Houston, Texas
LB	Kyree Anderson	East Texas A&M	Sr.	Cypress, Texas
DB	Ian Conerly-Goodly	Southeastern	Sr.	Covington, La.
DB	Paul Omodia	Lamar	Jr.	Kilgore, Texas
DB	Ethan Lee	Nicholls	Sr.	Thibodaux, La.
DB	Aaron Sears	SFA	Jr.	Tyler, Texas
DB	Laurence Sullivan Jr.	Nicholls	R-Sr.	Vicksburg, Miss.
KR	Richard Reese*	SFA	Sr.	Bellville, Texas
KR	LaDamian McDowell*	Lamar	Fr.	New Orleans, La.
PR	Kyndon Fuselier	Lamar	Sr.	Nederland, Texas

^{* = Denotes tie}