United Athletic Conference (UAC) Football wrapped up its competitive second season of play with the announcement of its postseason award winners and all-conference honorees as chosen by the league's head football coaches. The honor lists showcased the strength and depth of the the league as the superlative selections represented five different teams. The 2024 award recipients included Southern Utah's Targhee Lambson (Offensive Player of the Year), Central Arkansas' David Walker (Defensive Player of the Year), EKU's Patrick Nations (Specialist of the Year), North Alabama's Josh Anglin (Freshman of the Year) and league champion Abilene Christian's Keith Patterson (Coach of the Year).

Lambson adds the Offensive Player of the Year honor to his phenomenal 2024 campaign for the Thunderbirds. A top-three finalist for the prestigious Walter Payton Award, Lambson amassed an incredible 1,922 rushing yards on 320 attempts, averaging a stellar 6.0 yards per carry and 160.2 yards per game over 12 games. He found the end zone 23 times and showcased his explosiveness with a season-long 76-yard run. Along with his rushing success, Lambson contributed as a receiving threat, registering five catches for 43 yards and one touchdown.

For the second straight season, UCA defensive stalwart Walker collected the league's Defensive Player of the Year accolade. Walker, a two-time top-three finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and consensus All-American performer, finished the year with 23.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, both of which led the UAC. He ranked second in the FCS for TFLs and 9th in sacks. This season, Walker broke both career records for the Bears, finishing with 31.0 career sacks and 60.0 career TFL, in just three seasons at UCA. A unanimous choice for the award, he finished the 2024 season with 69 tackles, 4 forced fumbles (T-3rd in FCS) and 6 pass breakups.

A record-setting kicker for the Colonels, Nations went 9-of-13 on field goals with a long of 48 yards this season along with 3,758 total kickoff yards including a conference leading 40 touchbacks. Nations ended his EKU career with the program records in field goals made with 54 and kicking points in a career with 309. His strong leg helped the Colonels make their second FCS Playoff appearance in the past three seasons.

Anglin, a true freshman linebacker for UNA, was a finalist for the FCS Jerry Rice Freshman of the Year Award and garnered FCS Football Central Freshman All-American accolades. A three-time UAC Freshman of the Week honoree, Anglin ranked as the Lions second-leading tackler with 81 stops. The rookie tallied 7 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while also compiling a pass breakup, forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Anglin matched UNA's FCS school record with 14 tackles against Southern Utah and posted three double-digit tackle performances.

In his third season heading up the ACU program, Patterson led the Wildcats to the 2024 United Athletic Conference championship and the program's first appearance in the FCS playoffs. During the 2024 campaign, Patterson guided his squad to the program's first 4-game win streak since 2018. Under his tutelage, ACU defeated six opponents who were either ranked or receiving votes in a national poll including three consecutive weeks in November. Patterson's Wildcats nearly earned a win over an FBS foe, falling just one-point shy in a shootout at Texas Tech.

To the winners go the spoils as 2024 champion Abilene Christian topped the league with 14 selections on the All-Conference lists highlighted by seven first team accolades. Tarleton State was second with 10 honorees followed by eight for Southern Utah. EKU produced seven selections with Austin Peay (6), Central Arkansas (5), Utah Tech (1) and West Georgia (1) rounding out the list of recognitions.
 

First Team	Second Team
QB - Maverick McIvor (Abilene Christian)*	QB - Victor Gabalis (Tarleton State)*
RB - Targhee Lambson (Southern Utah)*	RB - Sam Hicks (Abilene Christian)*
RB - Kayvon Britten (Tarleton State)*	RB - ShunDerrick Powell (Central Arkansas)*
WR - Darius Cooper (Tarleton State)*	WR - Blayne Taylor (Abilene Christian)
WR - Nehemiah Martinez (Abilene Christian)	WR - Jaden Barnes (Austin Peay)
TE - Eni Falayi (Utah Tech)	TE - Jed Castles (Abilene Christian)
OL - Jacob Thielen (Abilene Christian)	OL - Alan Hatten (Abilene Christian)
OL - Payton Collins (EKU)	OL - Steven Eakins (Southern Utah)
OL - Collin Gardner (Southern Utah)	OL - Layton Ernst (Tarleton State)
OL - Lyle Santos (Southern Utah)	OL - Tuli Teuhema (Tarleton State)
C - Tay Yanta (Abilene Christian)	C - Edward Riley (Southern Utah)

 

First Team	Second Team
DL - David Walker (Central Arkansas)*	DL - David Oke (Abilene Christian)
DL - Malik Charles (West Georgia)*	DL - Kaghen Roach (Abilene Christian)
DL - Jerry Lawson (Abilene Christian)	DL - Darrian Baker (EKU)
DL - Brandon Tolvert (Tarleton State)	DL - Lando Brown (Southern Utah)
LB - Maddox Marcellus (EKU)*	LB - Chris Wright (Abilene Christian)
LB - Will Shaffer (Abilene Christian)	LB - Dion Hunter (Austin Peay)
LB - Jace Benesch (Central Arkansas)	LB - Ty Rawls (Tarleton State)
DB - TaMuarion Wilson (Central Arkansas)*	DB - Jesse Johnson III (Austin Peay)
DB - Mike Smith Jr. (EKU)*	DB - Jaheim Ward (EKU)
DB - George Ramirez (Southrn Utah)*	DB - Kasyus Kurns (Tarleton State)
DB - Jaden Lyles (Austin Peay)	DB - Donta Stuart (Tarleton State)

First Team	Second Team
K - Patrick Nations (EKU)*	K - Carson Smith (Austin Peay)
P - Jacob Baker (EKU)	P - Adrian Guzman (Tarleton State)
RS - Sam Hicks (Abilene Christian)*	RS - Romon Copeland Jr. (Austin Peay)
LS - Kyle Gasaway (Central Arkansas)	LS - Gavin Lipkin (Southern Utah)