NASHVILLE, Tenn. - United Athletic Conference (UAC) Football moved its Media Day event from Dallas to Music City this season but the announcement of its Preseason All-Conference team and Coaches' Poll was still the opening act. Tarleton State quarterback Victor Gabalis (Offensive Player of the Year) and Abilene Christian linebacker Will Shaffer (Defensive Player of the Year) collecting the season superlative honors while Tarleton State claimed the top spot in the poll as voted on by the head coaches.

Gabalis, a senior from Duvall, Wash., was UAC Second Team All-Conference in leading the Texans to a 9-3 overall record as the starting quarterback, 6-2 in UAC play. He completed 193-of-309 (.625) for 2,883 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games, averaging 240.3 passing yards per game. Gabalis set career-bests in pass yards, pass touchdowns and improved his completion percentage by eight percent. He threw a season-high four touchdowns twice, including in the second round of the playoffs at No. 4 ranked South Dakota, where he also had a season-high 379 passing yards. He had six multi-TD games on the year, including four games with three or more touchdowns. Nationally, Gabalis was third in pass yards per completion (14.9), sixth in pass yards per attempt (9.3), 11th in pass yards, 18th in pass yards per game and 18th in pass TD.

A graduate student from Tempe, Ariz., Shaffer was named First Team All-UAC while also garnering All-America from four media outlets in 2024: Associated Press (Honorable Mention), FCS Stats Perform (2nd Team), FCS Football Central (3rd Team), Phil Steele (4th Team). He was also one of 35 national finalists for Buck Buchanan Award, given to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year. Shaffer started all 14 games for the Wildcats at weakside linebacker and led UAC and was 8th in FCS with 123 tackles which tied for 6th most in a single season in ACU history. In a season filled with highlights, one standout moment was his victory clinching last-minute interception against No. 5 Central Arkansas.

A total of 27 players were chosen for the All-Conference squad led by six selections from Eastern Kentucky with Central Arkansas and Tarleton State each boasting five picks. Defending league champion Abilene Christian had four honorees while 2023 Champion Austin Peay secured three selections. North Alabama and Southern Utah rounded out the preseason honors with a pair of choices each.

In the Coaches' Poll, TSU was the consensus pick collecting eight of the nine first place votes and a total of 80 points as the preseason choice to capture the UAC crown. The Texans finished 10-4 last season including a 6-2 mark in league play en route to advancing to the second round of the FCS Playoffs. ACU (9-5, 7-1 UAC), defending champions and another of the league's FCS Playoff participants, claimed the other first place vote and 68 points to sit in second while the UAC's third playoff performer, EKU (8-5, 6-2 UAC), secured 59 points for the third spot in the rankings.

Southern Utah (7-5, 6-2 UAC) was picked to finish fourth with a total of 50 points with Central Arkansas (6-6, 3-5 UAC) in fifth-place netting 45 points followed by Austin Peay (4-8, 4-4 UAC) with 41 points in sixth-place. North Alabama (3-9, 3-5 UAC) and West Georgia (4-7, 1-7 UAC) shared the seventh position with 26 points apeice and Utah Tech (1-11, 1-7 UAC) rounded out the preseason poll in ninth place.

For a third consecutive season, UAC Football has a squad participating in Week 0 competition as Tarleton State visits Portland State on Aug. 23. The Texans are also part of the 2025 debut for UAC head-to-head contests when they host Central Arkansas on Sept. 13.

2025 PRESEASON UAC COACHES POLL
1. Tarleton State (8 first-place votes) -- 80 points
2. Abilene Christian (1 first-place vote) -- 68 points
3. EKU -- 59 points
4. Southern Utah -- 50 points
5. Central Arkansas -- 45 points
6. Austin Peay -- 41 points
T7. North Alabama  -- 26 points
T7. West Georgia -- 26 points
9. Utah Tech -- 10 points

2025 UAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Victor Gabalis (Tarleton State)*
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Will Shaffer (Abilene Christian)*

OFFENSE
QB - Victor Gabalis (Tarleton State)*
RB - Brayden Latham (EKU)*
RB - Jayvian Allen (North Alabama)
WR - Malachi Henry (Central Arkansas)
WR - Marcus Calwise Jr. (EKU)
TE - Jed Castles (Abilene Christian)
OL - Will Diggins (Central Arkansas)
OL - Jamal Mull (Central Arkansas)
OL - Ryan Walker (North Alabama)*
OL - Hunter Smith (Tarleton State)
C - Chandler Kirton (Austin Peay)

DEFENSE
DL - Chris Wright (Abilene Christian)
DL - Bradley Clark (Central Arkansas)
DL - Lando Brown (Southern Utah)
DL - Brandon Tolvert (Tarleton State)
LB - Will Shaffer (Abilene Christian)*
LB - Brayden Sullivan (EKU)
LB - Ty Rawls (Tarleton State)
DB - Dorian Plumley (Abilene Christian)
DB - Ellis Ellis Jr. (Austin Peay)
DB - Dillon Williams (Central Arkansas)
DB - Jaheim Ward (EKU)
DB - Kasyus Kurns (Tarleton State)

SPECIAL TEAMS
K - Carson Smith (Austin Peay)
P - Jacob Baker (EKU)
RS - Jalen Montgomery (EKU)
LS - Gavin Lipkin (Southern Utah)

* - Denotes unanimous selection
NOTE: Due to voting ties, a 12-member Defensive Team was selected