Football | 6/10/2026 11:00:00 AM

COLUMBIA, Ky. - Lindsey Wilson entered the 2025 campaign unranked and unnoticed. However, within a matter of weeks from the start of the season, the Blue Raiders were a national talking point.

It started under the lights of Parnell Family Stadium on August 28 when Lindsey Wilson downed No. 10 Texas Wesleyan. Two weeks later, the Blue Raiders routed eighth-ranked St. Thomas (Fla.) for the first 3-0 start since 2022. When the first NAIA Coaches' Poll released on September 15, Lindsey Wilson had surged to No. 10. By the time a match-up with 11th-ranked Georgetown (Ky.) rolled around on October 4, the Blue Raiders were sitting comfortably at No. 7.

Lindsey Wilson went on to defeat the Tigers on the road and eventually clinch the program's sixth Mid-South Conference championship. In the ensuing NAIA Football Championship Series, the Blue Raiders overcame a 24-0 deficit to shock No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan, 57-31, in the Second Round before ultimately falling to top-ranked Grand View (Iowa).

Junior Davontaye Saunders was virtually unstoppable on the ground as he set program records for single-season rushing yards, single-season rushing touchdowns, single-season rushing yards per game, single-season 100-yard rushing games, single-season all-purpose yards, and single-game rushing yards -- 299 vs. Cumberland (Tenn.) on November 8. Four of his runs rank among the top-10 longest in program history.

Tate Rice passed for 2,464 yards -- ninth-most in a single season -- and 29 touchdowns -- seventh-most.

Khia Sherrard set the program single-game receiving yards record -- 215 vs. Texas Wesleyan on August 28. He finished the year with 854 receiving yards, which ranks second all-time behind teammate Max Gainey's 939 yards.

Byron Kirkland-Lundy's 581 kickoff return yards bested the previous school record set in 2019, and Gainey's 29.5 punt return yards per attempt topped the old mark of 22.3 set in 2015.

On defense, Khaleb Bridges recorded a program-best four interceptions in the win over Indiana Wesleyan.

 
Kentucky Collegiate All-Commonwealth Team
- Troy Churchill
- Howie Gant
- Larry Montgomery
- Tate Rice
- Davontaye Saunders
 
CSC Academic All-District
- Cole Burch
- Troy Churchill
- Chevis Elliott
- Cale Johnson
- Stevin Mack
- Kelson McKinney
- Chase Murray
- Seth Phillips
 
Victory Sports Network All-America
First Team
- Davontaye Saunders
 
Second Team
- Max Gainey
- Khia Sherrard
- Larry Montgomery
 
Third Team
- Khaleb Bridges
- Cameron Rankins
 
Honorable Mention
- Tate Rice
 
Associated Press NAIA All-America
First Team
- Davontaye Saunders
 
Second Team
- Khaleb Bridges
 
American Football Coaches Association NAIA All-America
First Team
- Davontaye Saunders
 
Second Team
- Larry Montgomery
 
Third Team
- Khia Sherrard
 
NAIA Player of the Week
- Davontaye Saunders | Offensive; November 10
 
NAIA Scholar-Athletes
- Andrew Gant
- Boyce Smith
- Braylon Garrett
- Cale Johnson
- Cameron Houston
- Chevis Elliott
- Devonte Jackson
- Dylan Schulkers
- Elijah McIntosh
- Esley Cornelius
- John Randolph
- Kelson McKinney
- Landon Burch
- Patrick Kelly
- Preston Parks
- Pryor Lamb
- Sam Taylor
- Seth Phillips
- Stevin Mack
- Troy Churchill
 
All-Mid-South Conference
- Phil Kleckler | Ron Finley Coach of the Year
- Jay Bright | Assistant Coach of the Year
 
First Team
- Davontaye Saunders | Offensive Player of the Year
- Tate Rice | Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year
- Larry Montgomery
- Khia Sherrard
- Max Gainey
- Darius Moore
- Cameron Rankins
- Khaleb Bridges
 
Second Team
- Preston Parks
- Shadie Rankhorn
- Seth Phillips
- Troy Churchill
- Ronald Carr
- Howie Gant
- Max Gainey
 
Mid-South Conference Player of the Week
- Khia Sherrard | Offensive; September 1
- Tate Rice | Offensive; September 8
- Cameron Rankins | Defensive; September 15
- Jadan Burns | Specialist; September 15 and November 17
- Davontaye Saunders | Offensive; September 15 & 22, October 13, and November 10
 
Mid-South Conference Champion of Character
- Lou Burchfield
 
Academic All-Mid-South Conference
- Cole Burch  
- Lou Burchfield  
- Kobyn Calhoun  
- Troy Churchill  
- Houston Cloud  
- Esley Cornelius III  
- Chevis Elliott  
- AJ Gant  
- Braylon Garrett  
- Ethan Hill  
- Donovan Holloway  
- Cam Houston  
- DJ Jackson  
- Cale Johnson  
- Ean Jones  
- Simon Keating  
- Patrick Kelly  
- Pryor Lamb  
- Stevin Mack  
- Eli McIntosh  
- Kelson McKinney  
- Darius Moore  
- Chase Murray  
- Preston Parks  
- Seth Phillips  
- Cameron Rankins  
- Jordyn Rice  
- Cade Rouse  
- Jacob Sanford  
- Dylan Schulkers  
- Khia Sherrard  
- Boyce Smith  
- Malik Smith  
- Tucker Swindler  
- Sam Taylor  
- Sam Taylor