Six UCU Football Players Receive All-AAC Honors

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – The Appalachian Athletic Conference announced its 2025 Football All-AAC Teams and Awards on Tuesday, with six Union Commonwealth University players earning All-AAC honors.

Since joining the AAC in the fall of 2022, the Bulldogs have continued to find success with players earning postseason recognition. Union has produced eight First-Team All-AAC selections and 18 Second-Team All-AAC honorees in its four years in the conference.

First-Team All-AAC

Tajii Jackson (RB): The senior from Nicholasville, Kentucky, led the Bulldogs in rushing and finished second in the AAC with 787 yards on 173 attempts. He averaged 87.4 yards per game, also second in the league. Jackson averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns. He was named First-Team All-AAC following his sophomore season and Second-Team All-AAC during his junior campaign. This season, he earned Access Health Player of the Game honors multiple times.

Ty Ellis (DL): The sophomore from Spartanburg, South Carolina, tied for second in the AAC with five sacks. He recorded 39 total tackles, including 15 solo stops. Ellis was also named to the AAC All-Academic Team.

Samuel Hawthorne (LB): The redshirt senior from Arkadelphia, Arkansas, tied for second in the AAC with five sacks. He finished the season with 46 tackles, 19 of them solo. Hawthorne was a Second-Team All-AAC selection during his sophomore season and earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this fall.

Second-Team All-AAC

Cedric Irvin (OL): The sophomore from Stockbridge, Georgia, continued to establish himself as one of the conference's top offensive linemen. As Union's starting center, Irvin anchored the interior line and helped fuel the Bulldogs' run game. He was also named to the AAC All-Academic Team.

DJ Washington (DB): The sophomore from Marietta, Georgia, totaled 30 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He finished sixth in the AAC with two interceptions and earned AAC All-Academic recognition.

Selatian Straughter (KR): The redshirt junior from Monroe, Georgia, returned 32 kicks for 590 yards this season. He added 13 punt returns for 180 yards and a touchdown. Straughter was also named Access Health Player of the Game once this season.

Junior offensive lineman Lucas Gibson was Union's representative on the AAC Champions of Character Team.

Additionally, the following student-athletes were named to the AAC All-Academic Team:

Dustin Brown, Donell Casey, Trenton Childers, Ty Davis, Ellis, Gibson, Kolton Goff, Bryson Grabowski, Garomme Hanna, Irvin, Devin Jamison, Jacob Johnson, Peyton Jordan, Camron Mitchell, Wyatt Morris, Qua Powell, RW Sanford, Santana Smith, Branson Smith, Keaton (Jacob) Sparkman, Tate Spayd, Xander Spears, Landon Thompson, Wade Walker, Bryston Wells, Jayden Ward, Washington and Antwan Young.