CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Seven Austin Peay State University football players were named 2025 First Team All-United Athletic Conference selections, while Carson Smith and Montreze Smith were named the UAC Specialist of the Year and UAC Freshman of the Year, respectively, the league announced Tuesday.

Austin Peay led the conference with four first-team selections on offense, with no other team having more than two first-team honorees on offense. The Governors also had a league-leading seven total First Team All-UAC selections, with no other team having more than five first-team selections.

Quarterback Chris Parson, offensive lineman Joshua Sales Jr., and kicker Carson Smith were all unanimous All-UAC selections, while tight end Jackson Head, offensive lineman Nick Hilliard, linebacker Montreze Smith Jr., and defensive back Ellis Ellis Jr. also garnered first-team recognition.

Carson Smith, who was a 2024 Second Team All-UAC selection, is the only Governor that is not a first-time All-UAC honoree this season. Also, as the UAC Specialist of the Year, Carson Smith is the first player in program history to be named a conference specialist of the year.

As the UAC Freshman of the Year, Montreze Smith Jr. is the third player in program history, and the first defensive player, to be named a conference freshman of the year, joining quarterbacks Jeremiah Oatsvall (2017) and Draylen Ellis (2020), who were both the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year.

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First Team All-United Athletic Conference

Ellis Ellis Jr. – Defensive Back

Ellis Ellis Jr. started all 12 games at cornerback for Austin Peay, totaling 49 tackles, 33 solo tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two blocked kicks.

Ellis Jr. led the team and ranked third in the UAC with eight pass breakups, he also ranked sixth in the UAC in total passes defended (8) and eighth in passes defended per game (.67).

Ellis Jr. finished the season tied for third on Austin Peay with 49 tackles, he also ranked 18th in the UAC and second on APSU with 33 solo tackles. Ellis Jr. also led Austin Peay defensive backs with 3.0 tackles for loss.

Ellis Jr. ranked sixth in the FCS and led the UAC with two blocked kicks, with one blocked field goal and one blocked PAT – which was returned for a defensive two-point conversion against West Georgia (10/4/25). Ellis Jr. is 1-of-20 players in the FCS with multiple blocked kicks, both of which game in UAC games.

Jackson Head – Tight End

Jackson Head recorded 22 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns, while averaging 25.2 yards per game in 2025. Head ranked fourth on Austin Peay in catches and receiving touchdowns, while ranking sixth on the team in receiving yards – he led APSU tight ends in all three categories. Head also ranked 19th in the UAC in receiving touchdowns and 23rd in receptions.

Head posted the best single-game performance by a tight end in program history when he had seven receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown at Abilene Christian (11/20/25). Head's 132 receiving yards were the best single-game total by a tight end in Austin Peay history and marked the second 100-yard game by a tight end in APSU history, joining Daniel Herndon, who had 103 yards against Virginia-Wise in 1999. Head's 132 yards against ACU were tied for the eighth-best single-game in the UAC this season and were the best single-game mark by a tight end in the conference.

Nick Hilliard – Offensive Line

Nick Hilliard started all 12 games at right guard in his first season at Austin Peay and has made 31-consectuvive starts in his career dating back to his time at Princeton.

Hilliard was graded as the No. 14 overall guard on Pro Football Focus (PFF), while also grading as the No. 5 pass blocking guard in the UAC with zero sacks allowed.

With Hilliard at guard, Austin Peay's offense ranked 12th in the FCS in total offense (451.1), 14th in passing offense (364.7), 15th in scoring offense (35.1), and 25th in rushing offense (186.4). The Governors also ranked 33rd in the FCS and second in the UAC in tackles for loss allowed (4.75), while ranking second in the conference in sacks allowed (1.83). The Govs offense also ranked fourth in the FCS and led the UAC in red zone offense (.935). Additionally, the Governors offense ranked 27th in the FCS and third in the UAC with 4.87 yards per rush this season.

Chris Parson – Quarterback

Chris Parson started all 12 games at quarterback in his first season at Austin Peay. Parson ranked third in the FCS in total offense (3,746), fourth in total offense per game (312.2), fourth in points responsible for (222), and fifth in points responsible for per game (18.5) – he led the UAC in all four categories. He also ranked 15th in the FCS and second in the UAC with 14 total touchdowns scored.

Parson also led Austin Peay with 168 carries for 743 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 61.9 yards per game. Parson ranked 11th in the FCS, second in the UAC, third in the FCS among QBs, and led UAC QBs in rushing touchdowns. He also ranked 60th in the FCS, fifth in the FCS among QBs, and led UAC QBs in rushing yards.

Parson also completed 206-of-326 passes for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns while averaging 250.3 yards per game. Parson ranked eighth in the FCS in passing yards, 11th in passing yards per game, and seventh in yards per pass attempt (9.21), leading the UAC in all three categories. He also ranked 10th in the FCS in pass efficiency (160.8), 15th in passing touchdowns, and fifth in yards per completion (14.58) – he ranked second in the UAC in those three categories.

Parson recorded 487 yards of total offense – an APSU single-game record – and 194 rushing yards – an APSU single-game quarterback record – against No. 5 Tarleton State (11/22/25). Parson's 487 yards of total offense is the eighth-best single-game mark in the FCS and the best in the UAC, surpassing the conference's previous single-game high by 88 yards. Parson's 194 rushing yards against Tarleton State were the fifth-best single-game total in the conference and the best single-game total by a quarterback in the UAC, surpassing the previous single-game high by a quarterback by 85 yards.

Parson was the only UAC player to post 400-plus yards of total offense in a game this season. He also owns six of the top-nine single-game total offense yardage marks in the conference, and is the only player in the league to post over 350 yards of total offense multiple times this season, having accomplished that feat six times.

Joshua Sales Jr. – Offensive Line

Joshua Sales Jr. started all 12 games at tackle for Austin Peay, with the first four starts at left tackle and the final eight at right tackle.

Sales Jr. was ranked the No. 1 tackle in the UAC with a 70.9 grade from PFF, while also being graded as the No. 1 tackle in the league in pass and run block.

With Sales Jr. at tackle, Austin Peay's offense ranked 12th in the FCS in total offense (451.1), 14th in passing offense (364.7), 15th in scoring offense (35.1), and 25th in rushing offense (186.4). The Governors also ranked 33rd in the FCS and second in the UAC in tackles for loss allowed (4.75), while ranking second in the conference in sacks allowed (1.83). The Govs offense also ranked fourth in the FCS and led the UAC in red zone offense (.935). Additionally, the Governors offense ranked 27th in the FCS and third in the UAC with 4.87 yards per rush this season.

Carson Smith – Kicker
UAC Specialist of the Year

Carson Smith went 14-of-17 on field goals and 53-of-53 on PATs, while scoring 95 points and averaging 7.9 points per game in 2025.

Smith matched the Austin Peay single-season record with 14-made field goals. His 95 points scored also are the fourth-best single-season mark in APSU history, and is the second-best single-season total by a kicker in program history. Smith also tallied the second-most made-PATs in a season in Austin Peay history and matched the single-season PAT percentage record by going a perfect 53-for-53 (100%).

Smith ranked 22nd in the FCS in field goal percentage (.824) and field goals per game (1.17), while ranking second in the UAC in both categories. Smith ranked 18th in the FCS and second in the UAC in total field goals made. He also ranked 19th in the FCS in total points scored and 24th in scoring, he ranked second in the UAC in both categories and leads all UAC kickers in both statistics.

Smith went 1-for-1 on 50-plus yard field goals and 7-for-10 on 40-plus yards field goals this season, while going a perfect 7-for-7 on field goals less than 40 yards. Smith hit a season-long 50-yard field goal against Samford (11/15/25), which is tied for the ninth-longest field goal in APSU history.

Montreze Smith Jr. – Linebacker
UAC Freshman of the Year

Redshirt freshman linebacker Montreze Smith Jr. totaled 74 tackles, 40 solo tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three interceptions, one pick-six, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup while averaging 6.2 tackles per game in his first season at Austin Peay.

Smith Jr. led Austin Peay in tackles, solo tackles, interceptions, and defensive touchdowns, while ranking second on the team in tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles.

Smith Jr. also ranked 14th in the UAC in total tackles and 17th in tackles per game, while ranking 13th in the conference in tackles for loss and 10th in sacks. Smith Jr. ranked fourth in the UAC in interceptions and is one of three linebackers in the conference tied for the lead in interceptions at that position. Smith Jr. also was tied for sixth in the UAC in solo tackles.

Smith Jr. led UAC freshmen in tackles, tackles per game, solo tackles, tackles for loss, and interceptions, while ranking second among freshmen in sacks.

Smith Jr. led Austin Peay with three double-digit tackle games this season, with all three coming in UAC games. Smith Jr. recorded 61 of his 74 tackles and averaged 7.8 tackles per game in UAC play; he also totaled 6.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two interceptions, a pick-six, and a forced fumble in UAC action.

Smith Jr. recorded 12 tackles, 10 solo tackles, two interceptions, and 1.0 tackles for loss against North Alabama (10/25/25), posting the third double-digit tackle, two-interception game in Austin Peay's digital record-keeping era. His two interceptions against North Alabama also are tied for the best single-game mark in the UAC this season.