Football | July 21, 2026
DALLAS, Texas – Junior quarterback Chris Parson, of the Austin Peay State University football team, has been named United Athletic Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by a vote of the UAC head coaches.
Parson is also one of four Govs to headline the preseason All-UAC teams; he is joined by senior tight end Jackson Head, junior receiver Jaden Robinson, and senior offensive lineman Joshua Sales Jr.
Parson, from Brentwood, Tennessee, was the 2025 All-UAC First-Team quarterback in a revelatory first season in Clarksville. The Ravenwood High School product threw for 3,003 yards in his first season as a Governor, with 23 touchdowns through the air along with a team-high (and program record for a quarterback) 14 scores on the ground. Parson didn't only lead the Governors in rushing with 743 yards – he finished fifth in the UAC in rushing yards and was one of only three quarterbacks in the nation with 3,000 yards passing and 700 yards rushing.
Austin Peay's signal-caller was named third-team All-American by both Stats Perform and FCS Football Central in 2025, in addition to being named a finalist for the Stats Perform Walter Payton Award, given annually to the most outstanding offensive player in FCS. Last week, he was named to the 2026 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List; this week, he becomes the first Gov to earn league preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors since Draylen Ellis in 2021.
Head, from Woodstock, Georgia, was the 2025 All-UAC First-Team choice at tight end after catching 22 passes for 303 yards and two scores. He caught a touchdown pass in the opening-game upset of FBS Middle Tennessee and accounted for career-highs in receptions (7) and yards (132) to go with another score against Abilene Christian. Head is Austin Peay's first preseason All-League tight end selection since Jordan Goco in 2023.
Robinson, from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, emerged as a game-changing threat on the outside in 2025, finishing second among Govs in receptions (43), yards (579) and touchdowns (6) – all three placing him among the top-12 in the UAC a year ago. A big-time playmaker, Robinson had two of his biggest performances for the Govs on the road in hostile environments – seven catches for 114 yards and a score against Abilene Christian and an 8-catch, 145-yard outing at Eastern Kentucky.
Sales, from South Bend, Indiana, recently joined Parson on the 2026 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team. The 6-5, 312-pound protector of Parson's blindside helmed a line that finished in the top-25 nationally in rushing yards per game (186.4 ypg) and surrendered the third-fewest sacks in the UAC.
Parson, senior defensive lineman David Portu and Austin Peay head coach Jeff Faris were featured Tuesday afternoon as part of the UAC's annual Media Day event at Texas Live, adjacent to Globe Life Field in Arlington.
The Governors, who were picked to finish third in the UAC preseason poll, kick off the 2026 season on August 27 against Gardner-Webb at Fortera Stadium. Season tickets are on sale now at LetsGoPeay.com, with single-game tickets opening to the public next week. For news, updates, and future ticket information, follow Govs football on X (@GovsFB), Instagram (@GovsFootball), and Facebook, or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.
