RICHMOND, Ky. – Five members of Eastern Kentucky University's football team have been named to the 2025 United Athletic Conference's All-Conference teams as announced by the league office, Tuesday afternoon.
 
Earning first-team all-conference recognition was defensive back Jaheim Ward. A 2024 Second Team All-UAC and 2025 Preseason All-American selection, the Moultrie, Ga. native earns the first-team accolade after leading the Colonels with 82 total tackles, including 50 solo efforts, the seventh most in the UAC in 2025.
 
Ward also added six pass breakups, one forced fumble, and a 37-yard pick-six in the final play of his stellar collegiate career against Utah Tech.
 
The defensive captain helped the Colonels record the 18^th most turnovers gained (20) and 11^th most fumbles recovered in all of FCS (10) while ending the regular season tied for the most defensive touchdowns with five.
 
EKU's four second-team selections were defensive linemen, Jeremiah Bailey and Brad Gurley Jr., defensive back Vito Tisdale Jr., and return specialist T.J. Mitchell III.
 
A Phil Steele All-UAC selection in 2024, Bailey ended his redshirt junior season with 48 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery.
 
His best game saw him record 7 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery against Abilene Christian.
 
Fellow defensive lineman Gurley earns his first all-conference honor with 45 tackles, 21 solo, with a team-leading 10.5 tackles for loss (6^th most in UAC), 5.5 sacks (T-6^th most in UAC), five quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery.
 
In his final collegiate season, Tisdale led the UAC with 13 passes defended with nine breakups and four interceptions.
 
Those interceptions were the second most in the conference, while he returned two of them for touchdowns, the only defender in the conference to have multiple pick-sixes.
 
In addition, Tisdale had 34 total tackles with 1.08 passes defended per game, the 15^th highest in FCS.
 
A unanimous all-conference selection appearing on every ballot on special teams, Mitchell led the conference in kick return average with 29.9 yards per return, totaling 2999 yards on just 10 returns.
 
Against Austin Peay, Mitchell recorded a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown against then No. 16 Austin Peay, helping him earn the conference's special team player of the week honor.
 
The UAC's All-Conference teams are voted on by the league's head coaches from a pool of nominations at each position submitted by each team's athletic communication staff members, with no coach being allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.