FLORENCE – The 2025 Phil Steele All-Conference teams were announced for the United Athletic Conference and 11 players from the University of North Alabama were recognized.
Junior punter Adam Watford was named the 2025 UAC Special Teams Player of the Year by Phil Steele, adding to a long list of accolades this season. Watford was also voted a Second Team All-American by FCS Football Central, Co-Specialist of the Year by the UAC’s head coaches and as a semifinalist for the 2025 FCS Punter of the Year.
Watford finished the regular season fifth in the country with 46.6 yards per punt. He was the only punter in FBS and FCS to have three punts sail over 70 yards. He had a 74 yarder against Central Arkansas and a pair of 72 yarders against Utah Tech and Tarleton State — the latter of which landed on the one-yard line.
Watford and junior long snapper Nathan Curry both received first team all-conference honors from Phil Steele this season. They are joined by senior linebacker Demarcious Robinson who was named a first team all-conference linebacker by Phil Steele.
Robinson, who played one season for the Lions as a transfer from Georgia Southern, had an outstanding season leading the UNA defense. He led the team and ranked third in the UAC with 98 tackles, including 56 solo. He added 11.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Robinson added two fumble recoveries, one force, an interception that he returned for 36 yards against UAC champion Abilene Christian and two QB hurries.
Three Lions were named to the Phil Steele All-UAC Third Team, including seniors Jayvian Allen and Tanaka Scott. Allen led the backfield with 151 carries for 750 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked fourth in the UAC in rushing yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 173 yards. Allen rushed for over 100 yards against ACU and Utah Tech.
Scott was the top receiver for UNA, racking up 528 yards on 30 catches to average 17.6 yards per catch. He also scored four touchdowns to tie the team high with Justin Pegues and Noah Gregg. His longest catch came at Utah Tech on a trick play that was featured on ESPN College Football Final, going for 91 yards.
Sophomore defensive lineman Fred Vili was named to the Phil Steele All-UAC Third Team on defense. He is the only sophomore on the team along with 10 other juniors and seniors. Vili finished with 44 tackles in his sophomore campaign while leading the team with 4 sacks and ranking second on the team with 8 tackles for loss. He also added a break up and two hurries. His top game was the season finale against Southern Utah with six solo tackles, three TFLs and two sacks.
Five Lions were named to the Phil Steele All-UAC Fourth Team. Senior Kaleb Heatherly and redshirt sophomore Ryan Walker represented the Lions on offense. The pair were two of the top blockers for the team this season, as Walker started all 12 games at right guard and did not give up any sacks on over 800 offensive snaps. In PFF, he graded 90% or higher in nine of the 12 games and was 80% or higher in all 12.
In addition to his blocking abilities, Heatherly caught 17 passes for 223 yards and two scores. His touchdowns came against EKU and Southern Utah at home. He recorded 68 yards against Northeastern State and added 66 in the Southern Utah game.
The Lions also had two defensive players on the Phil Steele All-UAC Fourth Team, including redshirt senior defensive lineman Kaleb Brown and redshirt junior defensive back Brian Dilworth. Brown had 28 tackles with 6.5 for loss, 3 sacks and a pair of hurries. Dilworth ranked fourth on the team with 46 tackles and was tied for second with 32 solos. He also added six pass breakups and led with two interceptions against Utah Tech and Tarleton State.
Rounding out UNA’s selections is redshirt senior Justin Luke as a fourth team return specialist. Luke returned 17 kicks for 443 yards to average 26 yards per return. His longest return was a 78-yard sprint at Utah Tech and a 63-yard return against Central Arkansas.
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