RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Phil Steele, in conjunction with DraftScout.com, recognized on Monday five football players from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) as Freshman All-Americans, including wide receiver Tony Diaz (first team) and offensive lineman Nick Hughes (second team) on offense, and linebacker Jaiden Haygood (first team), defensive lineman Ja'Marcus Anderson (second team), and defensive back Alijah Prosser (third team) on defense.
 
Additionally, 14 Vaqueros earned spots on the Phil Steele Southland 2025 All-Conference Teams, including offensive player of the year and senior quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger (first team), senior running back Nathan Denney (second team),  Diaz, the freshman of the year (second team), sophomore wide receiver Xayvion Noland (second team), Hughes (third team), and sophomore offensive lineman Wes Thompson (fourth team) on offense, junior defensive lineman Ian Box (second team), Anderson (third team), Haygood (third team), graduate student linebacker Spencer Rich (third team), and senior defensive back Logic Hudgens (fourth team) on defense, and junior punter Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling (second team), sophomore kicker Brysen Gardner (fourth team), and sophomore long snapper Connor Cortez (fourth team) on special teams.
 
Tony Diaz
An Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention, a member of the Freshman All-America Teams as selected by both Stats Perform and FCS Football Central, a Dave Campbell's All-Texas Non-FBS Second Team selection, the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and a Southland All-Conference First Team Selection, Diaz finished seventh in the Jerry Rice Award voting, which honors the FCS freshman of the year.
 
Diaz was also a two-time National Freshman of the Week Honorable Mention (Nov. 17 & Oct. 27) and a Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 17).
 
Diaz led the Vaqueros with 11 touchdowns among his 68 receptions for 875 yards, an average of 12.9 yards per reception and 72.9 yards per game.
 
Diaz ranked sixth in the FCS and first in the Southland in receiving touchdowns (11), 14^th in the FCS and third in the Southland in receptions per game (5.67), 32^nd in the FCS and second in the Southland in receiving yards (875), 34^th in the FCS and third in the Southland in receiving yards per game (72.9), 44^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in total touchdowns (11), 102^nd in the FCS and eighth in the Southland in total points scored (66), 103^rd in the FCS and eighth in the Southland in scoring (5.5), 146^th in the FCS and 10^th in the Southland in all-purpose yards per game (72.83), and 180^th in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in yards per receptions (12.87).
 
Diaz posted four games of 100+ receiving yards, including a career-high 172 vs. UIW on 17 receptions, the third-most in Southland history, on Oct. 25. He scored touchdowns in nine games, including a career-high three in a win at McNeese on Nov. 15. He also made several one-handed catches, including for big gains and touchdowns.
 
Nick Hughes
An FCS Football Central Freshman All-American and Southland All-Conference Second Team Offensive Lineman, Hughes started all 12 games on the offensive line, anchoring a unit that allowed just 1.50 sacks per game, the 28^th best mark in the FCS and best in the Southland. The offensive line consistently gave Marburger considerable time to make passes, allowing him and the UTRGV offense to be among the best in the nation. The extra time also helped the UTRGV offense to go the entire season without committing a fumble.
 
Jaiden Haygood
Haygood, who finished 11^th in the Jerry Rice Award voting and earned FCS Football Central and Stats Perform FCS Freshman All-American honors, led UTRGV with 102 tackles (45 solo), including 2.5 for a loss of 11 yards, a 10-yard sack, two passes broken up, a quarterback hurry, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.
 
He had six games of double-figures tackles, including a career-high 17 (seven solo) at No. 18 Lamar (10/18), 11 against No. 23 Stephen F. Austin (11/1), Houston Christian University (10/4) and Prairie View A&M (9/6), and 10 against UIW (10/25) and McNeese (11/15). Seven of his tackles at McNeese were solo.
 
Haygood ranked 36^th in the FCS and fifth in the Southland in total tackles per game (8.5) and 98^th in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in fumble recoveries (1).
 
Ja'Marcus Anderson
Anderson registered 29 tackles (12 solo), including 4.5 for a loss of 18 yards and two sacks for 15 yards, one forced fumble, five quarterback hurries and one pass broken up in 11 games (two starts). He recorded career-high tying five tackles and a quarterback hurry at #23 Stephen F. Austin Nov. 1. Anderson also made a career-high five tackles, including a half sack for five yards, at #18 Lamar on Oct.18.
 
Alijah Prosser
An FCS Football Central Freshman All-American, Prosser led the Vaqueros by recording nine tackles for a loss of 27 yards. He finished with 47 total tackles (25 solo), the fifth most on the team. He also posted a 9-yard sack, two interceptions for 53 yards, five passes broken up, one quarterback hurry, and two forced fumbles. Prosser ranked 144^th in the FCS and 16^th in the Southland in interceptions per game (0.17).
 
Eddie Lee Marburger
The Dave Campbell's Texas Non-FBS Offensive Player of the year, the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, and an All-Conference First Team honoree, Marburger finished tied for 25^th in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, which honors the national offensive player of the year. He earned National Offensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention and Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 27 as well as Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention on Sept. 1.
 
Marburger led the Southland in nine statistical categories, ranking fourth in the FCS in passing efficiency (170.8), sixth in passing touchdowns (31), seventh in points responsible for per game (17.5), ninth in passing yards per completion (13.97), points responsible for (210), and yards per pass attempt (9.11), 17^th in total yards per game (257.3), 19^th in passing yards per game (231.7), and 23^rd in passing yards (2,780).
 
He also ranked third in the Southland in two categories, ranking 26^th in the FCS in completion percentage (65.2%) and 41^st in completions per game (16.58).
 
Marburger's best game was on Oct. 25, when he threw a career-high six touchdowns passes while going a career-high 26-for-36 for a career-high 440 yards and adding a rushing touchdown vs. UIW. He scored a career-high two rushing touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 95 yards on 15 carries and throwing for 131 yards and one touchdown vs. Houston Christian University to give the Vaqueros their first-ever Southland victory on Oct. 4. Marburger started the season with a bang, throwing five touchdown passes while going 19-for-20 for 417 yards in the first half vs. Sul Ross State on Aug. 30.
 
Marburger graduated earlier this month with a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies (business administration, management, marketing).
 
Nathan Denney
A Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 8) and two-time honorable mention (Nov. 24 and Nov. 10), Denney ranked 36^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in rushing yards per game (73.8), 44^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in all-purpose yards per game (101.89), 74^th in the FCS and fifth in the Southland in rushing yards per carry (4.68), 87^th in the FCS and third in the Southland in rushing yards (884), and 159^th in the FCS and 13th in the Southland in total yards per game (73.8). In nine games, eight starts, Denney averaged 73.8 rushing yards and 28.1 receiving yards per game, including 4.7 yards per rush and 10.1 yards per catch, while scoring four touchdowns on the ground and one in the air. Denney had five games of 100+ all-purpose yards, including his final three games. He rushed for a career-high 158 yards on 26 carries for 165 all-purpose yards vs. East Texas A&M on Nov. 22 one game after recording a career-high 52 receiving yards on five catches while rushing for 57 yards on 14 carries at McNeese on Nov. 15. Denney rushed for 120 yards and a career-high tying two touchdowns while receiving for 50 yards for a career-high 170 all-purpose yards vs. Nicholls on Nov. 8.
 
Xayvion Noland
Noland ranked fourth in the FCS and first in the Southland in yards per reception (22.46), 39^th in the FCS and fifth in the Southland in receiving touchdowns (7), 43^rd in the FCS and fifth in the Southland in receiving yards (831), 46^th in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in receiving yards per game (69.3), 101^st in the FCS and sixth in the Southland in all-purpose yards per game (82.67), 136^th in the FCS and 10th in the Southland in total touchdowns (7), 165^th in the FCS and 14^th in the Southland in kick return yards (161), and 174^th in the FCS and 14th in the Southland in receptions per game (3.08). In 12 games (10 starts), Noland posted four games of 100+ yards receiving, including a career-high 184 yards for two touchdowns vs. Sul Ross State on Aug. 30, 171 yards for two touchdowns vs. Langston on Sept. 13, 155 yards for two touchdowns vs. UIW on Oct. 25, and 103 yards vs. Texas Wesleyan on Sept. 20.
 
Wes Thompson
Thompson started all 12 games on the offensive line, anchoring a unit that allowed just 1.50 sacks per game, the 28^th best mark in the FCS and best in the Southland. The offensive line consistently gave Marburger considerable time to make passes, allowing him and the UTRGV offense to be among the best in the nation. The extra time also helped the UTRGV offense to go the entire season without committing a fumble.
Ian Box
A Southland All-Conference Second Team Defensive Lineman, Box posted 24 tackles (11 solo), including 8.0 for a loss of 36 yards, 5.5 sacks for 30 yards, a fumble recovery, and nine quarterback hurries in 12 games. He ranked 80^th in the FCS & fifth in the Southland in sacks per game (0.46), and 98^th in the FCS & ninth in the Southland in fumble recoveries (1). Box recorded a career-high five tackles (two solo), plus 2.0 sacks for a loss of 16 yards vs. Houston Christian University (10/4). He also had 2.0 sacks for 12 yards vs. Nicholls (11/8).
 
Spencer Rich
Rich ranked third in the FCS and first in the Southland in fumble recoveries (3) and 58^th in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in total tackles per game (8.2). While starting all 12 games, he reached double-figures in tackles four times, including 13 (five solo) vs. East Texas A&M on Nov. 22, a career-high 16 (nine solo) at McNeese on Nov. 15, 10 (two solo) at #18 Lamar on Oct. 18, and 12 (three solo) at Prairie View A&M on Sept. 6. Rich also recorded nine tackles at #23 Stephen F. Austin Nov. 1 and vs. UIW on Oct. 25.
 
Logic Hudgens
Hudgens ranked 53^rd in the FCS and seventh in the Southland in interceptions per game (0.25) and 98^th in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in fumble recoveries (1). He started all 12 games, recording 52 tackles (28 solo), three interceptions, and four passes broken up. Hudgens put an exclamation point on the season by recording a 52-yard pick six with five tackles (three solo) vs. East Texas A&M on Nov. 22. He registered a career-high tying eight tackles (five solo) vs. UIW on Oct. 25.
 
Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling
A Dave Campbell's All-Texas Non-FBS Second Team selection and a member of the Southland All-Conference Second Team, Wallace-Dilling punted 45 times for 1,965 yards, ranking 15^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in punting average at 43.7 yards per punt. He placed 17 punts inside the 20, including several inside the 5, with 14 punts over 50 yards, including one of 58 yards. Only four of his punts resulted in touchbacks and nine in fair catches.
 
Brysen Gardner
Gardner was one of just 38 kickers named to midseason watch list for the Fred Mitchell Award. He ranked 31^st in the FCS and first in the Southland in field goals per game (1.08) and scoring (7.3), 40^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in total points scored (87), 42^nd in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in field goal percentage (.765), 115^th in the FCS and sixth in the Southland in points responsible for per game (7.3), and 118^th in the FCS and sixth in the Southland in points responsible for (87). Gardner capped the season by kicking a career-high four field goals vs. East Texas A&M on Nov. 22. He connected on all 48 PAT attempts, including a career-high eight vs. UIW on Oct. 25.
 
Connor Cortez
Cortez was a consistent presence at long snapper, as all his snaps across 12 games were perfect this season. He made two direct snaps to a linebacker for fake punt attempts, one of which led to a touchdown. Cortez also recorded his first-career tackle vs. East Texas A&M on Nov. 22.
 
Phil Steele FCS 2025 Freshman All-American Teams
Offense
First Team
WR Tony Diaz
 
Second Team
OL Nick Hughes
 
Defense
First Team
LB Jaiden Haygood
 
Second Team
DL Ja'Marcus Anderson
 
Third Team
DB Alijah Prosser
 
Phil Steele Southland 2025 All-Conference Teams
Offense
First Team
QB Eddie Lee Marburger
 
Second Team
RB Nathan Denney
WR Tony Diaz
WR Xayvion Noland
 
Third Team
OL Nick Hughes
 
Fourth Team
OL Wes Thompson
 
Defense
Second Team
DL Ian Box
 
Third Team
DL Ja'Marcus Anderson
LB Jaiden Haygood
LB Spencer Rich
 
Fourth Team
DB Logic Hudgens
 
Special Teams
Second Team
P Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling
 
Fourth Team
K Brysen Gardner
LS Connor Cortez
 
Phil Steele 2025 Southland Offensive Player of the Year: QB Eddie Lee Marburger
Phil Steele 2025 Southland Freshman of the Year: WR Tony Diaz

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