from the NAIA

AFCA, NAIA Announce 2025 Football All-Americans

WACO, Texas — William Penn (Iowa) running back Destynd Loring and Southeastern (Fla.) defensive lineman Thomas Ibrahim headline the 2025 AFCA NAIA Coaches' All-America Teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association and the NAIA.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and is the only team chosen exclusively by NAIA football coaches.

Loring, the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division Offensive Player of the Year, led the NAIA in rushing with 1,949 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns. The 1,949 yards and 30 touchdowns set single-season school records.

Ibrahim led the NAIA in sacks and tackles for loss. In 12 games, he registered 11 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, and added 68 tackles, 31 of which were solo. Ibrahim also had seven quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.

Reinhardt University Football had three players named to the three teams.  Placekicker Alex Hanson was named to the First Team - Special Teams, Emmanuel Olaitan was named to the Second Team Defense as a defensive lineman, and Jah Colbert was selected to the Third Team Offense as a running back.

Alex Hanson had an incredible season for the Eagles, going 13 of 16 of field goal attempts with the long being 47 yards. He was 47 or 48 on point after attempts and racked up an amazing 91 points for the Eagles this season. Hanson was also a threat on both kickoffs and punting.  He had 18 touchbacks on kickoffs this season, and he averaged 40.7 yards per punt.  His longest punt was 64 yards, and he had 3 touchbacks.

Defensive End Emmanuel Olaitan had an outstanding two seasons for the Eagles after transferring from Faulkner University. The senior from Marietta, Georgia, had 43 total tackles this season, with 12 of those being tackles for a loss. He also totaled 9 quarterback sacks this season.  For his two seasons with Reinhardt, he had 84 total tackles (3.8 average), 19 sacks, and 27 tackles for a loss.  In total, he had 127 yards lost against his opponents in the tackles for a loss. Olaitan recovered two fumbles and had one pass breakup this past season to top off his career for the Eagles.

Jah Colbert was a machine over his career with the Eagles and often was the best player on the field, no matter the opponent.  He had an outstanding senior season as an offensive leader for Reinhardt.  This season, he totaled 1,262 yards this season in 11 games. That was a 114.7 yards per game average, scoring 11 rushing touchdowns total! He also had nine receptions, scoring two touchdowns.

Colbert will end his career with the Eagles with 3,121 total yards rushing in 38 games played. He had 22 career rushing touchdowns for the Eagles! He added three more receiving touchdowns in his career from 34 total receptions.  He will go in the record books as one of the top athletes to go through Reinhardt Football.

The AFCA's NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of two head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee.