CHADRON, Neb. – Logan O'Brien (Defensive Player of the Year), Brodie Eisenbraun (Special Teams Player of the Year) and Jay Long (Coach of the Year) all won special awards as the RMAC announced its 2025 Football All-Conference selections on Friday afternoon. 

The Eagles won three of the league's four major awards after an RMAC season which saw the Eagles picked seventh in the league but win their first eight conference games, finish second in the conference and earn a trip to the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2012.

In addition, the Eagles put seven student-athletes on the first team – wide receiver Tommy Thomas on offense, defensive tackle Tanner True, safety Dax Yeradi, cornerback Jadon Bowen and O'Brien on defense and kicker Wilson Yee along with Eisenbraun on special teams. CSC's seven first-team selections are the second-most of any program in the RMAC. 

Three more Chadron State defenders made All-RMAC second team – defensive ends William Stemler and Ryder True and linebacker Cooper Walton. 

Four members of the CSC offense earned All-RMAC honorable mention – offensive linemen Levi Banuelos and Jal Chan, running back Quincey Ryker and quarterback Aidan Thompson. 

Jay Long has won his first career RMAC Coach of the Year award in his 14^th season at the helm of the Chadron State football program. Long presided over a team that earned a Top 25 national ranking and an NCAA playoff bid for the first time at Chadron State since the 2012 season (Long's first in charge). 

The Eagles completely flipped the script from a 3-8 record in 2024 to an 8-3 record in 2025. Chadron State defeated six teams in 2025 that the Eagles lost to last season (Black Hills State, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Mesa, New Mexico Highlands, South Dakota Mines and Western Colorado). and were much better in close games, going 4-1 in one-score games after going 1-5 in such contests in 2024. 

The Eagles faced a Division I FCS opponent in Northern Colorado, holding the Bears under their season average in points, and then went 2-1 against nationally ranked Division I teams, defeating then No. 23 Colorado School of Mines for their first win over the Orediggers since 2012, topping then-No. 5 Western Colorado in overtime and falling to No. 5 CSU Pueblo in double OT.

O'Brien enjoyed a breakout season in his senior campaign. The linebacker was sixth in the league with 81 tackles, led the conference with 14 tackles for loss and tied for third with five sacks. He also came up with two interceptions and returned both for touchdowns, one against Black Hills State on September 13 and one against South Dakota Mines on November 1. 

O'Brien's consistently excellent performances helped the redshirt senior win four RMAC Defensive Player of the Week awards, more weekly honors than anyone else in the conference in any of the three categories (offense, defense, special teams). 

O'Brien's wins came after games against Black Hills State (8 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, INT TD), Colorado School of Mines (8 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 sacks), New Mexico Highlands (11 tackles) and South Dakota Mines (INT TD). That list doesn't include a game against Adams State where O'Brien racked up eight tackles, four TFL's and two sacks. 

Brodie Eisenbraun earns both a Special Teams Player of the Year award and a First Team All-RMAC honor after two consecutive seasons being selected to the second team in 2023 and 2024. Eisenbraun broke his own school record, previously set last season, with an average of 44.2 yards per punt. 

The South Dakota native placed 17 punts inside the 20-yard line against only five touchbacks. Eisenbraun hit 12 punts of 50 yards or more, including two 71-yard boots, and had two rushing attempts for 16 yards. 

Elsewhere on the first team, Tommy Thomas earned his second career First Team All-Conference selection after previously doing so in 2023. Thomas ranked third in the RMAC with 862 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns and became Chadron State's all-time leader in career receiving touchdowns. 

Four members of the Eagle defense, including O'Brien, earned first team selections after CSC's unit led the conference in total defense (307.6 yards allowed per game), ranked third in the RMAC in scoring defense (20.6 points allowed per game) and were among Division II's top units against the pass, allowing only 183.4 passing yards per game.

Defensive tackle Tanner True also returned to the first team after a previous pick in 2023. True racked up 35 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a pass breakup, with a season-high six tackles and two TFL's against CSU Pueblo. 

Safety Dax Yeradi earns his second straight First Team All-RMAC selection after recording 49 tackles and two interceptions, including a game-sealing pick that helped CSC defeat then-No. 23 Colorado School of Mines. Yeradi had six total passes defensed on the season.

Cornerback Jadon Bowen emerged as CSC's No. 1 cornerback and is rewarded with his first career All-Conference selection. Bowen spearheaded CSC's league-best pass defense and ranked third in the RMAC with nine pass breakups. 

Wilson Yee capped his senior season and three-year career with the Eagles with a first-team selection at kicker. Yee ranked second in the league in made field goals (15) and third in field goal percentage (68.2) but authored one of the season's biggest moments when he drilled a game-winning field goal in overtime to lift the Eagles over Western Colorado.

Chadron State, ranked No. 17 in the D2Football.com poll and No. 22 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, is preparing to face Pittsburg State (No. 4 D2Football, No. 6 AFCA, No. 4 NCAA Regional seed) in the first round of the NCAA playoffs this Saturday from Pittsburg, Kansas. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. local time (12 p.m. MT).