BEAUMONT, Texas – Phil Steele has released its 2025 Preseason All-Southland Conference teams and it features six Cardinals, including two first-team selections. Offensive lineman Eli Ripley and defensive back Kristian Pugh received first-team selections, while Kyndon Fuselier (receiver), Devyn Gibbs (tight end), Kortez Winslow (offensive line) and Brayden Faulkner (linebacker) garnered second-team praise.
 
Pugh has made 28 career starts during his three-year career and is coming off a second-team postseason All-SLC selection last year. As a junior, the Beaumont native started all 12 games making 72 tackles (44 unassisted) with 4.5 tackles for losses and an interception. Pugh was joined on the first team by Ripley who has been one of the league's top centers for the past two seasons. Ripley has received postseason all-league honors in each of his first two seasons with the squad.
 
Another local product on the list for LU, Fuselier (Nederland, Texas) has played in 34 games making 23 career starts entering 2025. Fuselier began receiving national attention following the 2024 campaign that saw him tie for team-high honors with 31 catches for 513 yards and two scores. A two-way threat for the Cardinals, Fuselier enters his senior season as one of the top wideouts in the league.
 
An imposing figure on the field, Gibbs overcame an injury-slowed start to the 2024 season to earn second-team All-Southland honors. Gibbs made 10 starts hauling 17 passes for 163 and four touchdowns. Gibbs enters his senior season with 24 career starts to his name.
 
Winslow is another member of the Cardinals veteran offensive line who helped produce the league's leading rusher. Starting all left games at left tackle, Winslow capped a standout freshman season by earning freshman All-America honors, second-team All-SLC and LU Male Freshman of the Year.
 
Faulkner has played in 27 games making five starts during his Lamar career, with four of those starts coming last season. Faulkner came into his own during the 2024 season ending the year seventh on the team with 54 total tackles, including 18 unassisted stops. Four of his tackles went for losses.