FRISCO, Texas – Four Lamar University football players have been named to the 2025 Academic All-Southland Conference teams announced league officials Friday morning. The four Cardinals named to the team are Jackson Bandy (linebacker), Jacob Hefner (deep snapper), Morgan Sampson (tight end) and Mason Stallons (punter).
 
To be nominated for the team, a student-athlete must achieve and maintain a 3.25 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the form.
 
Lamar's four selections each posted a grade-point average of at least 3.64 and each played significant roles in the Cardinals run to the playoffs. All four earned Dean's List honors with three of the four being named to the President's List.
 
The Cardinals posted an 8-5 record (.615) on the season, which tied a single-season school record for wins as a four-year institution, and advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs for the just the second time in program history.
 
Bandy was a key figure in the rotation at linebacker. He played in 13 games making 28 total tackles on the season with 11 unassisted stops. He was also credited with three tackles for losses and one sack.
 
Hefner served as the team's primary long snapper and ended the year considered one of the league's most consistent having never recorded a bad snap. On the receiving end of the majority of those snaps was Stallons. A native of Frisco, Stallons was the team's starting punter for the entire year averaging better than 40 yards per punt. He had five punts of more than 50 yards on the season with a long of 59.
 
A junior in the classroom, Sampson (Orangefield, Texas) played in all 13 games this season making eight starts. A strong pass blocker, Sampson also hauled in four passes for 16 yards from his tight end position.