Bowling Green, KY – The Patriots football team garnered four Mid-South All-Conference honorees for their performance over the 2025 season. Cumberlands placed three players on the MSC First Team and one on the Second Team, highlighted by wide receiver Michael Petty earning the Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year honor. Roger McNeer and Hunter Zirkle each earned First-Team recognition, while Petty and McNeer both claimed multiple distinctions for their contributions on offense and special teams.
 
Michael Petty made an immediate impact in his debut season, earning Second-Team All-Conference honors along with being named the MSC Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year. The freshman wideout led the Patriots with 35 receptions for 641 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging over 18 yards per catch and 64 receiving yards per game. Petty's explosive playmaking and consistency made him one of the league's top young offensive threats and a key piece in UC's 250.7-yard-per-game passing attack. Petty becomes the first Patriot to earn Offensive Freshman of the Year since 2019.
 
Sophomore linebacker Hunter Zirkle earned First-Team All-Conference honors after a dominant campaign that ranked among the best in the nation. Zirkle led the NAIA in forced fumbles with five and finished second nationally with 10 sacks, while also ranking inside the top-10 in tackles for loss. Within the Mid-South Conference, he led all defenders in both sacks (10) and tackles for loss (16), each by a wide margin, and was one of three players in the league to record multiple blocked kicks. Zirkle's disruptive presence anchored UC's defensive front and established him as one of the premier defensive players in the country.
 
Roger McNeer was recognized twice, being named First-Team All-Conference at offensive line and long snapper. The sophomore anchored a unit that paved the way for 421.4 yards of total offense per game, including 170.7 rushing yards and 250.7 passing yards per contest. McNeer also played a crucial role on special teams as the long snapper for all field goals and PAT attempts, helping UC convert 36 of 37 extra points and five of eight field goals on the season. He added four tackles on the punt coverage team as well. His steady execution and versatility were vital to the Patriots' offensive efficiency and special teams success throughout the year.
 
Cumberlands finished the 2025 season with a 4-6 record, highlighted by a 34-10 win over No. 25 Bethel and a nationally ranked passing offense that produced 28 touchdowns on the year.
 
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