Indianapolis, Ind. – On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) announced its' football all-conference awards following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season. The University of Findlay, after a 10-2 (8-1 G-MAC) season, conference co-championship, and NCAA Playoff appearance, received 11 all-conference selections including seven first-team picks and four second-team picks. The Oilers also picked up two Player of the Year awards as Sam Weihrauch earned Defensive Player of the Year and Londyn Claxton earned Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Since joining the league in 2017, Findlay has picked up 160 all-conference selections, an average of 18 per year over those nine years. The total selections and yearly average are both the highest in the conference.
Defensive Player of the Year (First Team All-G-MAC)
Senior linebacker Sam Weihrauch, now a four-time all-conference performer, delivered a dominant season for Findlay, captaining a defense that was one of the best in the country all season long. Starting all 12 games, he racked up 80 total tackles (45 solo) and set the tone behind the line of scrimmage with 17.5 tackles-for-loss, the most by any Findlay player since 2007 and the highest single-season mark by a linebacker in the program's NCAA era. He also added 4.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble, while contributing eight quarterback hurries. Weihrauch's disruption on defense made him the clear leader on a unit that allowed just 57.4 rush yards per game during the regular season, second-fewest in the country, and was also top-five in DII in total defense (249.7), scoring defense (12.2), and fourth down conversion defense (.267).
His impact was felt most in Findlay's biggest games. Against Northwood, Weihrauch posted a big-time performance with eight tackles, three TFL, and three sacks, matching the team's single-game sack high. He followed that up with 11 tackles and 2.5 TFL versus Tiffin, and closed the season strong with seven tackles and three TFL against Minnesota State in the first round of the NCAA DII Playoffs.
In four years at Findlay, Weihrauch tallied 290 tackles including 41.5 TFL and eight sacks. He is the first G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year at Findlay since 2021 and just the third to earn that conference honor in the NCAA era. He is also the first Findlay defender in that era to earn all-conference honors four times in his career.
Defensive Lineman of the Year (First Team All-G-MAC)
Senior Londyn Claxton capped an outstanding season by earning G-MAC Defensive Lineman of the Year following another monster campaign in the trenches. Claxton started all 12 games and finished with 27 total tackles (12 solo), including eight tackles-for-loss for 29 yards and three sacks. He helped lead the Oilers' defense, allowing just 64 rushing yards per game. Claxton also added six quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
He posted two TFL and a sack against Kentucky Wesleyan, followed by a strong performance versus Northwood with a sack and multiple pressures. A three-time all-G-MAC pick, Claxton has tallied 22.5 TFL and 12 sacks in his career.
The Flushing, Michigan native is just the second-ever G-MAC Defensive Lineman of the Year at Findlay and the first since the Oilers first joined the league back in 2017.
First Team All-Great Midwest
A trio of other players on the Oilers' defense earned first team recognition, starting with senior safety Johnny Harris who picks up first team all-G-MAC for the first time after a third team selection back in 2022. The Cleveland, Ohio native was a playmaker for Findlay all season, finishing the year with 66 tackles, including 49 solo stops, and 4.5 TFL. He had a pair of interceptions, five pass breakups, and a fumble recovery, as well.
Joining Weihrauch at linebacker, sophomore Kevin Henderson tied for the team lead with 80 tackles this season that included 15.5 TFL and three sacks. He added six pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The Georgia native had at least one TFL in seven games this season and finished the year with 13 stops against Minnesota State, the most by a UF player this season. Weihrauch and Henderson ranked second and third in the G-MAC, respectively, in TFL.
Now a two-time first team all-G-MAC performer, senior Christion Stokes had another big season on the outside for Findlay. The Detroit, Michigan native had 47 tackles including 5.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and a team-high 12 pass breakups, tied for second-most in the G-MAC.
Grad student Jayden Farmer earns his second consecutive first-team all-G-MAC award for the Oilers after being one of the most consistent running backs in the league this season. He finishes the year with 185 carries for 859 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, all the most in the G-MAC. His production down the stretch propelled the Oilers through a gauntlet of conference opponents. In his final four regular season games, Farmer carried the ball an average of 25 times a game for 122 yards. His top performance came against Tiffin where he ran 34 times for 170 yards and two scores.
Findlay's top outside threat all year was junior Denny Furlong who emerged as WR1 four weeks into the season. On the year, Furlong had 44 receptions for 811 yards, the most receiving yards in the G-MAC, and snagged eight touchdowns. His 18.4 yards per catch was the best in the league. He delivered multiple high-level games, including 156 yards and 3 TDs at Walsh, tied for the most receiving TDs in a game this season, and a team-best 59-yard reception vs. Hillsdale.
Second Team All-G-MAC
In his second year with the Oilers, sophomore safety Jayon Harvey, a preseason all-American, helped secure Findlay's back end, finishing with 51 tackles including three TFL. Harvey produced a trio of interceptions, one of which sealed a victory on the road against Ashland in a top-25 matchup that earned the Oilers a share of the G-MAC title and gave Findlay the automatic bid into the DII Playoffs.
Earning his first all-conference honor, junior Ethan Lane was a consistent presence up front, starting in 11 of 12 games this season. He helped pave the way for an offense that put up 335 yards per game and rushed for 1,852 yards, second-most in the G-MAC.
Senior Carl Biddings, in his first year with the program, was a big-time force on Findlay's front-seven, finishing with 25 tackles including 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He had at least a half-TFL in nine of the team's 12 games this year.
Findlay's first all-conference punter since 2019, junior Owen Clevenger forced his way into all-league honors with a jaw-dropping performance in the win against Ashland where he punted three times for 149 yards including an 86-yarder in the second quarter that was the second-longest punt in the country this season. This season his punted 38 times for an average of 41 yards per punt and now is averaging 41.4 yards per punt in his career, ninth-best among active DII punters
