Tucker’s Defensive Player of the Year Award Highlights Lion Football SLC Accolades

A football player in uniform during a game.

Being one of the leading tacklers in the country, East Texas A&M University linebacker Brandon Tucker was honored as the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting four all-conference honors for the Lion football program.

Tucker (DeSoto, Texas) is the first Lion football player to earn a Player of the Year award in the Southland era and the first Defensive Player of the Year from the program since Toni Pulu in 2014.

He was also named to first team all-conference defense, joined there by teammate and defensive back Max Epps (Spring, Texas), while both defensive back Jaden Rios (Frisco, Texas) and wide receiver Christian Jourdain (New Orleans, La.) were named to the second team.

This season, Tucker set the program’s record for most tackles in a season with 141, which was second in the conference and second in the country. He also led the conference with 15 tackles for loss. He was also fourth in forced fumbles with two and had two fumble recoveries as well. This is the first career all-conference honor for Tucker.

Epps is named to first team all-conference defense for the second year in a row. He ranks 15th in the conference in tackles with 76, eighth in pass breakups, 10th in interceptions. The redshirt senior defensive back was an All-American a year ago.

Rios, who was a preseason all-conference honoree, finished the season ninth in the SLC with nine passes defended, second with three interceptions, and totaled 30 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss. This is also the first career all-conference recognition for Rios.

Jourdain totaled 683 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 51 receptions this season, ranking sixth in the conference for receiving yards and fifth in receiving touchdowns. The senior wide receiver played just one season as a Lion and earned all-conference honors.

The four all-conference honorees for the Lions are the most since 2022.