The 2025 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2025 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Falcons were led by third-year head coach Kris McCullough. The team played most of its home games at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, Texas while Ratliff Stadium in neighboring Odessa hosted one game.
The Falcons finished the regular season with an overall record of 9–2, going 7–2 in LSC play to finish in a three-way tie for second in the conference. The team received a bid for the NCAA Division II playoffs, facing off against in the first round. The no. 10 Falcons defeated the no. 4 ThunderWolves 37–24 for the first playoff win in program history. In the second round, the Falcons defeated no. 15 , 21–15, in overtime, after being down 15–0 in the fourth quarter.
On December 23, McCullough announced that he would be stepping down as the Falcons' head coach, with assistant head coach Mike Babcock being named interim coach. Later that day it was revealed that McCullough had been hired as the new head coach for Gardner–Webb. On December 31, Lubbock Christian School head coach Chris Softley was hired as the Falcons' new head coach.
Offseason Transfers Incoming Name Pos. Height Weight Hometown Prev. school Cash Walker TE 6'4" 235 lbs Grand Junction, CO Colorado Mesa Caleb Sedegan TE 6'5" 255 lbs Longmont, CO Dodge City Torbyn Eakins OL 6'5" 315 lbs New Oxford, PA Morehead State Brittyn Eakins LB 6'0" 205 lbs New Oxford, PA Morehead State Austin Ayobamidele WR 6'2" 180 lbs Brooklyn Park, MN Iowa Central Kyle Lofye OL 6'3" 315 lbs Frisco, TX East Texas A&M Angel Valencia OL 6'4" 300 lbs Chico, CA Butte Jaylon Tillman WR 6'0" 215 lbs Plainfield, IL Bowling Green Braylon Stewart OL 6'5" 320 lbs Fort Worth, TX Southwest Baptist Daine Horak S 6'0" 185 lbs Rockwall, TX Texas State Andre Jones WR 6'4" 185 lbs San Antonio, TX Coastal Carolina Cochese Bradshaw CB 6'3" 190 lbs Crenshaw, CA Mary Kanon Gibson QB 6'1" 190 lbs Wink, TX West Texas A&M Diego Nunez WR 6'1" 190 lbs Roswell, NM New Mexico Military Bryan Pry DL 6'1" 270 lbs Odessa, TX Eastern New Mexico Karson Seaman OL 6'4" 280 lbs Chico, CA College of the Sequoias
LSC media poll The Lone Star Conference released its preseason prediction poll on July 24, 2025. The Falcons were predicted to finish third in the conference and also received two first-place votes.
Schedule
Rankings
Personnel
Game summaries No. 5 Central Oklahoma
Statistics UCOUTPB First downs 16 24 Total yards 376 361 Rushing yards 207 145 Passing yards 169 216 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 22:45 37:15 Team Category Player StatisticsCentral Oklahoma Passing Jett Huff 14/34, 169 yards, 2 INT Rushing William Mason 9 rushes, 107 yards, TD Receiving Ashton Schumann 3 receptions, 45 yardsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 17/30, 189 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kanon Gibson 20 rushes, 78 yards Receiving Traylen Suel 7 receptions, 95 yards, TD
Kickoff was originally scheduled for 6:00 p.m., but was moved up to noon due to potential thunderstorms.
At Adams State
Statistics UTPBASU First downs 21 17 Total yards 359 243 Rushing yards 84 231 Passing yards 275 12 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 23:22 36:38 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Issac Mooring 20/26, 266 yards, 3 TD Rushing Kory Harris 11 rushes, 54 yards, 2 TD Receiving T. J. McKenzie 4 receptions, 78 yards, TDAdams State Passing Tyson Smith 4/14, 12 yards, INT Rushing Ahmare Merrida 18 rushes, 134 yards, TD Receiving Devin Dawkins 2 receptions, 10 yards
At Texas A&M–Kingsville
Statistics UTPBTAMUK First downs 26 18 Total yards 491 375 Rushing yards 175 105 Passing yards 316 270 Turnovers 0 3 Time of possession 36:52 23:08 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 18/26, 316 yards, 3 TD Rushing Kanon Gibson 22 rushes, 81 yards, 2 TD Receiving Jaylon Tillman 3 receptions, 92 yards, TDTexas A&M–Kingsville Passing Jack Turner 25/37, 270 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Andre Branch 7 rushes, 42 yards Receiving Christian Kretz 6 receptions, 83 yards
Midwestern State
Statistics MSUUTPB First downs 16 31 Total yards 296 564 Rushing yards 93 94 Passing yards 203 470 Turnovers 1 3 Time of possession 25:08 34:52 Team Category Player StatisticsMidwestern State Passing Sean Jastrab 12/20, 132 yards, TD, INT Rushing Reginald Williams 11 rushes, 70 yards Receiving Demonte Greene 8 receptions, 74 yardsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 21/29, 331 yards, 3 TD Rushing Camden Tyler 5 rushes, 32 yards, TD Receiving Jaylon Tillman 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD
At No. 5 Angelo State
Statistics UTPBASU First downs 21 13 Total yards 347 252 Rushing yards 58 69 Passing yards 289 183 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 35:21 24:39 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 26/40, 289 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Kanon Gibson 23 rushes, 39 yards, 3 TD Receiving Diego Nunez 4 receptions, 60 yardsAngelo State Passing Braeden Fuller 13/25, 183 yards, 2 TD Rushing Jayden Jones 9 rushes, 37 yards Receiving Anthony Jones 3 receptions, 77 yards, TD
No. 13 Central Washington
Statistics CWUUTPB First downs 17 14 Total yards 308 300 Rushing yards 238 50 Passing yards 70 250 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 38:15 21:45 Team Category Player StatisticsCentral Washington Passing Kennedy McGill 7/18, 70 yards Rushing Justice Taylor 20 rushes, 100 yards, TD Receiving Mason Juergens 3 receptions, 29 yardsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 16/39, 250 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Kory Harris 5 rushes, 24 yards Receiving Ben Patterson 1 reception, 73 yards, TD
At Western Oregon
Statistics UTPBWOU First downs 28 21 Total yards 454 335 Rushing yards 106 169 Passing yards 348 166 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 28:04 31:56 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 28/40, 348 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Kanon Gibson 17 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TD Receiving Kylin Mathis 8 receptions, 118 yardsWestern Oregon Passing Jordan McCarty 19/28, 166 yards, 2 TD Rushing Jordan McCarty 12 rushes, 74 yards, TD Receiving Jermaine Land 4 receptions, 56 yards, TD
West Texas A&M
Statistics WTUTPB First downs 6 30 Total yards 187 418 Rushing yards 18 125 Passing yards 169 293 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 13:46 46:14 Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing R. J. Martinez 11/32, 169 yards, TD Rushing R. J. Martinez 5 rushes, 17 yards Receiving Jamir Roberts 2 receptions, 46 yardsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 29/45, 293 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kory Harris 17 rushes, 70 yards Receiving Traylen Suel 7 receptions, 72 yards, TD
At Western New Mexico
Statistics UTPBWNMU First downs 33 14 Total yards 658 182 Rushing yards 278 78 Passing yards 380 104 Turnovers 0 3 Time of possession 28:06 26:37 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 16/27, 323 yards, 3 TD Rushing Kory Harris 17 rushes, 112 yards, 2 TD Receiving Ben Patterson 3 receptions, 115 yards, TDWestern New Mexico Passing Connor Ackerley 13/28, 104 yards, 2 INT Rushing Jalen Murphy 5 rushes, 30 yards Receiving Anthony Flores 4 receptions, 40 yards
Eastern New Mexico
Statistics ENMUUTPB First downs 12 25 Total yards 408 572 Rushing yards 231 228 Passing yards 177 344 Turnovers 3 2 Time of possession 31:21 28:39 Team Category Player StatisticsEastern New Mexico Passing Chad Ragle 7/12, 177 yards, TD, INT Rushing Robert Nora 11 rushes, 165 yards Receiving Gerry Romez 4 receptions, 143 yardsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 26/42, 321 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Kory Harris 12 rushes, 83 yards, 2 TD Receiving Ben Patterson 4 receptions, 99 yards, TD
Sul Ross
Statistics SRSUTPB First downs 20 34 Total yards 342 639 Rushing yards 106 220 Passing yards 236 419 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 30:11 29:49 Team Category Player StatisticsSul Ross Passing Kye Callicoatte 12/30, 189 yards, TD Rushing Jose Trevino 10 rushes, 67 yards Receiving Yamil Oaxaca 5 receptions, 134 yardsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 26/50, 296 yards, 5 TD, INT Rushing Kory Harris 19 rushes, 74 yards, TD Receiving T. J. McKenzie 4 receptions, 69 yards, TD
At No. 4 CSU Pueblo (NCAA Division II First Round)
Statistics UTPBCSP First downs 29 21 Total yards 469 330 Rushing yards 126 80 Passing yards 343 250 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 36:35 23:25 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 24/34, 343 yards, 3 TD Rushing Kanon Gibson 22 rushes, 51 yards, 2 TD Receiving Traylen Suel 9 receptions, 153 yards, 2 TDCSU Pueblo Passing Roman Fuller 21/47, 250 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kiahn Martinez 16 rushes, 51 yards, TD Receiving Dedrek Taylor-Atkins 6 receptions, 98 yards, TD
At No. 15 Western Colorado (NCAA Division II Second Round)
Statistics UTPBWCU First downs 28 13 Total yards 471 219 Rushing yards 117 114 Passing yards 354 105 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 30:56 29:04 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 38/51, 354 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Kanon Gibson 20 rushes, 71 yards, TD Receiving Jace Wyatt 13 receptions, 99 yardsWestern Colorado Passing Drew Nash 11/26, 105 yards, TD, INT Rushing Drew Nash 13 rushes, 51 yards Receiving Caden Measner 2 receptions, 29 yards
At No. 2 Harding (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)
Statistics UTPBHAR First downs 24 20 Total yards 364 396 Rushing yards 52 389 Passing yards 312 7 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 24:13 35:47 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Permian Basin Passing Kanon Gibson 30/41, 321 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Kanon Gibson 13 rushes, 38 yards, 2 TD Receiving Jace Wyatt 4 receptions, 85 yards, TDHarding Passing Cole Keylon 1/3, 7 yards Rushing Cole Keylon 17 rushes, 148 yards, TD Receiving Brady Barnett 1 reception, 7 yards
References