Cumberland Football re-enters the NAIA Top 25 at No. 25

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - - Cumberland University football jumps into the NAIA Top 25 in the fourth edition of the STADIONIC NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll, released by the national office this morning.

The Phoenix re-enter the national rankings after receiving votes in last week's poll, earning a spot among the nation's top 25 teams in the latest edition. Cumberland holds a 3-2 record on the season as the program continues its 2026 campaign.

The Phoenix's return to the Top 25 rankings comes after a dominating performance on the road against Andrew College.

The Phoenix headed down to Georgia and delivered a powerful performance on Sunday afternoon, shutting out Andrew College 62-0 behind a powerful rushing attack and a stifling defensive effort.

Cumberland's ground game led the way, totaling 318 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 52 attempts. Rashod Daniel paced the Phoenix with 114 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries, while Pierce Meacham added 80 yards and two scores on 13 attempts. Ladarius Smith, Luke Parker and Daniel each found the end zone in the opening scoring stretch, with Daniel adding two more touchdowns in the second half.

The Phoenix also received contributions from across the backfield. Andrae Williams rushed for 40 yards, including a 35-yard run, while Jordan Cason added 32 yards on seven carries. Cumberland finished with 416 total yards of offense and recorded 23 first downs compared to just four for Andrew College.

Quarterback Jake Parker completed five of nine passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Daniel on a 35-yard scoring pass late in the first half. Jaylen Abston recorded 14 rushing yards and added 32 receiving yards, while Kaiden Hatchett caught two passes for 21 yards.

Defensively, the Phoenix held Andrew College to just 40 total yards, including 42 rushing yards and negative two passing yards. Cumberland recorded two sacks and an interception, with Daniel Doegan returning his interception 40 yards. Josh Jones contributed a sack and two tackles for loss, while Tyriq Edwards added a sack for a 12-yard loss.

This comes after the Phoenix dropped their conference opener to then No. 24 Georgetown College (Ky.) in a tight 19-21 game just a week prior.

Cumberland returns to the national rankings alongside several Mid-South Conference opponents. Georgetown moved up to No. 17, Lindsey Wilson sits at No. 18, and Campbellsville remains at No. 13 in the latest poll.

College of Idaho maintains the No. 1 spot, followed by Keiser at No. 2. Benedictine (Kan.), Grand View, and Montana Tech round out the top five.

The Phoenix will be back in action Saturday afternoon at No. 13 Campbellsville University in Mid-South Conference play.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Jaylen Abston: ATH; 6' 3"; Redshirt Junior

#26 Rashod Daniel: RB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

#4 Daniel Doegan: DB; 5' 11"; Graduate Student

#7 Tyriq Edwards: DB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

#3 Kaiden Hatchett: WR; 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior

#96 Josh Jones: DL; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior

#32 Pierce Meacham: RB; 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman

#12 Jake Parker: QB; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior

#10 Luke Parker: QB; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#20 Andrae Williams: WR; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#1 Jaylen Abston
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Junior
: ATH

#26 Rashod Daniel
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman
: RB

#4 Daniel Doegan
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student
: DB

#7 Tyriq Edwards
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: DB

#3 Kaiden Hatchett
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior
: WR

#96 Josh Jones
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior
: DL

#32 Pierce Meacham
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman
: RB

#12 Jake Parker
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior
: QB

#10 Luke Parker
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: QB

#20 Andrae Williams
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: WR