Brownwood High School 2023 graduate Isaac Gray was named the 2025 Elite Scholar Athlete of the Year in NCAA Division II football, playing for Harding University, which reached the national championship game.

Gray, a sophomore at Harding University, was presented the award Dec. 19 in McKinney, the day prior to the NCAA Division II national championship game.

“It’s a huge honor,” said Gray. “I wasn’t expecting it so it was a special honor. Our whole team was together at Main Event, we were about to have an arcade night. When they said my name my heart just exploded with joy. It’s such a great honor to represent my team and my program by trying my best in the classroom and also performing on the field, so it was definitely special.”

The Elite Scholar-Athlete award recognizes the essence of student-athletes by honoring the individuals who have reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. The Elite Scholar-Athlete award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.

The son of Todd and Tammy Gray, Isaac is majoring in accounting and currently carries a 4.00 GPA in his Harding coursework.

“Classes are going great,” Gray said. “I’m actually about to take my hardest semester with 18 hours. I’m graduating with my bachelor’s in accounting next May, then I’m in the accelerated master’s program. I’m doing my master’s in information systems and I’ll graduate with my master’s in the fall of 2027. After I graduate, I plan to take my CPA exam and after all that, find a job hopefully back in Texas, somewhere around Dallas for an accounting firm.”

The Harding Bisons finished the 2025 season with a 15-1 record, ranked No. 2 in the nation by the American Football Coaches Association in NCAA Division II. The only loss for Harding came in the national championship game to undefeated Ferris State, 42-21, on Dec. 20 in McKinney.

“It’s awful that we came up short but it was a super special experience,” Gray said. “We worked all offseason, all summer, all fall camp to have an opportunity to play on the biggest stage for DII football. It’s a special opportunity to not only play in the game, but to play with those I love. We’re all a brotherhood at Harding.”

At Brownwood, Gray was the District 2-4A Division I Lineman of the Year his senior season, a two-time first-team all-district selection, second-team academic all-state, and academic all-district. He was also the Deborah Ellis Memorial Scholarship recipient.

Regarding the rest of college football career, Gray said, “I really want to go back to the national championship game. But more than that, I want to keep playing with my brothers, working with them, practicing with them and spending time with them. I’m moving back to the O-line and playing left tackle next year, that’s the plan the right now, and I’m going to give the team my best.”