MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Dec. 11) – The Denison University football team had three senior student-athletes earn 2024 All-Region First Team honors from D3football.com in Region 4. The organization announced their annual all-region teams and award winners on Wednesday morning. 
 
This marks the first time that Denison has had multiple representatives on the D3football.com All-Region First Team since the 2019 season. This is also the first time in program history that Denison has had three players earn First Team All-Region in the same season.
 
Earning the honors were senior defensive back Collin Murphy, senior return specialist Jaylin Epps and senior kicker Daniel Cunningham. 
 
Murphy picks up his first all-region honor after finishing the season as one of the top defensive playmakers for the Big Red. Murphy intercepted a team-high four passes and ranked second on the squad with eight pass breakups. Murphy tallied 45 total tackles, added a forced fumble and blocked a kick. Murphy earned D3football.com Team of the Week twice during the season. The Sudbury, Mass. native earned the honors following conference wins over Hiram and Ohio Wesleyan. He accounted for multiple takeaways in each of those conference wins. 
 
Epps picked up his second D3football.com All-Region honor after finishing a stellar career with his highlight ability as a return man. Epps ranks fifth in kick return average (30.9 per return) and finished as one of just nine players to return multiple kickoffs for touchdowns in 2024. Epps, who finished his career as a four-time conference honoree for his work as a return specialist, returned kicks for scores in back-to-back games in 2024. The Cordele, Ga. product registered a 94-yard run back in a win at Wooster on Oct. 12 and followed that with a 97-yard return against NCAC champion DePauw a week later. Epps averaged 14.0 yards per punt return to rank ninth in NCAA Division III. Defensively, Epps produced a team-high 10 pass breakups, a fumble recovery and 27 total tackles. For his career, Epps totaled five return touchdowns (three kickoff, two punts). 
 
Recognized in November as the North Coast Athletic Conference's Special Teams Player of the Year, Cunningham capped his career in standout fashion for the Big Red. Cunningham excelled as both a kicker and a punter for Denison. He converted all seven of his field goal attempts, went 38-for-41 in point after attempts and totaled 59 points for the Big Red this season. Cunningham ended the season tied at the top for the longest field goal after nailing a 48-yarder at Wooster on Oct. 12, just three yards shy of his career best. The senior recorded three seasons with at least five field goals made, ending his collegiate career going 18-for-25 on field goals. Cunningham missed just seven extra points in his career, totaling 132 makes overall. Nearly half of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks (28 of 57). The Lexington, Va. native averaged 61.9 yards per kickoff. He also made his mark as a punter. Cunningham averaged 40.8 yards per punt. He placed an NCAC-best 15 punts inside the 20 while 13 of his attempts resulted in fair catches. Two of Cunningham's punts traveled 50+ which included his season long boot of 60 yards in a win versus Kenyon.
 
Under the direction of 15th year head coach Jack Hatem, Denison finished 6-2 in the NCAC and 6-4 overall.