NEW ORLEANS – Georgia State quarterback Nick Arbuckle has been named the Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Year as he headlines the 2015 All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team and individual award winners as announced Wednesday afternoon.
The selections were made by a vote of the league’s head coaches and selected members of the media.
Arbuckle’s favorite passing target, wide receiver Penny Hart, was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year, and their head coach, Trent Miles, was named the Sun Belt’s Coach of the Year.
New Mexico State running back Larry Rose III was named the Sun Belt Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year and Appalachian State defensive linemen Ronald Blair was named the Sun Belt Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year.
Arbuckle, Hart, and Miles, helped guide GSU (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt), to four consecutive wins to close the season and earn the Panthers a spot in the AutoNation Cure Bowl. Both student-athletes were also placed on the first team All-Sun Belt.
Arbuckle led the Sun Belt with 346.7 passing yards per game this season, which is good for sixth best in FBS. Arbuckle also leads the league in total offense with 340.2 yards a game and completion percentage at 64.1%. His total offense per game average is also good for eighth nationally. With 4,160 yards passing, Arbuckle has posted the second-best single-season total in Sun Belt history. He is just 94 yards behind the Sun Belt record of 4,254 yards set by Troy’s Levi Brown in 2009.
Hart is the leading receiver in the Sun Belt with 71 receptions for 1,095 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranks second among all FBS freshmen in receptions (5.9 per game), receiving yards (91.3 per game) and touchdowns (8).
With the help of Arbuckle and Hart, Trent Miles guided GSU to its first bowl berth in just its sixth year of football and third at the FBS level. The Panthers will face Mountain West Conference foe San Jose State in the inaugural AutoNation Cure Bowl presented by Florida Hospital, Dec. 19 in Orlando, Fla.
NM State’s Rose III had 1,651 rushing yards for the season, which is a single season Aggie record and the sixth highest single season total in Sun Belt history. The sophomore also led the conference in rushing yards per game with a 137.6 average.
App. State’s Blair leads the Sun Belt in tackles for loss with 18 total and is second in the league in sacks with 7.5 total. Blair leads a Mountaineer defense that is tops in the Sun Belt for scoring defense and ranks 13th nationally as they allow an average of only 18.3 points per game. The defensive unit also ranks first in the conference and 12th nationally in total defense, having allowed an average of 318 yards per game on the season. With Blair headlining the defense, the Mountaineers (10-2, 7-1 Sun Belt) will be making their first bowl appearance when they play Ohio in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, Dec. 19 in Montgomery, Ala. All told, App. State placed nine student-athletes on the all-conference team – the second highest total in the league.
Undisputed league champions Arkansas State (9-3, 8-0 Sun Belt) placed a conference high of 12 student-athletes on the first-team and second-team combined. The Red Wolves will face Louisiana Tech on Saturday, December 19 in the R+L Carries New Orleans Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. (CT) from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the game will air on ESPN.
Georgia State and Georgia Southern (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt) both had seven all-conference honorees. Georgia Southern will play in its first FBS Bowl game when the Eagles play Bowling Green on Wednesday, December 23. The game will be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. and kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.
Student-Athlete of the Year: Nick Arbuckle (Georgia State, Sr., QB, History)
Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year: Larry Rose III (NM State, So., RB, Communications)
Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year: Ronald Blair (Appalachian State, Sr., DL, Health Promotion)
Freshman of the Year: Penny Hart (Georgia State, Fr., WR, Exercise Science)
Coach of the Year: Trent Miles, Georgia State
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Offense
Nick Arbuckle (Georgia State, Sr., QB, History)
Matt Breida (Georgia Southern, Jr., RB, Finance)
Larry Rose III (NM State, So., RB, Communications)
Robert Davis (Georgia State, Jr., WR, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Penny Hart (Georgia State, Fr., WR, Exercise Science)
Jamal Robinson (UL Lafayette, Sr., WR, General Studies)
Gerald Everett (South Alabama, Jr., TE, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Jesse Chapman (Appalachian State, Sr., OL, Exercise Science)
Jemar Clark (Arkansas State, Jr., OL, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Colton Jackson (Arkansas State, Jr., OL, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Darien Foreman (Georgia Southern, Sr., OL, General Studies)
Joseph Scelfo (South Alabama, Jr., OL, Leisure Studies)
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Defense
Ronald Blair (Appalachian State, Sr., DL, Health Promotion)
Ja’Von Rolland-Jones (Arkansas State, So., DL, Sports Management)
Quinton Bradley (Idaho, Sr., DL, Psychology)
Tyler Roberts (Troy, Sr., DL, Accounting)
John Law (Appalachian State, Jr., LB, Health Promotion)
Dominique Tovell (UL Lafayette, Sr., LB, General Studies)
Hunter Kissinger (UL Monroe, Gr., LB, Business Admin)
Blake Dees (South Alabama, Sr., LB, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Latrell Gibbs (Appalachian State, So., DB, Exercise Science)
Rocky Hayes (Arkansas State, Sr., DB, Finance)
Antonio Glover (Georgia Southern, Sr., DB, General Studies)
Tarris Batiste (Georgia State, Sr., DB, Criminal Justice)
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Special Teams
Zach Matics (Appalachian State, Sr., K, Entrepreneurship)
Austin Rehkow (Idaho, Jr., P, Exercise Science and Health)
Derek Keaton (Georgia Southern, Sr., Return Specialist, Justice Studies)
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, Sr., All-Purpose, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Offense
Fredi Knighten (Arkansas State, Sr., QB, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Marcus Cox (Appalachian State, Jr., RB, Management)
Michael Gordon (Arkansas State, Sr., RB, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Tres Houston (Arkansas State, Sr., WR, Interdisciplinary Studies)
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, Sr., WR, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Teddy Ruben (Troy, Sr., WR, Social Science)
Keith Rucker (Georgia State, Jr., TE, Speech)
Parker Collins (Appalachian State, Jr., OL, Physical Education)
Davante Harris (Appalachian State, Sr., OL, Communications Studies)
Andy Kwon (Georgia Southern, Jr., OL, Sport Management)
Chris May (South Alabama, Sr., OL, Physical Education)
Dalton Bennett (Troy, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Defense
Chris Stone (Arkansas State, Sr., DL, Sports Management)
Bernard Dawson (Georgia Southern, Jr., DL, Information Technology)
Jay Ellison (Georgia Southern, Jr., DL, General Studies)
Gerrand Johnson (UL Monroe, Gr., DL, Communication)
Eric Boggs (Appalachian State, So., LB, Physical Education)
Xavier Woodson-Luster (Arkansas State, Jr., LB, Sports Management)
Joseph Peterson (Georgia State, Sr., LB, Speech)
Cody Brown (Arkansas State, Jr., DB, Communications)
Savion Brown (UL Lafayette, Jr., DB, Undeclared)
Roman Buchanan (South Alabama, Jr., DB, Exercise Science)
Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama, So., DB, Leisure Studies)
Montres Kitchens (Troy, Sr., DB, Social Science)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Special Teams
Austin Rehkow (Idaho, Jr., K, Exercise Science and Health)
Wil Lutz (Georgia State, Sr., P, Criminal Justice)
Teddy Ruben (Troy, Sr. Return Specialist, Social Science)
Teddy Ruben (Troy, Sr., All-Purpose, Social Science)
All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention
Barrett Burns (Appalachian State, Jr., TE, Psychology/Pre-Professional)
Taylor Lamb (Appalachian State, So., QB, Physical Education)
Doug Middleton (Appalachian State, Sr., DB, Graduate-Public Administration)
Devan Stringer (Appalachian State, So., LB, Risk Management and Insurance)
Darion Griswold (Arkansas State, Sr., TE, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Khari Lain (Arkansas State, So., LB, Communications)
Robert Mondie (Arkansas State, Sr., DL, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Dijon Paschal (Arkansas State., Sr., WR, Sports Management)
Donovan Harden (Georgia State, Sr., WR, Sociology)
Shawanye Lawrence (Georgia State, Jr., DE, Psychology)
Alonzo McGee (Georgia State, Jr., LB, Sociology)
Chandon Sullivan (Georgia State, So., CB, Journalism)
Ironhead Gallon (Georgia Southern, Jr., LB, General Studies)
L.A. Ramsby (Georgia Southern, So., RB, Sport Management)
Antwione Williams (Georgia Southern, Sr., LB, Grad-Psychology)
Caleb Williams (Georgia Southern, Sr., DB, Marketing)
Buck Cowan (Idaho, Jr., TE, Business/Economics)
Matt Linehan (Idaho, So., QB, Broadcast Journalism)
Elijhaa Penny (Idaho, Sr., RB, Organizational Sciences)
Jordan Rose (Idaho, So., OL, General Studies)
Octravian Anderson (UL Lafayette, Sr., OL, General Studies)
Elijah McGuire (UL Lafayette, Jr., RB, General Studies)
Otha Peters (UL Lafayette, Jr., LB, General Studies)
Chris Prater (UL Lafayette, Sr., DE, General Studies)
Trey Caldwell (UL Monroe, Sr., DB, Marketing)
Marcus Green (UL Monroe, Fr., WR, Kinesiology)
Michael Johnson (UL Monroe, Gr., LB, History)
Colby Mitchell (UL Monroe, Gr., OL, Exercise Science)
Stody Bradley (NM State, So., DL, Independent Studies)
Isaiah Folasa (NM State, Sr., OL, Independent Studies)
Anthony McMeans (NM State, Jr., OL, Independent Studies)
Tyrian Taylor (NM State, Jr., WR, Biology)
Adrian Bellard, (Texas State, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice)
Ryan Melton, (Texas State, Jr., OL, Agriculture)
Ryan Carden (Texas State, Sr., TE, Business Marketing)
Tyler Jones (Texas State, Jr., QB, Nutrition and Foods)
DeMarion Harper (South Alabama, Sr., DL, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Kalen Jackson (South Alabama, Jr., LB, Communication)
Xavier Johnson (South Alabama, So., RB/RS, Criminal Justice)
Aleem Sunanon (South Alabama, Jr., PK, Professional Health Sciences)
Brandon Burks (Troy, Sr., RB, Criminal Justice)
Rashad Dillard (Troy, Jr., DL, Psychology)
Antonio Garcia (Troy, Jr., OL, Criminal Justice)
Brandon Silvers (Troy, So., QB, Sport & Fitness Management)
Sun Belt Conference Newcomer Team
Jalin Moore (Appalachian State, Fr., RB, Undeclared)
Warren Wand (Arkansas State, Fr., RB, Undeclared)
Wesley Fields (Georgia Southern, Fr., RB, Sport Management)
Bobby Baker (Georgia State, Jr., DB, Speech)
Kaden Elliss (Idaho, Fr., LB, Marketing/Communications)
Steven Coutts (UL Lafayette, Fr., P, Management)
Ben Banogu (UL Monroe, Fr., DL, Risk Management & Insurance)
Terrill Hanks (NM State, Fr., LB, Undeclared)
Gerald Everett (South Alabama, Jr., TE, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Kian Schoenborn (Texas State, Fr., OL, Exploratory Studies)
William Lloyd (Troy, Jr., LB, Accounting)