NEW ORLEANS – Following contributions to conference victories, Southern Miss’ Braylon Braxton, South Alabama’s Tirrell Johnson and Arkansas State’s Clune Van Andel secured the Sun Belt football weekly accolades. 
 
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss 
(RS Sr., QB – Frisco, Texas)
 
Golden Eagles redshirt senior quarterback Braylon Braxton completed 18-of-23 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns in Southern Miss’ 49-21 homecoming win over ULM. The Frisco, Texas, native led Southern Miss to their fourth-straight victory, the program’s longest winning streak since 2015. Braxton, who has thrown a touchdown pass in all eight games this season including seven multi-touchdown efforts, also rushed for 20 yards on 11 carries. He led the Golden Eagles on three-straight touchdown drives to start the game, helping Southern Miss clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022. 
 
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Tirrell Johnson, South Alabama 
(RS Jr., LB – Wynne, Ark.)
 
Jaguars redshirt junior linebacker Tirrell Johnson had a hand in two South Alabama takeaways as the Jaguars outlasted Georgia State, 38-31, in front of a national television audience on ESPN2 on Thursday night. The Wynne, Ark., product forced a fumble that the Jaguars recovered, setting up the go-ahead touchdown run from senior running back Kentrel Bullock. On the ensuing Georgia State possession, Johnson came down with the game-sealing interception for South Alabama. He also carded a career-high 10 tackles in the victory, as 1-of-3 Jaguars with double-digit tackles on the night. 
 
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State 
(Jr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)
 
Red Wolves junior kicker Clun Van Andel was the difference in Arkansas State’s 34-24 win over Georgia Southern. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native accumulated 10 points—on two field goals and four extra points. Van Andel was a perfect 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, converting from 24 and 27 yards out, and 4-for-4 on point-after tries. This was Van Andel’s 10th career game and fourth of the 2025 season with multiple field goals made, as he ran his career total to 33 field goals. 
 
2025 Sun Belt Football Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – AJ Swann, App State (RS Jr., QB – White, Ga.)  
Week 2 – Trequan Jones, Old Dominion (Jr., RB – Bartow, Fla.) 
Week 3 – Colton Joseph, Old Dominion (RS So., QB – Newport Beach, Calif.) 
Week 4 – Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Marshall (RS Jr., QB – Atlanta, Ga.) 
Week 5 – Lunch Winfield, Louisiana (RS So., QB – Lutcher, La.) 
Week 6 – Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State (Jr., QB – Winston-Salem, N.C.) 
Week 7 – Tucker Kilcrease, Troy (Jr., QB – Brantley, Ala.) 
Week 8 – Alonza Barnett III, James Madison (RS Jr., QB – Whitsett, N.C.) 
Week 9 – Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss (RS Sr., QB – Frisco, Texas)
 
2025 Sun Belt Football Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – D’Arco Perkins-McCallister, ULM (RS Sr., DB – Nashville, Tenn.) 
Week 2 – Luke Hodge, Troy (So., LB – Oneonta, Ala.) 
Week 3 – Ian Foster, Southern Miss (RS So., DB – Brundidge, Ala.) 
Week 4 – Noah Arinze, Coastal Carolina (Sr., DL – St. Louis, Mo.) 
Week 5 – Trent Hendrick, James Madison (Sr., LB – Richmond, Va.)
Week 6 – Devin Lafayette, Troy (Sr., DB – Brunswick, Ga.) 
Week 7 – Boogie Trotter, Marshall (Sr., DB – Nashville, Tenn.) 
Week 8 – Treylin Payne, Texas State (Sr., LB – San Antonio, Texas) 
Week 9 – Tirrell Johnson, South Alabama (RS Jr., LB – Wynne, Ark.) 
 
2025 Sun Belt Football Special Teams Players of the Week
Week 1 – Tony Sterner, Louisiana (RS Jr., K – Kingwood, Texas)
Week 2 – Tre’ Brown III, Old Dominion (RS So., WR – Savannah, Ga.) 
Week 3 – Dalen Cobb, Georgia Southern (Sr., WR – Washington, Ga.) 
Week 4 – Evan Crenshaw, Troy (Jr., P – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) 
Week 5 – Curtis Harris-Lopez, James Madison (RS Sr., RS – Nashua, N.H.) 
Week 6 – Dominic De Freitas, App State (Fr., K – Nappanee, Ind.) 
Week 7 – Paddy McAteer, Troy (Jr., K - Mullaghbawn, Ireland) 
Week 8 – Lorcan Quinn, Marshall (Fr., K – Donaghmore, Ireland) 
Week 9 – Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (Jr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)