NEW ORLEANS – Following statement Sun Belt victories, James Madison’s Centeio and Texas State’s Spears and Keller earned the conference’s weekly awards.
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Todd Centeio, James Madison
(Gr., QB – West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Dukes graduate student quarterback Todd Centeio completed 28-of-37 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns in James Madison’s 42-20 victory over Arkansas State. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native also added 10 rushing yards to eclipse 400 yards of total offense. Centeio’s 404 yards of total offense rank seventh in James Madison single-game history, while his 28 completions and 394 passing yards were season-highs. Centeio guided the offense into the end zone on 6-of-7 drives spanning the second through fourth quarters to remain unbeaten.
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Tory Spears, Texas State
(RS Jr., S – Houston, Texas)
Bobcats redshirt junior safety Tory Spears returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown in Texas State’s 36-24 victory over App State. The Houston, Texas, native also paced the Bobcat defensive unit with a career-high 12 tackles in the contest. Spears is the first FBS player to have 12-or-more tackles and a pick-six since Sept. 18, 2021 (Chad Muma, Wyoming vs. Ball State), the first Sun Belt player to do that since 2014 and the first Bobcat to do that in Texas State’s FBS history. His interception return for a touchdown was just the seventh in program history.
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Seth Keller, Texas State
(RS Jr., K – Colleyville, Texas)
Bobcats redshirt junior kicker Seth Keller was responsible for 12 of Texas State’s 36 points in the program’s first-ever victory over App State. The Colleyville, Texas, product was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points in the 36-24 win. With his third career game with three-or-more field goals made—including a season-long 37-yarder—Keller moved into a tie for fourth place on Texas State’s career field goals list with 29. Keller is the first kicker honored this season, snapping a string of five-straight return men.
2022 Sun Belt Football Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Chase Brice, App State (RS Sr., QB – Grayson, Ga.)
Week 2 – Kyle Vantrease, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., QB – Stow, Ohio)
Week 3 – Christan Horn, App State (So., WR – Columbia, S.C.)
Week 4 – Todd Centeio, James Madison (Gr., QB – West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Week 5 – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Jr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
Week 6 – Todd Centeio, James Madison (Gr., QB – West Palm Beach, Fla.)
2022 Sun Belt Football Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (So., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)
Week 2 – Jalen McLeod, App State (So., LB – Washington, D.C.)
Week 3 – Nick Ross, App State (Jr., DB – Kennesaw, Ga.)
Week 4 – Carlton Martial, Troy (Sr., LB – Mobile, Ala.)
Week 5 – Carlton Martial, Troy (Sr., LB – Mobile, Ala.)
Week 6 – Tory Spears, Texas State (RS Jr., S – Houston, Texas)
2022 Sun Belt Football Special Teams Players of the Week
Week 1 – Eric Garror, Louisiana (Sr., RS – Mobile, Ala.)
Week 2 – Matthew McDoom, Coastal Carolina (Fr., RS – Winter Garden, Fla.)
Week 3 – Natrone Brooks, Southern Miss (Sr., RS – Starkville, Miss.)
Week 4 – Caullin Lacy, South Alabama (So., RS – Mobile, Ala.)
Week 5 – Johnnie Lang Jr., Arkansas State (RS Sr., RS – Palmetto, Fla.)
Week 6 – Seth Keller, Texas State (RS Jr., K – Colleyville, Texas)