NEW ORLEANS – James Madison’s Todd Centeio, Troy’s Carlton Martial and South Alabama’s Caullin Lacy earned the conference’s weekly honors following team victories.
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Todd Centeio, James Madison
(Gr., QB – West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Dukes graduate student quarterback Todd Centeio led James Madison to a historic comeback in its first-ever Sun Belt Conference contest. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native helped the Dukes score 29 unanswered to turn a 28-3 second-quarter deficit into a 32-28 win. Centeio accounted for 292 yards—204 passing and 88 rushing—and three touchdowns—two passing and one rushing—in the victory. Centeio currently ranks fifth in the nation, averaging 24.7 points responsible for per game for a James Madison squad that is 1-of-2 remaining non-autonomy five unbeatens.
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Carlton Martial, Troy
(Sr., LB – Mobile, Ala.)
Trojans senior linebacker Carlton Martial tallied 18 tackles in a 16-7 victory over Marshall, becoming the Sun Belt’s all-time leader in career tackles in the process. The Mobile, Ala., product passed Texas State’s Bryan London to top the Sun Belt chart and now sits 71 tackles shy of the FBS career record. The Trojan defense held Marshall to 174 yards of total offense and 96 rushing yards—well off the Thundering Herd’s season averages of 507.7 yards of total offense and 263.3 rushing yards entering Week 4.
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
(So., RS – Mobile, Ala.)
Jaguars sophomore return specialist Caullin Lacy took a Louisiana Tech punt back 57 yards for a touchdown just four minutes into the game to give South Alabama a two-touchdown advantage it would never relinquish in its 38-14 non-conference win. The Mobile, Ala., native’s return was the first of the season and the second-longest in program history. Lacy’s return was just the third punt return for a touchdown in program history and is the first since Tra Minter’s 75-yard punt return touchdown against Alabama State in 2018.
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.)
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.)
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.)