NEW ORLEANS — Sun Belt football student-athletes were well-represented on All-America teams following the 2022 season in which the conference defeated four autonomy five programs and produced a conference-record seven Bowl Season participants.
With 26 student-athletes being recognized, the conference boasts a 53 percent increase in representation over 2021. The group combined to earn 53 All-America honors, a 26 percent increase over the Sun Belt’s total following the 2021 campaign.
The Sun Belt boasted multiple 10-win teams—Troy (12-2) and South Alabama (10-3)—for the fifth-straight season and three bowl champions in 2022.
Thirteen-of-14 Sun Belt programs produced at least one All-America honoree, with App State leading all programs with four different student-athletes honored. Four other teams—Arkansas State, Marshall, Old Dominion and South Alabama—had three different student-athletes recognized.
Student-athletes from Arkansas State (9), Old Dominion (8) and App State (7) accrued the most national recognitions, while players from South Alabama (5), Sun Belt champion Troy (5), Marshall (4), Texas State (4), Louisiana (3), Coastal Carolina (2), James Madison (2), Southern Miss (2), Georgia State (1) and ULM (1) each earned at least one national nod.
Paramount among this year’s honorees was Old Dominion sophomore linebacker Jason Henderson—who earned a conference-best six All-America nods, including Second Team status from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), USA Today, Fox Sports and Phil Steele and Third Team accolades from the AP.
Arkansas State redshirt senior kick returner Johnnie Lang Jr. and Troy senior linebacker Carlton Martial followed closely with five national nods apiece. Lang Jr. was dubbed the Kick Returner of the Year by College Football Network, while Martial earned the organization’s Walk-On Wins Award.
App State redshirt sophomore kick returner Milan Tucker—Second Team from the FWAA—also earned All-America status from one of the five organizations (Walter Camp, FWAA, AP, The Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association) utilized by the NCAA to determine consensus and unanimous All-Americans.
Sun Belt Football All-Americans
Troy Everett, App State
The Athletic – Freshman Second Team, C
Cooper Hodges, App State
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, OL
PFF – Third Team, OL
Steven Jones Jr., App State
CFN – Honorable Mention, CB
Milan Tucker, App State
FWAA – Second Team, KR
Fox Sports – Receiving Votes, KR
Phil Steele – Second Team, KR
Johnnie Lang Jr., Arkansas State
CBS – Honorable Mention, AP
Phil Steele – Third Team, KR
PFF – Second Team, KR
CFN – Kick Returner of the Year
CFN – First Team, KR
Seydou Traore, Arkansas State
CFN – Honorable Mention, TE
Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State
The Athletic – Freshman First Team, K
PFF – True Freshman First Team, K
CFN – Freshman First Team, K
Jared Brown, Coastal Carolina
The Athletic – Freshman First Team, WR
CFN – Freshman Second Team, WR
Jamari Thrash, Georgia State
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, WR
Kris Thornton, James Madison
CFN - Honorable Mention, WR
Isaac Ukwu, James Madison
CFN – Honorable Mention, Edge
Eric Garror, Louisiana
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, PR
PFF – Second Team, PR
CFN – Second Team, PR
Kenard Snyder, ULM
PFF – Freshman Honorable Mention, Edge
Micah Abraham, Marshall
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, DB
Khalan Laborn, Marshall
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, RB
CFN – Honorable Mention, RB
Owen Porter, Marshall
CFN – First Team, Edge
Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
AP – Third Team, LB
FWAA – Second Team, LB
USA Today – Second Team, LB
Fox Sports – Second Team, LB
Phil Steele – Second Team, LB
PFF – Honorable Mention, LB
Ali Jennings III, Old Dominion
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, WR
Denzel Lowry, Old Dominion
PFF – Freshman Honorable Mention, DI
Yam Banks, South Alabama
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, DB
PFF – Second Team, Flex Def.
CFN – Third Team, CB
Trey Kiser, South Alabama
CFN – Honorable Mention, Special Teamer
La’Damian Webb, South Alabama
CFN – Honorable Mention, Flex
Jay Stanley, Southern Miss
Action Network – Second Team, S
PFF – Third Team, S
Levi Bell, Texas State
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, DL
PFF – Third Team, DI
CFN – Honorable Mention, DT
Kyle Hergel, Texas State
CFN – Honorable Mention, G
Carlton Martial, Troy
Action Network – Second Team, LB
Fox Sports – Second Team, LB
Phil Steele – Third Team, LB
CFN – Walk-On Wins Award
CFN – First Team, LB