NEW ORLEANS – Following career-best efforts in conference wins, Georgia Southern’s Jalen White and James Madison’s Jalen Green and Ryan Hanson claimed the Sun Belt weekly honors.
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Jalen White, Georgia Southern
(Sr., RB – Daleville, Ala.)
Eagles senior running back Jalen White carried the ball 26 times for Georgia Southern, helping the squad to a 38-28 conference victory over ULM. The Daleville, Ala., native accumulated a career-high 164 yards and two touchdowns, while adding three catches for 13 yards. The performance was White’s second 100-yard game of the season and the seventh of his collegiate career. Both of White’s touchdowns came during Georgia Southern’s 21-point outburst over a 1:46 span during the second quarter.
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Jalen Green, James Madison
(Sr., DL – Baltimore, Md.)
Dukes senior defensive lineman Jalen Green tied the single-game program record with 5.0 sacks in James Madison’s 20-9 conference win over Marshall—the team’s first-ever over the Thundering Herd. The Baltimore, Md., product also set a personal career-high with 5.5 tackles for loss. Green led the Dukes defense that held Marshall’s offense scoreless and to a total of 169 yards—including -4 rushing yards—thanks largely to 15.0 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks as a team. Following this week’s performance, Green now leads the FBS with 18.0 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks on the year.
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Ryan Hanson, James Madison
(RS Jr., P – Elgin, Texas)
Dukes redshirt junior punter Ryan Hanson was a difference-maker on special teams in James Madison’s 20-9 conference victory over Marshall. He flipped the field on multiple occasions, with each of his seven punts being downed inside the 20-yard line. Six of the Elgin, Texas, native’s punts were downed inside the 10-yard line, with three pinning Marshall at their own 1-yard line. The best starting field position the Thundering Herd had following a Hanson punt was at their own 11-yard line.
2023 Sun Belt Football Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – TJ Finley, Texas State (RS So., QB – Ponchatoula, La.)
Week 2 – Davis Brin, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., QB – Boerne, Texas)
Week 3 – Darren Grainger, Georgia State (RS Sr., QB – Conway, S.C.)
Week 4 – Rasheen Ali, Marshall (Jr., RB – Cleveland, Ohio)
Week 5 – Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State (Fr., QB – Kernersville, N.C.)
Week 6 – Kimani Vidal, Troy (Jr., RB – Marietta, Ga.)
Week 7 – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
Week 8 – Jalen White, Georgia Southern (Sr., RB – Daleville, Ala.)
2023 Sun Belt Football Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Clayton Isbell, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., S – St. Charles, Ill.)
Week 2 – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)
Week 3 – LaMareon James, Old Dominion (Jr., CB – Norfolk, Va.)
Week 4 – Brian Holloway, Texas State (RS Sr., LB – Clear Lake, Texas)
Week 5 – Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., LB – Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Week 6 – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)
Week 7 – Richard Jibunor, Troy (Sr., BAN – Delta State, Nigeria)
Week 8 – Jalen Green, James Madison (Sr., DL – Baltimore, Md.)
2023 Sun Belt Football Special Teams Players of the Week
Week 1 – Andrew Stein, Southern Miss (RS Jr., K – Slidell, La.)
Week 2 – Aiden Fisher, James Madison (So., LB – Fredericksburg, Va.)
Week 3 – Camden Wise, James Madison (RS Sr., K – Blacksburg, Va.)
Week 4 – Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State (So., K – Chandler Ariz.)
Week 5 – Michael Hughes, App State (Jr., K – Charleston, W.Va.)
Week 6 – Dalen Cambre, Louisiana (RS Jr., WR – Lafayette, La.)
Week 7 – Scott Taylor Renfroe, Troy (So., K – Troy, Ala.)
Week 8 – Ryan Hanson, James Madison (RS Jr., P – Elgin, Texas)