NEW ORLEANS – After being key contributors to conference wins—including a pair that clinched bowl eligibility for their respective squads—Troy’s Gunnar Watson, Louisiana’s Cameron Whitfield and Georgia Southern’s Michael Lantz—earned the Sun Belt weekly awards.
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Gunnar Watson, Troy
(Sr., QB – Butler, Ga.)
Trojans senior quarterback Gunnar Watson led reigning Sun Belt champion Troy to a 31-13 victory over Texas State to claim sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt West Division. The Butler, Ga., native completed 26-of-40 passes for a career-high 392 yards and three touchdown passes. Watson also rushed for a score, as he was responsible for all four of the Trojans touchdowns in the pivotal Sun Belt West Division showdown. The victory also clinched bowl eligibility for the Trojans for the first time in back-to-back seasons since a run of three-straight bowl appearances from 2016-18.
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Cameron Whitfield, Louisiana
(RS So., LB – Houston, Texas)
Ragin’ Cajuns redshirt sophomore linebacker Cameron Whitfield tallied a career-high seven tackles as Louisiana bested South Alabama, 33-20. The Houston, Texas, product posted 3.5 sacks—0.5 off the program record—and had three strip sacks, with all three fumbles being recovered by the Ragin’ Cajuns. One of his forced fumbles was returned 55 yards for a defensive score for Louisiana. Whitfield paced the Louisiana defensive unit that forced five turnovers and tallied 5.0 sacks in the victory.
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Michael Lantz, Georgia Southern
(RS Sr., K – Peachtree City, Ga.)
Eagles redshirt senior kicker Michael Lantz was the leading scorer for Georgia Southern, as it downed in-state foe Georgia State, 44-27, in the Modern Day Hate rivalry game. The Peachtree City, Ga., native connected on all three of his field goal attempts from 35, 34 and 40 yards and all five of his extra-point tries for 14 points. Lantz also had six touchbacks on eight kickoffs to help Georgia Southern control the field position battle. The victory clinched bowl eligibility for the Eagles for the fifth time in six seasons.
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.)
Week 9 – Gunnar Watson, Troy (Sr., QB – Butler, Ga.)
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.)
Week 9 – Cameron Whitfield, Louisiana (RS So., LB – Houston, Texas)
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)
Week 9 – Michael Lantz, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., K – Peachtree City, Ga.)