NEW ORLEANS – Following key conference victories, Arkansas State’s Ja’Quez Cross and App State’s Ethan Johnson earned the Sun Belt weekly accolades.
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State
(RS So., RB – Hampton, Ark.)
Red Wolves redshirt sophomore running back Ja’Quez Cross tallied 320 all-purpose yards—the most in a Sun Belt Conference game since 2017 and the second-most in an FBS game this season—as Arkansas State outpaced Texas State, 77-31. The Hampton, Ark., native registered his second career 100-yard rushing game with 139 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, becoming the first Arkansas State player with three-or-more rushing scores since 2019. Accounting for four touchdowns—with 166 kickoff return yards, including a 93-yard touchdown return—Cross contributed to the highest-ever scoring total (77) in a Sun Belt Conference game.
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Ethan Johnson, App State
(So., CB – Huntersville, N.C.)
Mountaineers sophomore cornerback Ethan Johnson helped App State shut down previously unbeaten James Madison’s high-powered offense for three quarters en route to a 26-23 overtime road win. The Huntersville, N.C., product carded five tackles, a tackle for loss and two pass breakups. Johnson’s greatest contribution was a second-quarter interception that halted a Dukes drive inside App State territory with just over a minute to play before halftime. The Mountaineers defense racked up a season-high 11 tackles for loss and five sacks—which were both the most allowed by James Madison this season.
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State
(RS So., RB – Hampton, Ark.)
Red Wolves redshirt sophomore running back Ja’Quez Cross tallied 320 all-purpose yards—the most in a Sun Belt Conference game since 2017 and the second-most in an FBS game this season—as Arkansas State outpaced Texas State, 77-31. The Hampton, Ark., native ran a kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown, while accumulating 166 kickoff return yards on three returns on the day. Accounting for four touchdowns—with 139 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries—Cross contributed to the highest-ever scoring total (77) in a Sun Belt Conference game.
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.)
Week 10 – Jordan McCloud, James Madison (RS Sr., QB – Tampa, Fla.)
Week 11 – Jordan McCloud, James Madison (RS Sr., QB – Tampa, Fla.)
Week 12 – Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State (RS So., RB – Hampton, Ark.)
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)
Week 10 – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)
Week 11 – Javon Solomon, Troy (Jr., DE – Tallahassee, Fla.)
Week 12 – Ethan Johnson, App State (So., CB – Huntersville, N.C.)
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.)
Week 10 – Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State (So., K – Chandler, Ariz.)
Week 11 – Jayden Harrison, Marshall (RS Jr., WR – Antioch, Tenn.)
Week 12 – Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State (RS So., RB – Hampton, Ark.)