NEW ORLEANS — Sun Belt football student-athletes were well-represented on All-America teams following the 2023 season in which conference defeated a conference-record four autonomy five programs, hosted ESPN’s College GameDay for a second-straight season and produced a conference-record and FBS-leading 12 Bowl Season participants.
With 48 student-athletes being recognized, the conference boasts an 85 percent increase in representation over 2022. The group combined to earn 134 All-America honors, a 153 percent increase over the Sun Belt’s total following the 2022 campaign.
The Sun Belt boasted multiple 10-win teams—James Madison (11-2) and Troy (11-3)—for the sixth-straight season and five bowl champions in 2023.
Thirteen-of-14 Sun Belt programs produced at least one All-America honoree, with James Madison leading all programs with 12 different student-athletes honored. Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game participants App State (6) and Troy (5) followed closely behind the Dukes.
Student-athletes from James Madison (45), Old Dominion (15), App State (13), Marshall (13) and Troy (12) accrued double-digit national nods. Players from Texas State (9), Arkansas State (6), Georgia Southern (6), ULM (4), South Alabama (4), Georgia State (3), Louisiana (3) and Southern Miss (1) each earned at least one national recognition.
Paramount among his year’s honorees was James Madison senior defensive lineman Jalen Green—who earned a conference-best 21 national honors, including First Team status from the Associated Press (AP) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Second Team nods from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Sporting News. Green was also dubbed the College Football Network Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Lineman of the Year and Edge Defender of the Year and the Hero Sports G5 Defensive Player of the Year.
Old Dominion junior linebacker Jason Henderson (12) and Marshall redshirt junior kick returner Jayden Harrison (10) also posted double-digit national recognitions. Henderson was named a First Team All-American by the Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, while claiming Second Team status from the AP and FWAA. Harrison was a First Team selection by the FWAA and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Green, Henderson and Harrison were the three Sun Belt student-athletes to earn All-America status from at least one of the five organizations (AFCA, AP, FWAA, the Sporting New and the Walter Camp Football Foundation) utilized by the NCAA to determine consensus and unanimous All-Americans.
Harrison was dubbed the College Football Network Kick Returner of the Year, App State junior kicker Michael Hughes was the organization’s Special Teamer of the Year and James Madison freshman cornerback D’Angelo Ponds was the publication’s Freshman Cornerback of the Year.
James Madison’s defensive line was designated as College Football Network’s Defensive Line of the Year, while Dukes head coach Curt Cignetti was the Hero Sports G5 Co-Coach of the Year.
Sun Belt Football All-Americans
Tyrek Funderburk, App State
Action Network – Second Team, CB
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, DB
Jackson Greene, App State
CFN – Third Team, ST
Santana Hopper, App State
CFB News – Freshman Second Team, DL
Michael Hughes, App State
CFN – Special Teamer of the Year
CFN – Second Team, PK
CFN – Honorable Mention, KOS
Nate Johnson, App State
247 Sports – True Freshman First Team, DL
CFB News – Freshman Second Team, EDGE
CFN – Freshman Honorable Mention, EDGE
On3 – True Freshman First Team, EDGE
The Athletic – Freshman First Team, DL
Bucky Williams, App State
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, OL
Jacob Bayer, Arkansas State
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, OL
Javante Mackey, Arkansas State
CFB News – Freshman First Team, LB
The Athletic – Freshman Second Team, LB
Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State
CFB News – Freshman Honorable Mention, QB
On3 – True Freshman First Team, QB
PFF – Freshman First Team, QB
DeAndre Buchannon, Georgia Southern
CFN – Freshman Honorable Mention, KR
Elhadj Fall, Georgia Southern
CFB News – Freshman Honorable Mention, DL
Chandler Strong, Georgia Southern
CFB News – Freshman Third Team, OL
The Athletic – Freshman Second Team, C
Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, LB
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, LB
Marcus Carroll, Georgia State
CFN – Honorable Mention, RB
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, AP
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, RB
Reggie Brown, James Madison
CFN – Honorable Mention, WR
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, WR
James Carpenter, James Madison
CFN – Honorable Mention, DT
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DL
Devyn Coles, James Madison
CFN – Honorable Mention, ST
Jalen Green, James Madison
Action Network – First Team, DE
AFCA – Second Team, DL
AP – First Team, EDGE
Athlon Sports – First Team, DL
CBS – Second Team, DL
CFN – Player of the Year
CFN – Defensive Player of the Year
CFN – Defensive Lineman of the Year
CFN – Edge Defender of the Year
CFN – First Team, DL
ESPN – Second Team, EDGE
Fox Sports – Second Team, DL
FWAA – Second Team, DE
Hero Sports – G5 Defensive Player of the Year
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, DL
Phil Steele – Second Team, DE
Sporting News – Second Team, EDGE
Sports Illustrated – First Team, EDGE
The Athletic – First Team, DE
USA Today – First Team, DL
Walter Camp – First Team, DL
Ryan Hanson, James Madison
CFN – Second Team, P
Zach Horton, James Madison
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, TE
Mikail Kamara, James Madison
Hero Sports – G5, Third Team, DL
Jamree Kromah, James Madison
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, DL
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, DL
Jordan McCloud, James Madison
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, QB
D’Angelo Ponds, James Madison
247 Sports – True Freshman First Team, CB
CFB News – Freshman First Team, CB
CFN – Second Team, CB
CFN – Freshman Cornerback of the Year
CFN – Freshman First Team, CB
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DB
On3 – True Freshman First Team, DB
PFF – Freshman First Team, CB
The Athletic – Freshman First Team, CB
Cole Potts, James Madison
CFN – First Team, OG
Elijah Sarratt, James Madison
CFN – Honorable Mention, WR
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, WR
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, WR
Terrance Carter, Louisiana
CFB News – Freshman Honorable Mention, TE
AJ Gillie, Louisiana
CFN – Honorable Mention, OG
Zylan Perry, Louisiana
CFN – Honorable Mention, KR
Adin Huntington, ULM
CFN – Honorable Mention, DT
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, DL
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, DL
Tellek Lockette, ULM
CFN – Honorable Mention, OG
Ethan Driskell, Marshall
CFN – Honorable Mention, OT
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, OL
Jayden Harrison, Marshall
Athlon Sports – First Team, KR
CBS – First Team, KR
CFN – Kick Returner of the Year
CFN – First Team, KR
ESPN – Second Team, RS
Fox Sports – First Team, KR
FWAA – First Team, KR
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, RS
Phil Steele – First Team, KR
Walter Camp – First Team, KR
Eli Neal, Marshall
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, LB
Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
Action Network – First Team, LB
AP – Second Team, LB
Athlon Sports – First Team, LB
CBS – Second Team, LB
CFN – First Team, LB
ESPN – Second Team, LB
FWAA – Second Team, LB
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, LB
Phil Steele – Second Team, LB
Sporting News – First Team, LB
The Athletic – Second Team LB
USA Today – Second Team, LB
Walter Camp – First Team, LB
Terry Jones, Old Dominion
Phil Steele – Honorable Mention, DB
Wayne Matthews III, Old Dominion
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, LB
Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
CFN – Honorable Mention, WR
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, WR
Phil Steele – Fourth Team, WR
Jaden Voisin, South Alabama
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, DB
Tiaquelin Mims, Southern Miss
CFN – Honorable Mention, PR
Ben Bell, Texas State
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DL
Ismail Mahdi, Texas State
Athlon Sports – Third Team, AP
CBS – First Team, AP
ESPN – Second Team, AP
FWAA – Second Team, AP
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, AP
Phil Steele – Second Team, AP
The Athletic – Second Team, AP
Mason Shipley, Texas State
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, K
Irshaad Davis, Troy
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DB
T.J. Jackson, Troy
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DL
Richard Jibunor, Troy
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, DL
Javon Solomon, Troy
Action Network – Second Team, DE
Athlon Sports – Third Team, DL
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, DL
Phil Steele – Fourth Team, DE
Kimani Vidal, Troy
AP – Third Team, RB
Athlon Sports – Third Team, RB
CFN – Third Team, RB
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, RB
Phil Steele – Fourth Team, RB