NEW ORLEANS – Troy’s Matthew Caldwell, Arkansas State’s Bryan Whitehead and Marshall’s J.J. Roberts secured the Sun Belt football weekly accolades after contributions to conference victories. 
 
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Matthew Caldwell, Troy 
(Jr., QB – Auburn, Ala.) 
 
Trojans junior quarterback Matthew Caldwell accounted for all four Troy touchdowns in a 28-20 victory over Georgia Southern. The Auburn, Ala., native, completed 26-of-32 passes for 288 yards and two scores and rushed for 13 yards and two more touchdowns. Caldwell converted on 10 third downs with either his arms or his legs, in a matchup where the Trojans were successful on 11-of-14 third down attempts as a team. He is the first Troy player to rush for multiple touchdowns in a single game this season and the first Trojan quarterback to do so since Gunnar Watson at App State in 2022. 
 
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Bryan Whitehead, Arkansas State
(Sr., DL – Bartlett, Tenn.) 
 
Red Wolves senior defensive lineman Bryan Whitehead was a force to be reckoned with in Arkansas State’s 27-20 win over Georgia State that clinched bowl eligibility for the second-straight season. The Bartlett, Tenn., product registered a career-high five tackles, including establishing new career-bests with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Whitehead also forced the first fumble of his career and added a quarterback hurry. He tallied four total pressures and all five of his tackles were stops—a tackle resulting in a failure for the offense. 
 
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
J.J. Roberts, Marshall
(RS Sr., DB – Ona, W.Va.) 
 
Thundering Herd redshirt senior defensive back J.J. Roberts made the momentum-shifting play on special teams for Marshall en route to a 31-19 win over Coastal Carolina. The Ona, W.Va., native jumped through the line and blocked a field goal attempt, which Jacobie Henderson returned 65 yards for a score to extend Marshall’s lead to two-possessions. The blocked field goal for a touchdown was the first for the Thundering Herd in 14 years—the last coming in 2010 against Ohio State. Roberts also added 12 tackles, four pass breakups and a tackle for loss on defense. 
 
2024 Sun Belt Football Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Ethan Vasko, Coastal Carolina (RS So., QB – Chesapeake, Va.)  
Week 2 – Jordan McCloud, Texas State (RS Sr., QB – Tampa, Fla.) 
Week 3 – Joey Aguilar, App State (Sr., QB – Antioch, Calif.) 
Week 4 – Alonza Barnett III, James Madison (RS So., QB – Whitsett, N.C.) 
Week 5 – Alonza Barnett III, James Madison (RS So., QB – Whitsett, N.C.)
Week 6 – Braylon Braxton, Marshall (RS Jr., QB – Frisco, Texas) 
Week 7 – Jordan McCloud, Texas State (RS Sr., QB – Tampa, Fla.)
Week 8 – A.J. Turner, Marshall (RS So., RB – Hampton, Va.) 
Week 9 – Colton Joseph, Old Dominion (RS Fr., QB – Newport Beach, Calif.)
Week 10 – Damien Taylor, Troy (Jr., RB – Northport, Ala.) 
Week 11 – Dre’lyn Washington, Louisiana (RS Jr., RB – Hemphill, Texas)
Week 12 – Matthew Caldwell, Troy (Jr., QB – Auburn, Ala.) 
 
2024 Sun Belt Football Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Wydett Williams Jr., ULM (Jr., DB – Lake Providence, La.) 
Week 2 – Jahron Manning, Old Dominion (Jr., DB – New Orleans, La.) 
Week 3 – Kevin Swint, Georgia State (Sr., LB – Carrollton, Ga.)
Week 4 – Jordan Scruggs, South Alabama (RS Jr., DB – Kansas City, Mo.)
Week 5 – J.J. Roberts, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – Ona, W.Va.)
Week 6 – Cameron Whitfield, Louisiana (RS Jr., LB – Houston, Texas)
Week 7 – Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., LB – Pittsburgh, Pa.) 
Week 8 – Jayden Jones, Arkansas State (RS Jr., DL – Dallas, Texas) 
Week 9 – Jacob Dobbs, James Madison (RS Sr., LB – Macomb, Mich.) 
Week 10 – Mike Green, Marshall (RS So., DL – Williamsburg, Va.) 
Week 11 – Clev Lubin, Coastal Carolina (RS So., DL – Suffern, N.Y.)
Week 12 – Bryan Whitehead, Arkansas State (Sr., DL – Bartlett, Tenn.) 
 
2024 Sun Belt Football Special Teams Players of the Week
Week 1 – Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (So., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)  
Week 2 – Courtney Jackson, Arkansas State (RS Sr., RS – Monroeville, Pa.)  
Week 3 – Devonte Ross, Troy (Jr., RS – Cartersville, Ga.) 
Week 4 – Terrence Spence, James Madison (Sr., DB – Ringwood, N.J.)
Week 5 – Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana (RS Sr., K – Clute, Texas)
Week 6 – Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (So., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)  
Week 7 – Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana (RS Sr., K – Clute, Texas)
Week 8 – Rece Verhoff, Marshall (Jr., K – Columbus Grove, Ohio) 
Week 9 – Cam Ross, James Madison (RS Sr., RS – Newark, Del.) 
Week 10 – Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana (RS Sr., K – Clute, Texas)
Week 11 – Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana (RS Sr., K – Clute, Texas)
Week 12 – J.J. Roberts, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – Ona, W.Va.)