NEW ORLEANS – After career days, App State’s Joey Aguilar, Georgia State’s Kevin Swint and Troy’s Devonte Ross earned the Sun Belt football weekly awards.
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Joey Aguilar, App State
(Sr., QB – Antioch, Calif.)
Mountaineers senior quarterback Joey Aguilar threw for a career-high 424 yards and two touchdowns in App State’s 21-19 road win over in-state rival East Carolina. The Antioch, Calif., native’s 32 completions on 47 passing attempts were also career highs. In addition to being a personal career-high, Aguilar’s yardage total was the third-most in Mountaineer program history. Aguilar—who also ran for a season-high 28 yards—helped App State overcome an early 16-0 deficit, scoring 21-straight points in the second and third quarters.
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Kevin Swint, Georgia State
(Sr., LB – Carrollton, Ga.)
Panthers senior linebacker Kevin Swint was all over the field for Georgia State in a 36-32 victory over Vanderbilt—the program’s second-ever over an autonomy five foe and its second over an SEC opponent since 2019. The Carrollton, Ga., native set the tone with a forced fumble on the first drive of the game and accumulated eight tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks and two pass breakups in the contest—all team highs. Swint led a defensive unit that held Vanderbilt to just 110 rushing yards.
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Devonte Ross, Troy
(Jr., RS – Cartersville, Ga.)
Trojans junior wide receiver and return specialist Devonte Ross silenced the Iowa crowd with a 77-yard punt return touchdown with a minute remaining in the first half to help Troy carry a 14-10 advantage into the break. The play was Troy’s first punt return touchdown since 2018 and the Trojans’ longest punt return touchdown since 2008. The Cartersville, Ga., product finished with 219 all-purpose yards, after catching five passes for 142 yards. Ross accounted for both Trojans offensive touchdowns as well, on 63-yard and 62-yard receptions down the sideline.
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.)
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.)
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.)