NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana Tech’s Blake Baker, Old Dominion’s Javen Gibson and South Alabama’s Keenan Phillips secured the Sun Belt football weekly honors following career-best efforts in divisional victories. 
 
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Blake Baker, Louisiana Tech 
(4th Yr., QB – Cypress, Texas)
 
Bulldogs fourth-year quarterback Blake Baker returned from injury and accounted for four touchdowns in a 32-31 win over in-state rival Louisiana, Louisiana Tech’s first Sun Belt Conference victory. The Cypress, Texas, product completed 32-of-42 passes for 319 yards and a career-high three touchdowns and rushed for 35 yards and a fourth score. Baker engineered a pair of touchdown drives over the final 6:42 in a come-from-behind victory, connecting with fourth-year tight end Eli Finley for the game-winning touchdown with 46 seconds remaining. 
 
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Javen Gibson, Old Dominion 
(4th Yr., DL – Church Point, La.)
 
Monarchs fourth-year defensive lineman Javen Gibson carded a career-high two sacks in a 10-3 victory over App State, Old Dominion’s first-ever in Boone. The Church Point, La., native tallied four tackles—all for loss—as the Monarchs held the Mountaineers to just 158 yards of total offense on a rain-soaked afternoon. The Old Dominion defensive unit held App State without a touchdown for the first time since a 45-6 loss at Georgia in 2013 and to its fewest points scored since a 24-0 shutout at LSU in 2005. 
 
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Keenan Phillips, South Alabama 
(Jr., RS – Bainbridge, Ga.)
 
Jaguars junior running back and return specialist Keenan Phillips tied the South Alabama program record with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in a 56-49 win over Arkansas State. The Bainbridge, Ga., native was the first Jaguar to score a kickoff return touchdown since Xavier Johnson in 2016. Phillips registered 264 all-purpose yards, with a career-high 157 rushing yards and three touchdowns on offense. Phillips’ four total touchdowns scored are the most by a South Alabama player since La’Damien Webb’s four against Southern Miss on Oct. 17, 2023. 
 
2026 Sun Belt Football Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Deuce Bailey, Coastal Carolina (RS Fr., QB – Bowling Green, Ky.)
Week 2 – Cameran Brown, Georgia State (5th Yr.., QB – Warner Robins, Ga.)
Week 3 – Malachi Singleton, App State (Sr., QB – Kennesaw, Ga.) 
Week 4 – Camden Coleman, James Madison (4th Yr., QB – Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Week 5 – Cameran Brown, Georgia State (5th Yr., QB – Warner Robins, Ga.) 
Week 6 – Blake Baker, Louisiana Tech (4th Yr., QB – Cypress, Texas)
 
2026 Sun Belt Football Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Kobi Albert, Southern Miss (RS Jr., DB – Birmingham, Ala.) 
Week 2 – Robert Stevens III, Arkansas State (4th Yr., LB – Washington, D.C.) 
Week 3 – Collin Jacob, Louisiana (RS Sr., DB – Loreauville, La.) 
Week 4 – Brent Gordon Jr., Louisiana (So., DB – Cecilia, La.)
Week 5 – Xavier Esqillion, Georgia State (Sr., LB – Charlotte, N.C.)
Week 6 – Javen Gibson, Old Dominion (4th Yr., DL – Church Point, La.) 
 
2026 Sun Belt Football Special Teams Players of the Week
Week 1 – Dedrick Latulas, Louisiana Tech (4th Yr., RS – New Iberia, La.) 
Week 2 – Michael Scott, James Madison (2nd Yr., RS – York, Pa.)  
Week 3 – Patrick Rea, James Madison (5th Yr., P – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) 
Week 4 – Isaiah Stone, Georgia State (Jr., RS – Smyrna, Ga.) 
Week 5 – Tony Sterner, Louisiana (RS Sr., K – Kingwood, Texas) 
Week 6 – Keenan Phillips, South Alabama (Jr., RS – Bainbridge, Ga.)