NEW ORLEANS – Georgia Southern’s Max Johnson, Louisiana Tech’s Alonzo Jackson Jr. and James Madison’s Morgan Suarez secure Sun Belt football weekly awards after key contributions to victories that keep their teams in championship game contention. 
 
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Max Johnson, Georgia Southern
(7th Yr., QB – Athens, Ga.)  
 
Eagles seventh-year quarterback Max Johnson accounted for five touchdowns in a 49-13 victory over Marshall to help Georgia Southern maintain its lead in the Sun Belt East Division. The Athens, Ga., native completed 19-of-26 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 16 yards and his first rushing touchdown on the year. Johnson’s four touchdown passes tied the Georgia Southern single-game program record, while his five touchdowns accounted for were the most-ever by a Clay Helton quarterback. 
 
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Alonzo Jackson Jr., Louisiana Tech 
(3rd Yr., LB – Haynesville, La.)

Bulldogs third-year linebacker Alonzo Jackson Jr.’s 66-yard fumble return for a touchdown headlined a career day in a 41-17 Louisiana Tech win over Troy to stay unbeaten in Sun Belt play. The Haynesville, La., product registered a game-high 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble to go along with his defensive score. Jackson was instrumental in holding Troy’s offense to just 47 rushing yards and 262 yards of total offense, including no touchdowns over the final three quarters. 
 
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Morgan Suarez, James Madison 
(7th Yr., K – Wellington, Fla.)
 
Dukes seventh-year kicker Morgan Suarez scored a career-high 18 points in James Madison’s 54-23 win over Southern Miss to snap a two-game skid on Thursday night. The Wellington, Fla., native went 4-for-4 on field goals and 6-for-6 on point-after tries in the contest, posting a perfect outing. Suarez’s field goals were from 32, 31, 40 and 34 yards, respectively. He is the current Sun Belt scoring leader with 100 points scored on the season.
 
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)
Week 7 – Jaquari Lewis, App State (So., RB – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 
Week 8 – Trey Owens, Arkansas State (3rd Yr., QB – Houston, Texas) 
Week 9 – Steven Robinson, Southern Miss (RS Jr., RB – Baltimore, Md.)  
Week 10 – Max Johnson, Georgia Southern (7th Yr., QB – Athens, Ga.)  
 
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.) 
Week 7 – Anthony Bynum, Georgia Southern (4th Yr., LB – Covington, Ga.) 
Week 8 – Colton Phares, App State (Sr., LB – Beaufort, S.C.) 
Week 9 – Justin Powe, Troy (5th Yr., DB – Mobile, Ala.) 
Week 10 – Alonzo Jackson Jr., Louisiana Tech (3rd Yr., LB – Haynesville, 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.) 
Week 7 – Tripp Bryant, Georgia Southern (2nd Yr., K – Lexington, S.C.) 
Week 8 – James London, App State (Sr., K – Miami, Fla.) 
Week 9 – Tripp Bryant, Georgia Southern (2nd Yr., K – Lexington, S.C.)
Week 10 – Morgan Suarez, James Madison (7th Yr., K – Wellington, Fla.)