All-Sun Belt Teams – Napier Earns Coach of the Year, Four Cajuns Named to 1st Team
Louisiana Ragin' Cajun head coach Billy Napier has been named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.
The Sun Belt released its All-Conference teams today, along with the player of the year, offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, newcomer of the year, freshmen of the year, and coach of the year.
The Sun Belt honors were voted on by the conference’s 10 head coaches and select media representatives. Coaches and media members were not allowed to vote for players on teams they coach or cover.
16 members of Louisiana were named All-Sun Belt, setting a school record, surpassing last year's total of 14.
Of the 16 players, 4 were named first-team.
Offensive linemen Max Mitchell and O'Cyrus Torrence earned first-team offense honors. Punter Rhys Burns and RB/returner Chris Smith earned first-team special teams honors.
Louisiana quarterback Levi Lewis, running back Montrelle Johnson and center Shane Vallot earned a spot on the Sun Belt second-team offense.
Johnson also earned the Sun Belt freshman of the year honor.
While no members of Louisiana earned a spot on the first-team defense, five Cajuns are on the second-team, including defensive tackle Zi'Yon Hill, linebacker Chauncey Manac, linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill, cornerback Eric Garror, and safety Percy Butler.
Running back Chris Smith, who was first-team All-Sun Belt as a special teams returner, also appears on the All-Sun Belt third-team offense. Third-team defense includes Ragin' Cajuns nose guard Tayland Humphrey, defensive end Andre Jones, and defensive back Mekhi Garner.
Four Louisiana players were All-Sun Belt honorable mention in tight end Johnny Lumpkin, wide receiver Michael Jefferson, linebacker Ferrod Gardner, and safety Bralen Trahan.
Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year.
Appalachian State linebacker D’Marco Jackson the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.
South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year.
And Appalachian State quarterback Chase Brice the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
2021 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS So., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
Offensive Player of the Year
Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama (Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.)
Defensive Player of the Year
D’Marco Jackson, App State (Sr., LB – Spartanburg, S.C.)
Newcomer of the Year
Chase Brice, App State (Gr., QB – Grayson, Ga.)
Freshman of the Year
Montrell Johnson, Louisiana (Fr., RB – New Orleans, La.)
Coach of the Year
Billy Napier, Louisiana
All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS So., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
RB – Nate Noel, App State (So., RB – Miami, Fla.)
RB – Shermari Jones, Coastal Carolina (Sr., RB – Pensacola, Fla.)
OL – Max Mitchell, Louisiana (Jr., OL – Monroe, La.)
OL – Cooper Hodges, App State (Jr., OL – Glen St. Mary, Fla.)
OL – O’Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana (So., OL – Greensburg, La.)
OL – Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Riverdale, Ga.)
OL – Baer Hunter, App State (Super Sr., OL – Clemmons, N.C.)
TE – Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina (Sr., TE – Cambridge, Mass.)
WR – Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama (Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.)
WR – Jaivon Heiligh, Coastal Carolina (Sr., WR – Venice, Fla.)
WR – Corey Sutton, App State (Super Sr., WR – Charlotte, N.C.)
All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina (Fr., DL – Everett, Mass.)
DL – Demetrius Taylor, App State (Super Sr., DL – Miami, Fla.)
DL – Javon Solomon, Troy (RS Fr., DL – Tallahassee, Fla.)
DL – C.J. Brewer, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., DL – Bowdon, Ga.)
LB – D’Marco Jackson, App State (Sr., LB – Spartanburg, S.C.)
LB – Carlton Martial, Troy (Jr., LB – Mobile, Ala.)
LB – Silas Kelly, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., LB – Mount Airy, Md.)
DB – Steven Jones Jr., App State (Sr., DB – Rockingham, N.C.)
DB – Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama (Jr., DB – Hattiesburg, Miss.)
DB – Shaun Jolly, App State (Sr., DB – Stone Mountain, Ga.)
DB – Antavious Lane, Georgia State (RS So., DB – West Palm Beach, Fla.)
DB – D’Jordan Strong, Coastal Carolina (Sr., DB – Batesville, Miss.)
All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Chandler Staton, App State (Super Sr., K – Gainesville, Ga.)
P – Rhys Byrns, Louisiana (Jr., P – Rye, Victoria, Australia)
RS – Alan Lamar, Arkansas State (Sr., RS – Olive Branch, Miss.)
AP – Chris Smith, Louisiana (RS So., AP – Louisville, Miss.)
All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Levi Lewis, Louisiana (Sr., QB – Baton Rouge, La.)
RB – Camerun Peoples, App State (Jr., RB – Lineville, Ala.)
RB – Montrell Johnson, Louisiana (Fr., RB – New Orleans, La.)
OL – Malik Sumter, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Irmo, S.C.)
OL – Shane Vallot. Louisiana (RS Jr., OL – Lafayette, La.)
OL – Austin Stidham, Troy (Jr., OL – Russellville, Ala.)
OL – Willie Lampkin, Coastal Carolina (So., OL – Lakeland, Fla.)
OL – Dylan Bradshaw, Troy (Sr., OL – Enterprise, Ala.)
TE – Roger Carter, Georgia State (Sr., TE – Columbia, S.C.)
WR – Malik Williams, App State (Super Sr., WR – Chester, S.C.)
WR – Thomas Hennigan, App State (Super Sr., WR – Greensboro, N.C.)
WR – Corey Rucker, Arkansas State (Fr., WR – Bentonia, Miss.)
All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Jeffrey Gunter, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., DL – Durham, N.C.)
DL – Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State (RS Jr., DL – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
DL – Zi’Yon Hill, Louisiana (RS Jr., DL – New Iberia, La.)
DL – CJ Wright, Georgia Southern (Sr., DL – Sylvania, Ga.)
DL – Will Choloh, Troy (Jr., DL – Lawrenceville, Ga.)
LB – Chauncey Manac, Louisiana (RS Sr., LB – Homerville, Ga.)
LB – Trey Cobb, App State (Sr., LB – Waycross, Ga.)
LB – Lorenzo McCaskill, Louisiana (RS Jr., LB – Detroit, Mich.)
DB – Keith Gallmon Jr., South Alabama (Jr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)
DB – Percy Butler, Louisiana (Jr., DB – Plaquemine, La.)
DB – Kaiden Smith, App State (Super Sr., DB – Lawrenceville, Ga.)
DB – Eric Garror, Louisiana (Jr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)
All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Blake Grupe, Arkansas State (RS Jr., K – Sedalia, Mo.)
P – Anthony Beck II, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., P – Guyton, Ga.)
RS – Jalen Virgil, App State (Super Sr., RS – Lawrenceville, Ga.)
AP – Alan Lamar, Arkansas State (Sr., AP – Olive Branch, Miss.)
All-Sun Belt Third Team Offense
QB – Chase Brice, App State (Gr., QB – Grayson, Ga.)
RB – Chris Smith, Louisiana (RS So., RB – Louisville, Miss.)
RB – Tucker Gregg, Georgia State (Sr., RB – Chatsworth, Ga.)
OL – Anderson Hardy, App State (Jr., OL – Raleigh, N.C.)
OL – Trey Carter, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., OL – Monroeville, Ala.)
OL – Dalton Cooper, Texas State (Fr., OL – Prague, Okla.)
OL – Pat Bartlett, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Newtown, Pa.)
OL – Khalil Crowder, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., OL – Carrollton, Ga.)
TE – Lincoln Sefcik, South Alabama (So., TE – Enid, Okla.)
WR – Tez Johnson, Troy (Fr., WR – Pinson, Ala.)
WR – TeVailance Hunt, Arkansas State (Jr., WR – Texarkana, Texas)
WR – Boogie Knight, ULM (Jr., WR – Jefferson, Ohio)
All-Sun Belt Third Team Defense
DL – Richard Jibunor, Troy (So., DL – Delta State, Nigeria)
DL – Tayland Humphrey, Louisiana (RS Sr., DL – Houston, Texas)
DL – Dontae Wilson, Georgia State (Sr., DL – Jefferson, Ga.)
DL – Andre Jones, Louisiana (RS Jr., DL – Varnado, La.)
LB – Nick Hampton, App State (Jr., LB – Anderson, S.C.)
LB – Eldrick Robinson II, Georgia Southern (Fr., LB – Pensacola, Fla.)
LB – Blake Carroll, Georgia State (Sr., LB – Lawrenceville, Ga.)
DB – Quavian White, Georgia State (Sr., DB – Greer, S.C.)
DB – Anthony Wilson, Georgia Southern (RS So., DB – Columbia, S.C.)
DB – Alex Spillum, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., DB – Chanhassen, Minn.)
DB – Mekhi Garner, Louisiana (RS So., DB – Mesquite, Texas)
DB – TJ Harris, Troy (Jr., DB – Leesburg, Ga.)
All-Sun Belt Third Team Special Teams
K – Calum Sutherland, ULM (Sr., K – Keller, Texas)
P – Ryan Hanson, Arkansas State (RS Fr., P – Taylor, Texas)
RS – Jaivon Heiligh, Coastal Carolina (Sr., RS – Venice, Fla.)
AP – Caleb Spurlin, App State (Super Sr., AP – Galax, Va.)
All-Sun Belt Honorable Mentions
Appalachian State
TE – Henry Pearson (Sr., TE – Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.)
DL – Jordon Earle (Jr., DL – West Palm Beach, Fla.)
LB – T.D. Roof (Sr., LB – Buford, Ga.)
DB – Ryan Huff (Sr., DB – Athens, Ga.)
Arkansas State
OL – Andre Harris Jr. (RS Jr., OL – Oklahoma City, Okla.)
TE – Emmanual Stevenson (Fr., TE – Eufala, Ala.)
DL – Joe Ozougwu (RS Sr., DL – Alief, Texas)
DB – Elery Alexander (Sr., DB – Van Vleck, Texas)
Coastal Carolina
RB – Braydon Bennett (RS Fr., RB – Greenville, S.C.)
WR – Kameron Brown (Super Sr., WR – Graniteville, S.C.)
LB – Teddy Gallagher (Super Sr., LB – Los Angeles, Calif.)
SPUR – Enock Makonzo (RS Sr., SPUR – Lachine, Quebec, Canada)
Georgia Southern
RB – Logan Wright (RS Sr., RB – Jacksonville, Fla.)
OL – Aaron Dowdell (Super Sr., OL – Fairburn, Ga.)
WR – Khaleb Hood (Jr., WR – McDonough, Ga.)
DL – Justin Ellis (RS Sr., DL – Roswell, Ga.)
Georgia State
RB – Jamyest Williams (RS Sr., RB – Athens, Ga.)
TE – Aubry Payne (RS Sr., TE – Locust Grove, Ga.)
DL – Thomas Gore (RS So., DL – Nashville, Tenn.)
LB – Jordan Veneziale (Jr., LB – Dallas, Ga.)
Louisiana
TE - Johnny Lumpkin (RS Jr., TE – Atlanta, Ga.)
WR - Michael Jefferson (Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.)
LB - Ferrod Gardner (RS Sr., LB – Dayton, Ohio)
DB - Bralen Trahan (RS Jr., DB – Lafayette, La.)
ULM
DL – Ty Shelby (Gr., DL – Houston, Texas)
DL – Caleb Thomas (Jr., DL – Mansfield, Texas)
LB – Traveion Webster (Sr., LB – Longview, Texas)
LB – Zack Woodard (Jr., LB – Thomasville, Ala.)
South Alabama
QB – Jake Bentley (Sr., QB – Opelika, Ala.)
WR – Jalen Wayne (Jr., WR – Spanish Fort, Ala.)
DL – Wy’Kevious Thomas (RS Fr., DL – Riverdale, Ga.)
P – Jack Brooks (So., P – Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia)
Texas State
OL – Kyle Hergel (So., OL – Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
DL – Jordan Revels (So., DL – Houston, Texas)
DL – Caeveon Patton (Sr., DL – Cuero, Texas)
K – Seth Keller (So., K – Colleyville, Texas)
Troy
RB – Kimani Vidal (Fr., RB – Marietta, Ga.)
LB – KJ Robertson (Jr., LB – Alabaster, Ala.)
DB – Reddy Steward (So., DB – Decatur, Ala.)
LS – Cameron Kaye (Sr., LS – Naples, Fla.)