NEW ORLEANS – South Alabama Football placed four players on the 2026 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Teams, the league office announced Monday.
Running back
Keenan Phillips earned second-team preseason honors after leading the Jaguars on the ground in 2025. He is joined by offensive linemen
Ethan Hubbard and
Kenton Jerido, along with wide receiver
Anthony Eager, on the conference's preseason offense second team.
Phillips rushed for 607 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry during the 2025 season. He also added 48 receiving yards and posted a season-high 104 rushing yards against Coastal Carolina.
Hubbard started 11 games along the offensive line in 2025, helping anchor a unit that ranked 20th nationally in rushing offense at 199.8 yards per game. The Jaguars also finished third in the Sun Belt Conference with 30 rushing touchdowns.
Jerido appeared in all 12 games and started five of the Jaguars' final six contests while logging snaps at all five offensive line positions throughout the season. His versatility helped pave the way for a South Alabama offense that eclipsed 200 rushing yards in six games. Eager led the Jaguars with 40 receptions for 339 yards and a touchdown while also serving as one of South Alabama's top kick returners. He recorded a season-high eight receptions at Auburn and finished with five catches for 83 yards in the Jaguars' victory over ULM.
2026 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Marshall (RS Sr., QB – Atlanta, Ga.)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Donnie Smith, Troy (Sr., DL – Greenville, Miss.)
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year
Evan Crenshaw, Troy (Sr., P – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Marshall (RS Sr., QB – Atlanta, Ga.)
RB – Kenyon Clay, Arkansas State (RS Sr., RB – Union, Miss.)
RB – Devin Roche, Old Dominion (RS Jr., RB – Baltimore, Md.)
OL – Tristian Smith, Arkansas State (RS Sr., OL – Crossett, Ark.)
OL – Zach Greenberg, James Madison (Gr., OL – Livingston, N.J.)
OL – AJ Vinson, ULM (Sr., OL – Social Circle, Ga.)
OL – Tariq Montgomery, Marshall (RS Sr., OL – Akron, Ohio)
OL – Jalen Slappy, Marshall (RS Sr., OL – Columbus, Ohio)
TE – Toby Payne, Marshall (RS Sr., TE – Poca, W.Va.)
WR – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., WR – Clewiston, Fla.)
WR – Shelton Sampson Jr., Louisiana (RS Jr., WR – Baton Rouge, La.)
WR – Adrian Norton, Marshall (Sr., WR – Huber Heights, Ohio)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – Aiden Benton, App State (RS Jr., DL – Clayton, Ga.)
DL – MJ Stroud, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., DL – Covington, Ga.)
DL – Amar Thomas, James Madison (RS Sr., DL – Upper Marlboro, Md.)
DL – Donnie Smith, Troy (Sr., DL – Greenville, Miss.)
LB – Colton Phares, App State (RS Jr., LB – Beaufort, S.C.)
LB – Noah Flemmings, ULM (Sr., LB – Austin, Texas)
LB – Kolbe Fields, Louisiana Tech (Gr., LB – New Orleans, La.)
DB – AG McGhee, Arkansas State (RS Sr., DB – Chipley, Fla.)
DB – Ja'Marion Wayne, Coastal Carolina (Gr., DB – St. Louis, Mo.)
DB – Chance Gamble, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., DB – Fitzgerald, Ga.)
DB – Brent Gordon Jr., Louisiana (So., DB – Cecilia, La.)
DB – Daytione Smith, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – East Highland Park, Va.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (Sr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)
P – Evan Crenshaw, Troy (Sr., P – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)
RS – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., RS – Clewiston, Fla.)
AP – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., AP – Clewiston, Fla.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Goose Crowder, Troy (Sr., QB – Gardendale, Ala.)
RB – George Pettaway, James Madison (RS Sr., RB – Suffolk, Va.)
RB – Keenan Phillips, South Alabama (Jr., RB – Bainbridge, Ga.)
OL – Tyriq Poindexter, App State (RS Sr., OL – Roanoke, Va.)
OL – Kaden Moreau, Louisiana (RS Sr., OL – Pineville, La.)
OL – Ethan Hubbard, South Alabama (RS Jr., OL – Hoover, Ala.)
OL – Kenton Jerido, South Alabama (RS Sr., OL – Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
OL – Jordon Jones, Troy (Sr., OL – Ashland, Ky.)
TE – Eli Finley, Louisiana Tech (Sr., TE – Heath, Texas)
WR – Josh Dallas, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., WR – Sharpsburg, Ga.)
WR – Nic Trujillo, ULM (Sr., WR – Rio Rancho, N.M.)
WR – Anthony Eager, South Alabama (RS Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Anthony Bynum, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., DL – Covington, Ga.)
DL – Fitzgerald West Jr., Louisiana (RS Sr., DL – Lafayette, La.)
DL – Braydin Ward, Marshall (RS Jr., DL – Montgomery, W.Va.)
DL – Chris Forbes, Old Dominion (RS So., DL – Upper Marlboro, Md.)
LB – Tray Brown, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., LB – Margate, Fla.)
LB – Brandon Tyson, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., LB – Whiteville, N.C.)
LB – Javae Gilmore, Marshall (RS Sr., LB – Amite, La.)
DB – Myles Woods, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DB – Grayson, Ga.)
DB – Jabari Tiller, ULM (Sr., DB – Sumter, S.C.)
DB – Mario Easterly, Old Dominion (RS Sr., DB – Harrisburg, Pa.)
DB – Zion Frink, Old Dominion (RS Jr., DB – Chesapeake, Va.)
DB – Justin Powe, Troy (Sr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Tripp Bryant, Georgia Southern (So., K – Lexington, S.C.)
P – Alex Smith, Georgia Southern (Sr., P – Melbourne, Australia)
RS – Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw, Marshall (RS Sr., RS – Bluefield, Va.)
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