Arkansas State true-freshman quarterback Jaylen Raynor was tabbed the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and center Jacob Bayer and punter William Przystup were named First Team All-Sun Belt Conference, the league office announced in its postseason awards voted upon by the conference’s 14 head coaches and select media representatives.
Bayer is the first A-State offensive lineman to garner First Team All-Sun Belt accolades since Lanard Bonner in 2018. Przystup is the first Red Wolves punter on the first team since Cody Grace in 2019. Offensive lineman Makilan Thomas was a Second Team All-Sun Belt choice giving A-State two or more offensive lineman on the first or second teams since 2016. Defensive end Thurman Geathers and return specialist Ja’Quez Cross were Third Team All-Sun Belt picks.
Jaylen Raynor is the top-rated true-freshman quarterback in FBS according to Pro Football Focus and the fourth ranked QB overall. Raynor played in 10 games, starting each of the last nine, helping A-State to a 6-4 record in those games and to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019. The Kernersville, N.C. native leads the conference and ranks seventh nationally with 15,29 passing yards per completion while leading the league and ranking 17th nationally with 8.99 yards per pass attempt.
Among conference leaders, Raynor is fifth in points responsible for per game (15.3), sixth in pass efficiency (149.06), sixth in passing yards per game (229.30), seventh in passing yards (2,293), seventh in points responsible for (122), eighth in completion percentage (.588), eighth in completions per game (15.0), eighth in passing touchdowns (15). He is among four Sun Belt Conference quarterbacks with five or more rushing scores on the year. With six passing TDs in a game earlier this season, Raynor joined Caleb Williams (Oklahoma, 2021), Justin Herbert (Oregon, 2016) and Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech, 2014) as the only true-freshman QBs with six touchdown passes in a single game since 2013.
Jacob Bayer is the top-rated center in the SBC, second in the Group of Five and third in the FBS per PFF. Per those rankings, Bayer allowed seven pressures all season in 697 snaps and just one pressure resulted in a sack. He led an offensive line that helped A-State lead the league, rank sixth among the Group of Five and rank 15th nationally in run blocking per PFF. With Bayer at center, the A-State offense rushed for 152.1 yards per game, almost double its average (88.2) from a season ago. A-State rushed for 20 touchdowns on the ground, four more than a season ago and the same amount as the previous two seasons combined.
Przystup led the Sun Belt Conference with an average punt of 42.9 yards. He also led the league with 15 punts of 50-plus yards and his 21 punts landing inside the 20 were second-most in the conference.
Playing primarily at right tackle this season, Thomas is the top-ranked tackle in the Sun Belt Conference while ranking 10th in the Group of Five and 27th nationally in pass blocking. Overall blocking, Thomas ranked fourth in the league and 18th in the Group of Five per PFF. In 776 snaps played, he was responsible for just one sack allowed.
An edge rusher, Geathers ranked second in the league with 42 pressures. With those pressures, he ranked ninth in the Group of Five and 24th nationally. Geathers was credited with 12 TFLs, most by any A-State player since 2021.
Cross, the first player in Sun Belt history to be named SBC Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week in the same week, joined Geathers on the third team in the position of return specialist. He totaled eight touchdowns this season, seven rushing scores and a kickoff returned for a touchdown. He finished 26th nationally, fifth in the conference, with 119.83 all-purpose yards per game and ranked fourth in the league, 10th nationally, with 618 kickoff return yards. He averaged 28.1 yards per kickoff return, second in the SBC and seventh nationally and was among five SBC players with a kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
A-State’s four honorable mention selections were made up of offensive lineman Jalen Cunningham, wide receiver Courtney Jackson, linebacker Charles Willekes and cornerback Samy Johnson.
Arkansas State – bowl eligible for the first time since 2019 – now waits to find out its postseason assignment. The 2023 bowl matchups will be revealed on Sunday, Dec. 3, following conference championship games.
2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year
Jordan McCloud, James Madison
Offensive Player of the Year
Kimani Vidal, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year
Jalen Green, James Madison
Newcomer of the Year
Joey Aguilar, App State
Freshman of the Year
Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State
Coach of the Year
Curt Cignetti, James Madison
All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Jordan McCloud, James Madison
RB – Kimani Vidal, Troy
RB – Marcus Carroll, Georgia State
OL – Isaiah Helms, App State
OL – Bucky Williams, App State
OL – Travis Glover, Georgia State
OL – Khalil Crowder, Georgia Southern
OL – Jacob Bayer, Arkansas State
TE – Zach Horton, James Madison
WR – Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
WR – Elijah Sarratt, James Madison
WR – Reggie Brown, James Madison
All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – Jalen Green, James Madison
DL – Javon Solomon, Troy
DL – Richard Jibunor, Troy
DL – Jamree Kromah, James Madison
DL – Owen Porter, Marshall
LB – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
LB – Andrew Parker Jr., App State
LB – Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern
DB – Micah Abraham, Marshall
DB – Reddy Steward, Troy
DB – Jaden Voisin, South Alabama
DB – Tyrek Funderburk, App State
All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Mason Shipley, Texas State
P – William Przystup, Arkansas State
RS – Jayden Harrison, Marshall
AP – Ismail Mahdi, Texas State
All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Joey Aguilar, App State
RB – Rasheen Ali, Marshall
RB – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss
OL – Daniel King, Troy
OL – Tyler Stephens, James Madison
OL – Makilian Thomas, Arkansas State
OL – Rasheed Miller, Georgia Southern
OL – Grant Betts, Troy
TE – Eli Wilson, App State
WR – Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern
WR – Sam Pinckney, Coastal Carolina
WR – Joey Hobert, Texas State
All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – James Carpenter, James Madison
DL – Adin Huntington, ULM
DL – Ben Bell, Texas State
DL – Mikail Kamara, James Madison
DL – TJ Jackson, Troy
LB – Brian Holloway, Texas State
LB – Nate Johnson, App State
LB – Quentin Wilfawn, South Alabama
DB – Shemar Bartholomew, Georgia Southern
DB – Dell Pettus, TroyDB – Ethan Johnson, App State
DB – D’Angelo Ponds, James Madison
All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Michael Hughes, App State
P – Ryan Hanson, James Madison
RS – Ismail Mahdi, Texas State
AP – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss
All-Sun Belt Third Team Offense
QB – Gunnar Watson, Troy
RB – La’Damian Webb, South Alabama
RB – Jalen White, Georgia Southern
OL – AJ Gillie, Louisiana
OL – Jack Murphy, App State
OL – Ethan Driskell, Marshall
OL – Will McDonald, Coastal Carolina
OL – Brey Walker, Texas State
TE – Neal Johnson, Louisiana
WR – Robert Lewis, Georgia State
WR – Jabre Barber, Troy
WR – Chris Lewis, Troy
All-Sun Belt Third Team Defense
DL – Thurman Geathers, Arkansas State
DL – Isaac Walker, Georgia Southern
DL – Elijah Alston, Marshall
DL – Wy’Kevious Thomas, South Alabama
LB – Eli Neal, Marshall
LB – Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State
LB – Aiden Fisher, James Madison
LB – Wayne Matthews, Old Dominion
DB – Yam Banks, South Alabama
DB – Clayton Isbell, Coastal Carolina
DB – Gavin Pringle, Georgia State
DB – Irshaad Davis, Troy
All-Sun Belt Third Team Special Teams
K – Camden Wise, James Madison
P – John McConnell, Marshall
RS – Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State
AP – Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
All-Sun Belt Honorable Mentions
Arkansas State
OL – Jalen Cunningham
WR – Courtney Jackson
LB – Charles Willekes
DB – Samy Johnson
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