DALLAS – Conference USA announced Monday its weekly award winners for week seven. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
Offensive Player of the Week – Cam Cook, Jax State – Jr. – RB – Round Rock, Texas
Cook had a big-time performance in his return to the Lone Star State with a career-high 218 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries in a 29-27 win over Sam Houston. He becomes the first CUSA player to rush for over 200 yards in a game this season and in the process, enters the weekend as FBS's leading rusher with 832. Cook, the FBS leader in rushes of 10+ yards (31), busted off eight double-digit runs, including a season-long 73-yard rumble in the opening quarter. It was also the third-most rushing yards in a game by an FBS player during the 2025 season, giving him two of the five highest single-game rushing totals this year.
Defensive Player of the Week – Tylon Dunlap, Kennesaw State – R-Sr. – DL – Charlotte, N.C.
Dunlap wreaked havoc on the LA Tech backfield in Kennesaw State’s (4-2, 2-0 CUSA) stifling 35-7 victory on Thursday night. He finished with eight tackles, a career-high 2.0 sacks and also broke up a pass. Dunlap tallied the top pass rush PFF grade (90.3) and the second-highest defensive PFF grade and top for a defensive lineman in CUSA (90.4) for week seven. After the first LA Tech drive of the game, he helped lead a KSU defense that held the Bulldogs to a paltry 235 yards of offense (3.8 yards per play). The Owls forced three three-and-outs and six punts and surrendered only 136 rushing yards (3.4 yards per carry).
Special Teams Player of the Week – Garrison Rippa, Jax State – R-So. – K – Locust Grove, Ga.
Rippa hit a career-long 52-yard field goal as time expired to give Jax State (3-3, 2-0 CUSA) a 29-27 win over Sam Houston on Thursday night. The kick also matched the program record and marked his third make of 50+ in his career. He has now converted four of the program's 13 longest field goals. The sophomore added makes of 30 and 26 yards during the contest and had three of his six kickoffs go for touchbacks. It marked the second walk-off field goal of his career after he sealed an overtime win in the 2023 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Freshman of the Week – Deuce Bailey, Missouri State – Fr. – QB – Bowling Green, Ky.
In his first career start, Bailey went the distance to lead the Bears (3-3, 1-1 CUSA) to a come-from-behind victory at MTSU. He engineered a game-winning 10-play, 56-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that consumed nearly five minutes and culminated in the winning field goal with just over four minutes to play. Bailey also produced four consecutive scoring drives during a key stretch in the second and third quarters that elevated the Bears to leads at halftime and going into the fourth quarter. He finished the night 16-31 passing for 278 yards, no interceptions and a TD along with a five-yard rushing touchdown (the first of his career).
Offensive Lineman of the Week – J.T. Pennington, Kennesaw State – R-Sr. – RG – Wilsonville, Ala.
Pennington helped pave the way as Kennesaw State rolled up 400 yards of offense against first place LA Tech in the 35-7 victory. He played 65 snaps at right guard on Thursday, including 40 pass-blocking snaps, and recorded Conference USA’s top PFF pass blocking rating (88.0) for week seven. Pennington did not incur a penalty or allow a sack, quarterback hit, hurry or pressure all night. He helped Kennesaw State record the PFF top pass blocking efficiency (94.7) as a unit, only allowing four total hurries and four total pressures.
2025 Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Players of the Week
A25 Maverick McIvor, WKU
S1 Maverick McIvor, WKU
S8 Cam Cook, Jax State
S15 Kejon Owens, FIU
S22 Amari Odom, Kennesaw State
S29 La’Vell Wright, WKU
O6 Maverick McIvor, WKU
O13 Cam Cook, Jax State
Defensive Players of the Week
A25 Jaylen Lewis, WKU
S1 Mekhi Mason, LA Tech
S8 Kanye Young, Missouri State
S15 Juwon Gaston, MTSU
S22 Kolbe Fields, LA Tech
S29 Caleb Offord, Kennesaw State
O6 Naeten Mitchell, NM State
O13 Tylon Dunlap, Kennesaw State
Special Teams Players of the Week
A25 Cole Maynard, WKU
S1 John Hoyet Chance, LA Tech
S8 Garrison Rippa, Jax State
S15 John Hoyet Chance, LA Tech
S22 Kyre Duplessis, Delaware
S29 John Hoyet Chance, LA Tech
O6 Ryan Hawk, NM State
O13 Garrison Rippa, Jax State
Freshmen of the Week
A25 Marvis Parrish, WKU
S1 Caden Williams, Liberty
S8 Jeron Askren, Missouri State
S15 Shamir Sterlin, FIU
S22 Wondame Davis Jr., UTEP
S29 Alonzo Jackson Jr., LA Tech
O6 Marvis Parrish, WKU
O13 Deuce Bailey, Missouri State
Offensive Linemen of the Week
A25 Laurence Seymore, WKU
S1 Fintan Brose, Delaware
S8 Bubba Grayson, Jax State
S15 Steven Demboski, Delaware
S22 J.T. Pennington, Kennesaw State
S29 Marshall Jackson, WKU
O6 Laurence Seymore, WKU
O13 J.T. Pennington, Kennesaw State