DALLAS – Conference USA announced Monday its final weekly award winners of the 2025 season. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
 
Offensive Player of the Week – Caden Creel, Jax State – R-So. – QB – Fairhope, Ala.
Creel had a career-high 204 passing yards with a pair of touchdowns on 12-19 passing and added 143 on the ground with another score as the Gamecocks (8-4, 7-1 CUSA) punched their ticket back to the Conference USA Championship game with a 37-34 win over WKU. It was his fourth consecutive game with 100 yards passing and 100 yards rushing. After Jax State fell behind by two scores early on, Creel connected on touchdown passes in back-to-back drives to close the first half and opened the second half with a 70-yard touchdown scamper to give his team the lead.
 
Defensive Player of the Week – Baron Hopson, Kennesaw State – R-Sr. – LB – Leesburg, Ga.
Hopson helped the Owls (9-3, 7-1 CUSA) to a thrilling 48-42 double-overtime victory at Liberty, a share of the Conference USA Regular Season Championship and a berth into the 2025 Air National Guard CUSA Championship Game. He recorded a career-high 16 tackles against the Flames, including a whopping 12 solo stops. Hopson also made a critical tackle for loss on the first play of Liberty’s final overtime try to set them behind the sticks. He recorded the third-highest pass rush grade (69.8) in CUSA for Week 14, according to Pro Football Focus (min. 70 snaps).
 
Special Teams Player of the Week – Devin Gandy, LA Tech – Gr. – KR – Victorville, Calif.
Gandy saved his best special teams performance for the final game of the regular season, as the grad transfer returned three kicks for 131 yards, including a 93-yard kick return touchdown, for an average return of 43.6 yards. This marked his second 100+ return yard game and his second kick return touchdown of the season. After Missouri State scored to cut the lead to 28-23, Gandy took the ensuing kick back for the dagger, putting the Bulldogs (7-5, 5-3) ahead 35-23 in the eventual 42-30 victory.
 
Freshman of the Week – Sterling Joseph, FIU – Fr. – RB – Miami, Fla.
Joseph, who entered Saturday’s game with just one carry on the year, rushed for 112 yards on just four carries with two touchdowns in FIU's 56-16 win over Sam Houston, securing the Panthers (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) a winning record for the first time since 2018. On his second touch of the game, he took a handoff up the middle for 61 yards for his first career touchdown. Then, on FIU’s next possession, he led the series off with a 19-yard gain before busting off a 31-yard touchdown dash to cap the scoring.
 
Offensive Lineman of the Week – J.T. Pennington, KSU – R-Sr. – RG – Wilsonville, Ala.
Pennington was sensational in protection to help the Owls to a thrilling 48-42 double-overtime victory at Liberty. He recorded his top pass blocking grade of the season, turning in the fourth-highest grade (85.6) in Conference USA for Week 14, according to Pro Football Focus. In 71 total snaps at right guard, he spent 33 in pass block, not allowing a single sack, QB hit, hurry or pressure all game. He also did not incur a single penalty. As an offensive line unit, the Owls did not allow a single sack between the tackles.  
 
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
O20    Kejon Owens, FIU
O27    Jacob Clark, Missouri State
N3      Evan Dickens, Liberty
N10    Joe Pesansky, FIU
N17    Jacob Clark, Missouri State
N24    Amari Odom, Kennesaw State
D1      Caden Creel, 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
O20    Jessiah McGrew, FIU
O27    Thomas Anderson, Missouri State
N3      Tywon Christopher, Kennesaw State
N10     Caleb Nix, Jax State
N17    Caleb Nix, Jax State
N24    Jakari Foster, LA Tech
D1      Baron Hopson, 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
O20    Julian Gray, Liberty
O27    Koron Hayward, WKU
N3      Cole Maynard, WKU
N10    Nate Reed, Delaware
N17    Christian Pavon, Sam Houston
N24    David Barker, NM State
D1      Devin Gandy, LA Tech
 
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
O20    Mac Sanders, Jax State
O27    Rodney Tisdale Jr., WKU
N3      Rodney Tisdale Jr., WKU
N10    Elijah Hill, Kennesaw State
N17    Roman Gagliano, MTSU
N24    Clayton Coppock, Kennesaw State
D1      Sterling Joseph, FIU
 
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
O20    Julius Pierce, FIU
O27    JaDarious Lee, Kennesaw State
N3      Landon Nelson, LA Tech
N10    Josiah Chenault, Kennesaw State
N17    Marshall Jackson, WKU
N24    Chad Staley, FIU
D1      J.T. Pennington, Kennesaw State