DALLAS – Conference USA announced Thursday its postseason Football Superlative Award recipients and All-Conference and All-Freshman Teams, as voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches.
 
Jacksonville State running back Cam Cook claims MVP and Newcomer of the Year honors, becoming the second-straight Gamecock to earn both awards (Tyler Huff). FIU running back Kejon Owens is the Offensive Player of the Year, while Kennesaw State’s Baron Hopson and LA Tech’s Jacob Fields share co-Defensive Player of the Year recognition. WKU’s Cole Maynard and Rodney Tisdale Jr. are crowned CUSA’s Special Teams Player and Freshman of the Year, respectively. Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack is tabbed the league’s Coach of the Year.
 
The FBS leader in rushing (131.8) and all-purpose yardage (153.67), Cook rushed for 1,581 yards and 15 touchdowns on 276 carries, while hauling in 26 passes for 263 yards. He rushed for at least 100 yards and a touchdown and had a reception in every Conference USA game this season. Cook rushed for a season-best 218 yards and two touchdowns at Sam Houston and had 195 yards and two touchdowns in his CUSA debut against Liberty. Cook finished the regular season as the only player in FBS with 1,500 rushing yards and 20 receptions this season. His 49 rushed of at least 10 yards are most among all FBS players.
 
Owens set the single season rushing record for FIU (1,298) and wrapped up the regular season No. 7 nationally in rushing (108.2). He averaged 6.33 yards per carry, which ranks second-best in CUSA and 14th-best nationally. In CUSA play, Owens’ 6.3 yards per carry tied for the top mark in the league. He was named the CUSA Offensive Player of the Week twice this season following FIU's wins over Florida Atlantic and WKU. Owens tallied five games this season with 100+ rushing yards, scored touchdowns in five CUSA games and had three multi-score games.
 
Hopson finished as Kennesaw State’s leading tackler on CUSA’s No. 2 scoring defense team (22.7). He ranks second in CUSA with 104 tackles, averaging 9.5 per game. Hopson’s 104 tackles rank No. 13 in the nation. He’s also recorded 7.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and a crucial interception – the first of his career – in the win over Missouri State. Hopson’s 7.5 TFL’s rank 14th in CUSA. He has totaled a whopping seven 10+ tackle games this season, ranking tied for fourth nationally. Hopson is the first Owl to reach 100 tackles in a single season since 2021.
 
Fields started all 12 games at safety and led the team with 92 stops, becoming the first defensive back to lead LA Tech in tackles since 2014. He tallied three interceptions for 123 yards, including two pick sixes, 2.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. Fields recorded three games with double-digit tackles, including a career-high 14 versus Liberty.  He led Tech in tackles in each of the final eight games of the season. Fields finished with seven stops and an 85-yard pick six against Sam Houston, eight tackles and a 38-yard pick six at Delaware, 11 stops versus WKU and 10 tackles with one tackle for loss at LSU. 
 
Maynard led the nation in punting average during the regular season at 48.7 yards per punt over 51 punting attempts. He has twice been named to the Ray’s 8 List, honoring the top punting performances of the week. Maynard has also been recognized with the top special teams performance of the week in the league twice as CUSA’s Special Teams Player of the Week. Over his 51 punts this season, Maynard had sent 25 50-plus yards – with a long of 71 yards – and has 12 downed inside the 20-yard line, with 15 fair catches and only five touchbacks. His 48.7 yards per punt would be a new WKU record for single-season punting average, topping the previous mark of 45.9 yards per punt by John Haggerty during the 2019 season.
 
Tisdale Jr. assumed the starting quarterback role for the last five games of the regular season and provided a spark to the offense, which averaged 29.8 points during that stretch against CUSA competition in four games and against LSU in the other. He threw for 1,367 yards and nine touchdowns on 67.7% (130-192) passing during the season, with the majority of that coming over the course of the last five games. Tisdale finished as WKU’s fourth-leading rusher with 105 yards and two scores on 47 attempts. He had two 300-yard passing performances in five games, and his two 300-yard passing performances are tied for fourth-most in CUSA across all games, despite only starting five games.
 
Mack has orchestrated one of the greatest turnarounds in college football this season, taking a 2-10 Kennesaw State team in their first year of FCS play and turning them into a 9-3, 7-1 CUSA co-regular season champion that has a shot at the conference championship title. Mack was able to mesh a strong group of transfers with the fifth-fewest returners (43) in FBS to a +7-win differential year-over-year. Just in Conference USA action, Mack’s Owls have led the league in scoring (34.5) and ranked third in points allowed (25.1). KSU also leads the league in team sacks (20) and ranks second in sacks allowed (10) in conference play. Overall, on the season, the Owls rank in the top five in CUSA in 23 statistical categories and top-50 nationally in 13 categories.
 
Kennesaw State garnered the most combined first- and second-team members with 10, followed by FIU and Jax State with nine. The Owls and Gamecocks each placed a league-high seven of their selections on the first team. Delaware earned seven all-conference nods, and Louisiana Tech followed with six honorees. NM State and WKU each garnered four all-conference spots, while MTSU, Missouri State and UTEP placed two on the teams. Liberty’s Evan Dickens marked the Flames’ lone all-conference honoree.
 
UTEP (six) and MTSU (five) received the most all-freshman nods, while Jax State, Kennesaw State and WKU each earned three. Delaware, FIU, LA Tech and Missouri State each garnered two spots to round out the all-freshman list.
 
2025 CUSA Players of the Year
MVP and Newcomer of the Year: Cam Cook, Jax State
Offensive Player of the Year: Kejon Owens, FIU
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Baron Hopson, Kennesaw State
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Jacob Fields, LA Tech
Special Teams Player of the Year: Cole Maynard, WKU
Freshman of the Year: Rodney Tisdale Jr., WKU
Coach of the Year: Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State
 
First Team
Offense
QB Amari Odom, Kennesaw State
RB Cam Cook, Jax State
RB Kejon Owens, FIU
WR Gabriel Benyard, Kennesaw State
WR Alex Perry, FIU
WR Kyre Duplessis, Delaware
TE Gavin Harris, NM State
OL Amare Grayson, Jax State
OL Fintan Brose, Delaware
OL Brandon Best, Kennesaw State
OL Josiah Chenault, Kennesaw State
OL Cameron Griffin, Jax State
 
Defense
DE Elijah Hill, Kennesaw State
DT Damonte Smith, MTSU
DT Ezra Christensen, NM State
DE Emmanuel Oyebadejo, Jax State
LB Johnny Chaney Jr., FIU
LB Baron Hopson, Kennesaw State
LB Micah Davey, UTEP
DB Mister Clark, FIU
DB Caleb Nix, Jax State
DB Jacob Fields, LA Tech
DB KT Seay, Delaware
 
Special Teams
K Garrison Rippa, Jax State
P Cole Maynard, WKU
KR Devin Gandy, LA Tech
PR Gabriel Benyard, Kennesaw State
LS Cole Marszalek, Jax State
 
Second Team
Offense
QB Nick Minicucci, Delaware
RB Evan Dickens, Liberty
RB Shomari Lawrence, Missouri State
WR Donovan Faupel, NM State
WR Matthew Henry, WKU
WR Kenny Odom, UTEP
TE Eli Finley, LA Tech
OL Steven Demboski, Delaware
OL J.T. Pennington, Kennesaw State
OL Laurence Seymore, WKU
OL Julius Pierce, FIU
OL Jaheim Buchanon, FIU
 
Defense
DE Keegan Davis, FIU
DT Tylon Dunlap, Kennesaw State
DT Talan Carter, Jax State
DE Kenton Simmons, FIU
LB Parker Hughes, MTSU
LB Mekhi Mason, LA Tech
LB Walker O’Steen, Jax State
DB Jakari Foster, LA Tech
DB Jessiah McGrew, FIU
DB Naeten Mitchell, NM State
DB Caleb Offord, Kennesaw State
 
Special Teams
K Nate Reed, Delaware
P John Hoyet Chance, LA Tech
KR Mysonne Pollard, Delaware
PR Dash Luke, Missouri State
LS Rex Robich, WKU
 
Honorable Mention
Offense
QB Jacob Clark, Missouri State
RB Coleman Bennett, Kennesaw State
RB Jekail Middlebrook, MTSU
WR K.D. Hutchinson, WKU
WR Sean Wilson, Delaware
WR Deondre Johnson, Jax State
TE Jeron Askren, Missouri State
OL Marshall Jackson, WKU
OL Landon Nelson, LA Tech
OL Anwar O’neal, Delaware
OL Erick Cade, Missouri State
OL Mark Robinson, UTEP
 
Defense
DE Harper Holloman, WKU
DT KD Johnson, UTEP
DT Adam Watkins, Kennesaw State
DE Udoka Ezeani, UTEP
LB Mac Sanders, Jax State
LB Gavin Moul, Delaware
LB Derrell Farrar, Liberty
DB Tre’Quon Fegans, Jax State
DB Shamir Sterlin, FIU
DB Brian Blades II, FIU
DB Jaylen Lewis, WKU
 
Special Teams
K Yousef Obeid, Missouri State
P Joshua Huiet, Kennesaw State
KR Tim Burns Jr., Sam Houston
PR Dedrick Latulas, LA Tech
LS Josh Hancock, UTEP
 
All-Freshman Team
Offense
QB Rodney Tisdale Jr., WKU
RB Ashten Emory, UTEP
RB Marvis Parrish, WKU
WR Sean Wilson, Delaware
WR Clayton Coppock, Kennesaw State
WR Wondame Davis Jr., UTEP
TE Josh Schucts, UTEP
OL Lucas Mrachkovskiy, Jax State
OL Otto Janse Van Rensburg, MTSU
OL Alex Gale, MTSU
OL Lance Johnson, Jax State
OL Elijah Williams, WKU
 
Defense
DE Elijah Hill, Kennesaw State
DT Zeion Simpson-Smith, MTSU
DT Dezmond Barnes, Missouri State
DE Elijah Baldwin, UTEP
LB Mac Sanders, Jax State
LB Jadon Mayfield, LA Tech
LB Tywon Christopher, Kennesaw State
DB Jessiah McGrew, FIU
DB Shamir Sterlin, FIU
DB Jackson Lowe, MTSU
DB Jamarion Kolagbodi, Delaware
 
Special Teams
K Baylen Woodman, MTSU
P John Hoyet Chance, LA Tech
KR Nikolas Henry, UTEP
PR Nikolas Henry, UTEP
LS Mitch Weisenborn, Missouri State