DALLAS – A trio of standouts, including a pair of FIU Panthers, headline the 2025 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league’s 12 head coaches.
 
FIU QB Keyone Jenkins was selected as the league’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while teammate and wide receiver C’Quan Jnopierre was tabbed as the Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year. LA Tech linebacker Kolbe Fields earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
Jenkins saw a huge jump in his production last season, completing 188-304 (61.8%) of his passes for 2,557 yards, the third-highest tally in the league. He improved his TD:INT ratio from 11:11 as a true freshman to 22:8 in his sophomore season. The Miami native led CUSA and ranked 19^th in FBS in passing efficiency (151.1). Jenkins showed off his arm plenty in 2024, ranking in the top 20 nationally in yards per completion (13.60) and yards per attempt (8.41). He threw 10 touchdowns of at least 30 yards, six over 40 yards and four over 50 yards.
 
Fields started 11 games at linebacker last season before missing the regular season finale and bowl game due to injury. He was named Second Team All-CUSA after finishing second on the team with 71 tackles to go along with nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup and three quarterback hurries. He recorded three games with double-digit tackles while leading the Bulldogs in tackles in four games Fields finished with 5+ stops in seven games.
 
Jnopierre was one of the most electric kick returners in the country last season, finishing third in FBS in kickoff returns (28.3) and earning Second-Team All-CUSA honors as a kick returner. He also ranked 11^th nationally in combined kick returns (538), including a season-high 95 yards on three returns (31.7 AVG) versus Kennesaw State. He averaged more than 30 yards per return on at least two returns in three other games, including two returns for 80 yards with a season-long 55 yarder against UTEP.
 
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Keyone Jenkins, Jr., QB, FIU
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Kolbe Fields, RS-Sr., LB, LA Tech
 
Special Teams Player of the Year
C’Quan Jnopierre, Gr. WR, FIU