DALLAS – NM State’s James Jones, Liberty’s Aidan Vaughan, Chase Reeves and Alex Birchmeier, and WKU’s Jonathan Stafford Jr. earned CUSA Player of the Week honors for week five. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
 
Offensive Player of the Week – James Jones, NM State – Gr. – RB – Baltimore, Md.
Jones broke out for 155 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries to lead the Aggies (2-3, 1-0) to a commanding 34-13 home win over WKU on Thursday. He had an explosive 46-yard rush in the first quarter to set NM State up for their first points of the game, and he book-ended it with a seven-yard touchdown run to cap off the scoring. Jones became the first Aggie to record back-to-back 100-yard games since 2019. He tallied five rushes of 10 yards or longer, improving his yards per carry on the year to 6.62, which ranks 13^th in FBS.
 
Defensive Player of the Week – Aidan Vaughan, Liberty – Gr. – LB – Wixom, Mich.
Vaughan led a stout defensive effort for the Flames (4-1, 1-0 CUSA) in a 30-14, CUSA-opening win at Delaware on Friday. He finished the game with a career-high nine tackles, marking his third game this season with seven or more stops, and logged the third-highest tackling grade for a CUSA defender from PFF (82.9). Vaughan helped Liberty shut out the Fightin’ Blue Hens through the first three quarters, allowing the Flames to build a 30-0 lead. He helped limit Delaware’s rushing attack to 102 yards on 25 carries.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week – Chase Reeves, Liberty – Gr. – K – Granite City, Ill.
Reeves recorded a season-high 12 points during the Flames’ CUSA-opening victory at Delaware. He finished the day 3-3 on field goal attempts, setting a new season high. One of his three makes was from 47 yards out, his longest of the season. Reeves remains a flawless 9-9 on field goal attempts this season and has made a field goal in all five games. He leads all CUSA kickers in scoring (8.2), field goals made (9) and field goals per game (1.8) – which ranks ninth among FBS kickers.
 
Freshman of the Week – Jonathan Stafford Jr., WKU – Fr. – WR – Auburn, Ga.
Stafford garners his second-straight Freshman of the Week honor after leading the Hilltoppers with 108 yards on 10 receptions in the CUSA opener against NM State on Thursday. Both marks were career highs. It marked the first time a Hilltopper player recorded 10 receptions in a game since Malachi Corley caught 10 passes in a 28-23 win over Sam Houston on Nov. 18, 2023. It was the first 100-yard receiving game for a WKU player this season and the first since Matthew Henry recorded 126 yards in the win over Southern Miss in the 2025 New Orleans Bowl.
 
Offensive Lineman of the Week – Alex Birchmeier, Liberty – Sr. – RG – Ashburn, Va.
The Flames’ starting right guard led the team in PFF run-block (69.7) and pass-block (84.2) grades during the CUSA-opening win at Delaware. His pass-block mark ranked second only to teammate D.J. Geth among CUSA offensive linemen, and the Liberty line finished as the top-rated group in CUSA in pass-blocking efficiency (94.2) in week five. Birchmeier helped pave the way for Liberty to rush for a season-high 282 yards.
 
2026 Weekly Award Winners
 
Offensive Players of the Week
A31     Trey Hedden, NM State
S7      Jamill Williams, Jax State
S14     JJ Kohl, FIU
S21     Sean Wilson, Delaware
S28     Caden Creel, Jax State
O5      James Jones, NM State
 
Defensive Players of the Week
A31     Gabe Peterson, NM State
S7      Nick Session, NM State
S14     Elisha Baldridge, FIU
S21     Jackson Lowe, MTSU
S28     Ronald Moore Jr., Liberty
O5      Aidan Vaughan, Liberty
 
Special Teams Players of the Week
A31     Conor Donaghy, Jax State
S7      Triston Morgan, Kennesaw State
S14     Dominic Bourgeois, MTSU
S21     Caleb Nix, Jax State
S28     Garrison Rippa, Jax State
O5      Chase Reeves, Liberty
 
Freshmen of the Week
A31     Carson Su’esu’e, NM State
S7      Kevin Moore, Delaware
S14     Felix Visser, FIU
S21     Tristan Lyles, Jax State
S28     Jonathan Stafford Jr., WKU
O5      Jonathan Stafford Jr., WKU
 
Offensive Linemen of the Week
A31     Ma’kyi Lee, NM State
S7      Lance Johnson, Jax State
S14     Zaire Flournoy, FIU
S21     Reese Tripp, MTSU
S28     D.J. Geth, Liberty
O5      Alex Birchmeier, Liberty