DALLAS – Jax State’s Caden Creel and Garrison Rippa, Liberty’s Ronald Moore Jr. and D.J. Geth, and WKU’s Jonathan Stafford Jr. earned CUSA Player of the Week honors for week three. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
 
Offensive Player of the Week – Caden Creel, Jax State – Sr. – QB – Fairhope, Ala.
For the second time this season and third time in his career, Creel passed for 200 or more yards and rushed for an additional 100 as the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-0 CUSA) opened CUSA play with a 23-13 win over MTSU. It was the ninth time in his career he's rushed for 100 or more yards, becoming one of just eight players in program history with nine or more 100-yard games. Creel finished the night 19-27 passing for 241 yards, which included a 38-yard pass to Deondre Johnson with 1:15 left in the third quarter to regain the lead for good in the game. He added 119 yards on 12 carries with a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. 
 
Defensive Player of the Week – Ronald Moore Jr., Liberty – Jr. – S – Griffin, Ga.
Moore led the Flames’ (3-1) stout defensive effort in a 34-17 victory over Coastal Carolina on Thursday night. He finished the game with a career-high eight tackles, including six solo stops. Moore entered the game with seven career tackles and just five solo efforts. Moore and the Flames shut out the Chanticleers and limit them to just 47 total offensive yards during the second half.  
 
Special Teams Player of the Week – Garrison Rippa, Jax State – Gr. – K – Locust Grove, Ga.
Rippa was good on all three of his field goal attempts and both extra point tries for an 11-point night in the Gamecocks’ 23-13 CUSA opening win over MTSU. He split the uprights on field goals of 27, 31 and 29 yards – the last of which put the game out of reach with a 10-point advantage with 2:46 remaining. Rippa also had half of his kickoffs go for touchbacks and averaged 64.2 yards per kickoff. 
 
Freshman of the Week – Jonathan Stafford Jr., WKU – Fr. – WR – Auburn, Ga.
Stafford led the Hilltoppers (1-3) with 85 all-purpose yards in the 52-7 blowout victory over Mercyhurst in Saturday’s home opener. He hauled in a team-high six passes, recording 66 yards on those six catches with a long grab of 23 yards. Stafford also tallied 53 yards after the catch and helped in gaining two first downs. Stafford also had a 17-yard punt return in the victory. He is WKU's leading receiver through four games this season with 20 catches for 158 yards, and he is second on the team in all-purpose yards with 207.
 
Offensive Lineman of the Week – D.J. Geth, Liberty – Sr. – LT – Spartanburg, S.C.
From the left tackle spot, Geth helped the Flames rack up season-highs in total offense (485) and rushing yards (263) in the 34-17 win over Coastal Carolina. He recorded his highest PFF grade of the year (73.5), including his third-straight performance over 80.0 on pass block (84.3) and the second-best run block mark in CUSA (73.1). For the second-straight week, Geth didn’t allow a pressure and was penalized just once on 62 snaps, including 23 dropbacks.
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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