FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference announced its annual football awards and all-conference teams on Wednesday, highlighted by Player of the Year Jaylon Spears of Nicholls and Coach of the Year Tim Rebowe of Nicholls.
Conference champion Nicholls led the way with 16 selections to the all-conference team, including six first team selections and ten on the second team. UIW had 13 selections, leading the way with eight first teamers to go with five second team selections.
Southeastern had nine selections and Lamar added seven. HCU picked up five all-conference selections, while McNeese and Texas A&M-Commerce each had three.
The electric Jaylon Spears put up terrific numbers throughout the year, especially as an all-purpose back, finishing with 126.80 all-purpose yards, good for first in the Southland and 12th in the nation. Anytime Spears touched the ball, good things seemed to happen for the Colonels as he averaged a whopping 6.75 yards per carry, good for ninth in the nation, and has 12 explosive plays throughout the season, which classifies as offensive plays that go for 20 or more yards. As dangerous as he was as a running back, he was equally as dangerous catching the ball, averaging 18.29 yards per reception. Spears finished with 1,286 all-purpose yards, including 709 rushing and 256 receiving to go with nine touchdowns. He especially came on strong towards the end of the year, finishing with 100 or more yards for scrimmage in his final four games, including a 206-yard, three-score game against Lamar to clinch the Southland title.
Spears is the first Nicholls player to earn Player of the Year honors since Sully Laiche in 2019. He is only the third-ever Colonel to earn the honor, joining Laiche and 2018 winner Chase Fourcade.
Brandon Porter had a standout final season with UIW as he won the SLC Offensive Player of the Year, accumulating 1,072 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished second in the nation for receiving yards per game with 107.2 while sitting ninth for receptions per game. Porter was second in the Southland Conference in all-purpose yards as he became a constant target for the Cardinals offense throughout the season. Porter has been named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award for the nation's top offensive play. He is only the second UIW player to win Offensive Player of the Year, joining Cam Ward, who took home honors in 2021.
Jalyx Hunt was a standout on the field all season as he earned SLC Defensive Player of the Year, earning invitations to both the Reese's Senior Bowl and the East/West Shrine Bowl, accepting the invitation to the Senior Bowl set for Feb. 3 in Mobile, Ala. Hunt was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award to the nation's top defensive player. He filled up the stat sheet this season with 46 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception with a return for a touchdown, three quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a blocked kick in 10 games. In conference play, Hunt averaged more than a sack per game with all 6.5 of his sacks coming against league opponents. Hunt becomes the second HCU athlete to ever win Defensive Player of the Year, joining Caleb Johnson, current linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars, in 2020.
Mark Barthelemy was a stalwart on a dominant Nicholls offensive front as he earned Southland Offensive Lineman of the Year. Barthelemy anchored a Nicholls offense that averages 162.4 rushing yards per game and has only allowed 1.70 sacks per game this season. Those numbers rose in conference play as the Nicholls offense rushed for 219.7 yards per game and averaged 33.2 points per game.
Started at nose tackle as a redshirt freshman, Rasheed Lovelace earned Southland Freshman of the Year with 25 tackles, 2.5 for loss, and 0.5 sacks. He came on late in the second during conference play as he recorded his first career interception in the win over Lamar and his best game statistically at Texas A&M-Commerce, where he had six tackles and his half sack. Lovelace was named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the nation's top freshman.
In his ninth season, Tim Rebowe led Nicholls to the program's first outright Southland Conference title and third overall during his tenure. The Colonels won all but one league game by double figures, outscoring opponents 33.2 points per game to 16.0 ppg. Nicholls is set to make its fourth playoff appearance in the last seven years, all coming under Rebowe. It is Rebowe's first time winning the Southland Coach of the Year and the first time a Colonels coach has won the award since Jay Thomas in 2005. Rebowe is the fourth Nicholls coach to win this honor, joining Thomas, Daryl Daye in 2002, and Darren Barbier in 1996.
2023 Southland Conference Football Individual Superlative Winners
Player of the Year: Jaylon Spears, Nicholls
Offensive Player of the Year: Brandon Porter, UIW
Defensive Player of the Year: Jalyx Hunt, HCU
Newcomer of the Year: Zach Calzada, UIW
Freshman of the Year: Rasheed Lovelace, Nicholls
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Mark Barthelemy, Nicholls
Coach of the Year: Tim Rebowe, Nicholls
2023 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Offense
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| QB |
Zach Calzada |
UIW |
Gr. |
Buford, Ga. |
| RB |
Jaylon Spears |
Nicholls |
R-So. |
New Orleans, La. |
| RB |
Collin Guggenheim 2 |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
Kenner, La. |
| TE/HB |
Bauer Sharp |
Southeastern |
R-So. |
Dothan, Ala. |
| WR |
Brandon Porter |
UIW |
Gr. |
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
| WR |
Karl Reynolds |
HCU |
Sr. |
Humble, Texas |
| WR |
Caleb Chapman |
UIW |
Gr. |
Webster, Texas |
| OL |
Mark Barthelemy |
Nicholls |
Sr. |
Opelousas, La. |
| OL |
Silas Robinson |
UIW |
Gr. |
Yoakum, Texas |
| OL |
John Allen 3 |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Jackson, Miss. |
| OL |
Stanley Mark |
UIW |
Gr. |
Seguin, Texas |
| OL |
Evan Roussel 4 |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
Lutcher, La. |
| PK |
Dillon Fedor |
HCU |
Jr. |
Henderson, Nev. |
| P |
Austin Dunlap 3 |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Slidell, La. |
2023 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Defense
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| DL |
Steven Parker 2 |
UIW |
Jr. |
Dallas, Texas |
| DL |
Levi Drake Rodriguez |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Sr. |
Georgetown, Texas |
| DL |
Arlen Williams 2 |
Southeastern |
R-Sr. |
Boothville, La. |
| DL |
Ayodele Adeoye |
UIW |
Gr. |
St. Louis, Mo. |
| LB |
Micah Davey |
McNeese |
R-So. |
Baton Rouge, La. |
| LB |
Jalyx Hunt 2 |
HCU |
Sr. |
DeBary, Fla. |
| LB |
Tylan Foster |
UIW |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas |
| DB |
Tyler Morton |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
St. Rose, La. |
| DB |
Ian Conerly-Goodly |
Southeastern |
So. |
Covington, La. |
| DB |
Max Epps |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Jr. |
Spring, Texas |
| DB |
Daryion Taylor |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Sr. |
Humble, Texas |
| DB |
Kendarius Smith |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
Meridian, Miss. |
| KR |
Damashja Harris |
Lamar |
So. |
Killeen, Texas |
| PR |
Darius Lewis |
Southeastern |
R-Jr. |
New Orleans, La. |
2023 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Offense
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| QB |
Pat McQuaide |
Nicholls |
So. |
Solon, Ohio |
| RB |
Khalan Griffin |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Tyler, Texas |
| RB |
Harlan Dixon |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
Slidell, La. |
| TE/HB |
Lee Negrotto |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
Pass Christian, Miss. |
| WR |
David Robinson Jr. |
Nicholls |
R-Jr. |
Raceland, La. |
| WR |
Darius Lewis |
Southeastern |
R-Jr. |
New Orleans, La. |
| WR |
Jon McCall |
McNeese |
R-So. |
New Orleans, La. |
| OL |
Cole Leclair |
McNeese |
Jr. |
Middleburg, Fla. |
| OL |
Jevale Roberson |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Cleveland, Texas |
| OL |
Joe Bryson |
UIW |
Gr. |
Castle Pines, Colo. |
| OL |
Christian Hood 2 |
HCU |
Sr. |
Marshall, Texas |
| OL |
Elias Ripley |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| PK |
Gavin Lasseigne |
Nicholls |
Sr. |
Raceland, La. |
| P |
Kylan Dupre |
Nicholls |
So. |
Geismar, La. |
2023 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Defense
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| DL |
Rasheed Lovelace |
Nicholls |
R-Fr. |
Pensacola, Fla. |
| DL |
Caleb Williams |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas |
| DL |
Kershawn Fisher |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
New Orleans, La. |
| DL |
Perry Ganci 3 |
Nicholls |
Sr. |
New Orleans, La. |
| LB |
Rodney Dansby 3 |
HCU |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas |
| LB |
Hayden Shaheen |
Nicholls |
R-So. |
Baton Rouge, La. |
| LB |
Herman Christophe IV 2 |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Plaquemine, La. |
| DB |
Brandon Richard |
UIW |
Gr. |
San Antonio, Texas |
| DB |
Joshua Ofili |
Lamar |
Sr. |
Katy, Texas |
| DB |
Ronald Wilson |
UIW |
Jr. |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| DB |
Ramond Stevens |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Dallas, Texas |
| DB |
Jordan Jackson 2 |
Nicholls |
Sr. |
Prairieville, La. |
| KR |
Dekalon Taylor |
UIW |
So. |
Longview, Texas |
| PR |
Dekalon Taylor |
UIW |
So. |
Longview, Texas |
2 = Two-time All-Conference
3 = Three-time All-Conference
4 = Four-time All-Conference