Football James Hill (@jameshillSID)

UTRGV's Diaz, Southeastern's Reno, SFA's Alvarado Named Southland Players of the Week; Reno Earns National Honors

FRISCO – UTRGV wide receiver Tony Diaz, Southeastern linebacker KK Reno, and SFA placekicker Carlos Alvarado have been named the Southland Conference football weekly award winners for Week 12, the league announced Monday.

Offensive Player of the Week: Tony Diaz, UTRGV – WR – R-Fr. – San Marcos, Texas (San Marcos HS)
Diaz hauled in his first-career multi-TD game with a career-high three touchdown catches against McNeese. For Diaz, it is his fourth 100+ yard receiving game with 134 yards on seven receptions, an average of over 19 yards per reception. His first score gave UTRGV the lead for good at 14-10 and he added a 75-yard TD pass on second play of 4th quarter to extend the lead. He added one more to put the game on ice late in the fourth.

Defensive Player of the Week: KK Reno, Southeastern – LB – Sr. – New Iberia, La. (Catholic-New Iberia HS) – FCS National Defensive Player of the Week
For the second straight week, Reno set a new career-high in tackles, posting a game-high 17 tackles and a team-high 1.5 tackles for loss in a 10-7 victory over UIW. The senior now leads the team with 110 tackles. With Reno leading the way, SLU has allowed 11.4 points per game to Southland Conference opponents and has held six of seven league opponents to 14 points or less. 
Honorable Mention: Jayven Anderson, HCU
 
Special Teams Player of the Week: Carlos Alvarado, SFA – K– R-So. – Tomball, Texas (Tomball HS)
The ‘Jacks elected to take the points and Alvarado delivered three times in the win over Lamar. He connected on a career-long 43 yarder to put SFA up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, hit a 20 yarder with under six minutes before the intermission and added a 33-yarder in the fourth quarter for a 26-7 lead. He went 3-for-4 as the 'Jacks made four field goals in the win. 
Honorable Mention: Jack Hunter, Southeastern
 
2025 Southland Football Players of the Week
Date Offensive Defensive Special Teams
Sept. 1 Miequle Brock, Jr., Nicholls Fernando Washington, Northwestern State Cooper Evans, Northwestern State 
Sept. 8 Nathan Denney, UTRGV Kristian Pugh, Lamar Ben Woodard, Lamar
Sept. 15 Jake Strong, McNeese Andrew Huff, Lamar Kendric Malone, Lamar
Sept. 22 Jerrell Wimbley, SFA Rodney Dansby, HCU Kylon Harris, SFA
Sept. 29 Jerrell Wimbley, SFA Declan Williams, UIW Kyndon Fuselier, Lamar
Oct. 6 Sam Vidlak, SFA Jaydon Southard, SFA* Kyndon Fuselier, Lamar*
Oct. 13 Xai'Shaun Edwards, HCU Ronnie Hamrick II, Lamar Brady Young, HCU
Oct. 20 Jake Strong, McNeese Kyree Anderson, East Texas A&M Ben Woodard, Lamar*
Oct. 27 Eddie Lee Marburger, UTRGV Ty Marsh, Nicholls Brandon Hayes, Southeastern
Nov. 3 Jaylon Domingeaux, Southeastern Phillip Bradford, McNeese Dkhai Joseph, Southeastern
Nov. 10 Jake Strong, McNeese Andrew Huff, Lamar Bugs Mortimer, SFA
Nov. 17 Tony Diaz, UTRGV KK Reno, Southeastern* Carlos Alvarado, SFA
* - Also named Stats Performn National Player of the Week

Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.