FRISCO, Texas — SFA wide receiver Clayton Wayland, East Texas A&M defensive back Colin Douglas and Lamar wide receiver/kick returner Blake Thomas have earned this week's SLC Football Weekly Awards, the Conference office announced Monday morning. All three players are first-time honorees this season.
Offensive Player of the Week: Clayton Wayland, SFA – WR – Jr. – Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll High School)
Wayland delivered season-highs with 125 receiving yards, six catches and his third career game with two receiving touchdowns. He hauled in an over-the-shoulder catch from Gavin Rutherford in the front corner of the end zone to give SFA and two-possession lead late in the second quarter and then scored from 46 yards out with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Defensive Player of the Week: Colin Douglas, East Texas A&M – DB – Jr. – Brookeville, Md. (Our Lady of Counsel High School)
Douglas helped East Texas A&M secure an upset win over Southeastern, leading a defense that did not allow a point in the game. He had seven tackles along with a fumble recovery near the goal line to stall a Southeastern scoring chance and intercepted a pass with under two minutes left in the game right after East Texas A&M took the lead.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Blake Thomas, Lamar – WR/KR – So. – Houston, Texas (Summer Creek High School)
Thomas opened the second half against UTRGV by returning the kickoff 97 yards for the touchdown, sparking a 21-point third quarter for Lamar where he accounted for two more offensive touchdowns. Thomas finished the game with four returns for 169 yards averaging better than 42 yards per return, helping the Cardinals hand the Vaqueros their first home loss since the reinception of their program last year.
2026 Southland Football Players of the Week
| Date |
Offensive |
Defensive |
Special Teams |
| Aug. 31 |
Cutter Stewart, HCU |
Jayven Anderson, HCU |
Lukasz Smolen, HCU |
| Sept. 7 |
Devin Lippold, McNeese |
Lowote Jurkin, SFA |
Carlos Alvarado, SFA |
| Sept. 14 |
Jackson Dufrene, Nicholls |
Kennon Loftin, Nicholls |
Andres Sandoval, Lamar |
| Sept. 21 |
Aiden Jakobsohn, UTRGV |
Jaiden Haygood, UTRGV |
Dkhai Joseph, Southeastern |
| Sept. 28 |
Chad Elzy Jr., Southeastern |
Landon Barrett, McNeese |
Caleb Holmes, Lamar |
| Oct. 5 |
Gavin Rutherford, SFA |
Mike Sylvalie, HCU |
Ozlo Rigby, East Texas A&M |
| Oct. 12 |
Jojo Uga, Lamar |
TJ Neal, UTRGV |
Mason Stallons, Lamar |
| Oct. 19 |
Cutter Stewart, HCU |
Javon Bejarano, HCU |
Drew Talley, Southeastern |
| Oct. 26 |
Emmett Brown, UIW |
Jaiden Haygood, UTRGV |
Kylon Harris, SFA |
| Nov. 2 |
Clayton Wayland, SFA |
Colin Douglas, East Texas A&M |
Blake Thomas, Lamar |