Evan Crenshaw Named SBC Special Teams Player of the Year; 12 Trojans Earn All-SBC Nods

TROY, Ala. – Troy punter and Ray Guy Award Finalist Evan Crenshaw was named the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, and 12 Trojans earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors, the league office announced Thursday ahead of Troy's appearance in the 2025 Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Championship Game presented by Visit Pensacola on Friday.

Crenshaw leads the country with 20 punts of 50-plus yards (double that of the other two Ray Guy Award finalists) and has placed 25 of his 56 punts inside the 20-yard line. Named the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week for his efforts against Buffalo earlier this year, Crenshaw saved his best for last, pinning Southern Miss on the 2-yard line, 3-yard line and 8-yard line in addition to completing an 11-yard pass on a fake punt in the Trojans' Sun Belt West clinching victory over the Golden Eagles.

The Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., native is the first-ever recipient of the Special Teams Player of the Year Award in addition to his All-Sun Belt First Team honors. He leads the Sun Belt and ranks sixth nationally, averaging 46.7 yards per punt, while ranking third in the country in net yards, with a 43.5 average.

Troy tied with Southern Miss for a league-best three players on the first team defense, with defensive end Donnie Smith, linebacker Jordan Stringer and spear Devin Lafayette earning the honors.

Smith, a native of Greensville, Miss., leads the Sun Belt with nine sacks and is one of just 17 players in the country with 40 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Additionally, he ranks third with a sack in eight different games and is third in the league with 11 tackles for loss on the year.

Stringer enters the title game ranked third in the league with 104 tackles and seventh with 11 tackles for loss. An Augusta, Ga., native, Stringer is one of just eight players in the country with 100 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.

Lafayette finished just behind Stringer with 99 tackles on the season and ranked as the top rush defender in the Sun Belt from the safety position. A native of Brunswick, Ga., Lafayette had an interception in Troy's final two games of the season and is the only player in the Sun Belt with 75 tackles, two interceptions and five pass break ups.

Offensive lineman Eli Russ, tight end Ethan Conner and cornerback Jaquez White represented Troy on the second team, while offensive lineman Matt Henry was a third team selection. Peyton Higgins, Luis Medina, Kaleno Levine and Tray Taylor were all honorable mention selections.

2025 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year
Alonza Barnett III, James Madison

Offensive Player of the Year
Colton Joseph, Old Dominion

Defensive Player of the Year
Trent Hendrick, James Madison

Special Teams Player of the Year
Evan Crenshaw, Troy

Newcomer of the Year
Camden Brown, Georgia Southern

Freshman of the Year
Sahir West, James Madison

Coach of the Year
Bob Chesney, James Madison

All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Alonza Barnett III, James Madison
RB – Wayne Knight, James Madison
RB – Kentrel Bullock, South Alabama
OL – Caleb Cook, Georgia Southern
OL – Pat McMurtrie, James Madison
OL – Jax Harrington, Louisiana
OL – Zach Barlev, Old Dominion
OL – Dorion Strawn, Texas State
TE – Toby Payne, Marshall
WR – Camden Brown, Georgia Southern
WR – Ted Hurst, Georgia State
WR – Beau Sparks, Texas State

All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – Demarcus Hendricks, Arkansas State
DL – MJ Stroud, Georgia Southern
DL – J'Mond Tapp, Southern Miss
DL – Donnie Smith, Troy
LB – Trent Hendrick, James Madison
LB – Jaden Dugger, Louisiana
LB – Chris Jones, Southern Miss
LB – Jordan Stringer, Troy
DB – Boogie Trotter, Marshall
DB – Nehemiah Chandler, South Alabama
DB – Josh Moten, Southern Miss
DB – Devin Lafayette, Troy

All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Lorcan Quinn, Marshall
P – Evan Crenshaw, Troy
RS – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State
AP – Wayne Knight, James Madison

All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Colton Joseph, Old Dominion
RB – OJ Arnold, Georgia Southern
RB – Lincoln Pare, Texas State
OL – Pichon Wimbley, Georgia Southern
OL – Zach Greenberg, James Madison
OL – Riley Robell, James Madison
OL – Ryan Joyce, Old Dominion
OL – Eli Russ, Troy
TE – Ethan Conner, Troy
WR – Corey Rucker, Arkansas State
WR – Demarcus Lacey, Marshall
WR – Devin Voisin, South Alabama

All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Cody Sigler, Arkansas State
DL – Immanuel Bush, James Madison
DL – Sahir West, James Madison
DL – Jordan Lawson, Louisiana
LB – Colton Phares, App State
LB – Blayne Myrick, South Alabama
LB – Treylin Payne, Texas State
DB – Xamarion Gordon, Coastal Carolina
DB – Justin Eaglin, James Madison
DB – Jacob Thomas, James Madison
DB – Jerome Carter, Old Dominion
DB – Jaquez White, Troy

All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Tyler Robles, Texas State
P – Nathan Totten, Marshall
RS – Jaylen Jenkins, Texas State
AP – Beau Sparks, Texas State

All-Sun Belt Third Team Offense
QB – Brad Jackson, Texas State
RB – Rashod Dubinion, App State
RB – Bill Davis, Louisiana
OL – Johnnie Brown III, Georgia Southern
OL – Carter Sweazie, James Madison
OL – Jalen Slappy, Marshall
OL – Kenton Jerido, South Alabama
OL – Matt Henry, Troy
TE – Izayah Cummings, App State
WR – Landon Ellis, James Madison
WR – Tre Brown, Old Dominion
WR – Chris Dawn Jr., Texas State

All-Sun Belt Third Team Defense
DL – Kevin Abrams-Verwayne, App State
DL – Ethan Hassler, Arkansas State
DL – Ezekiel Durham-Campbell, Coastal Carolina
DL – Aiden Gobaira, James Madison
DL – Kris Trinidad, Old Dominion
LB – Noah Flemmings, ULM
LB – Jeremy Mack, Old Dominion
LB – Michael Montgomery, Southern Miss
DB – Ethan Johnson, App State
DB – DJ Barksdale, James Madison
DB – Elijah Culp, James Madison
DB – Ian Foster, Southern Miss

All-Sun Belt Third Team Special Teams
K – Dominic De Freitas, App State
P – Alex Smith, Georgia Southern
RS – Dalen Cobb, Georgia Southern
AP – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State

Honorable Mention (Troy Players Only)
WR – Peyton Higgins
WR – Tray Taylor
DT – Luis Medina
CB – Kaleno Levine

Troy University Athletics

Evan Crenshaw Named SBC Special Teams Player of the Year; 12 Trojans Earn All-SBC Nods

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Players Mentioned

Ethan Conner

Evan Crenshaw

Matt Henry

Peyton Higgins

Devin Lafayette

Kaleno Levine

Luis Medina

Eli Russ

Donnie Smith

Jordan Stringer

Tray Taylor

Jaquez White

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