Gore, Jr., Stanley and Williams named as Preseason All-Sun Belt

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[Editor’s note: The Sun Belt Media Days have already taken place at the time of this posting.]

From Southern Miss:

NEW ORLEANS – Southern Miss junior running back/AP Frank Gore, Jr. and senior defensive back Jay Stanley were named Preseason First Team All-Sun Belt, while senior defensive lineman Jalen Williams was tabbed Preseason Second Team All-Sun Belt. The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the West Division in a vote released Monday by the league’s 14 head coaches.

Gore, Jr. put on a record-breaking performance in Southern Miss’ 38-24 LendingTree Bowl win over Rice, rushing for an FBS and school-record 329 yards on 21 carries — averaged 17.5 yards per carry. He had touchdown runs of 64 and 55 yards that helped him land on the Associated Press and PFF All-Bowl Teams. Gore, Jr. rushed for 1,382 yards on the season and averaged 106.3 per game, a career best. He scored nine touchdowns on the ground and added four more in the air. He was named First Team All-Sun Belt (AP), Second Team All-Sun Belt (RB), Phil Steele’s Second Team All-Sun Belt and PFF First Team All-Sun Belt.

Stanley played in all 13 games last season and recorded seven interceptions. The Greenwood, Miss. native posted a career-best 64 total tackles and had 4.5 tackles for loss. Stanley added 1.5 sacks and 12 pass deflections. He was named Third Team All-Sun Belt, Phil Steele’s Second Team All-Sun Belt, PFF First Team All-Sun Belt and an Action Network Second Team All-Sun Belt.

Williams was named All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention last season after starting the final 11 games of the season at nose tackle. He finished fifth on the team in tackles (50.0) and fifth in tackles for loss (7.5). The Tylertown, Miss. product blacked an extra point against Louisiana and had a season-high nine tackles against Georgia State.

The Sun Belt Media Days will take place Tuesday and Wednesday in New Orleans. ESPN+ will broadcast each day from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and then from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.. Southern Miss coach Will Hall, along with players Jay Stanley and Cole Cavallo, will be featured on ESPN+, Tuesday, July 25 at 3 p.m.

2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year 
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year 
Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Offense 
QB – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
RB – La’Damian Webb, South Alabama (Sr., RB – Opelika, Ala.)
RB – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., RB – Miami, Fla.)  
OL – Isaiah Helms, App State (Sr., OL – Hudson, N.C.)
OL – Khalil Crowder, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., OL – Carrollton, Ga.)
OL – Travis Glover, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Vienna, Ga.)
OL – Nick Kidwell, James Madison (RS Sr., OL – Knoxville, Md.)
OL – Logan Osburn, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Ona, W.Va.)
TE – Neal Johnson, Louisiana (Sr., TE – Mesquite, Texas)
WR – Jared Brown, Coastal Carolina (RS So., WR – Lilburn, Ga.)
WR – Sam Pinckney, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., WR – Greenwood, S.C.)
WR – Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern (5th Yr., WR – McDonough, Ga.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense 
DL – James Carpenter, James Madison (RS Jr., DL – Roanoke, Va.)
DL – Owen Porter, Marshall (RS Sr., DL – Huntington, W.Va.)
DL – TJ Jackson, Troy (Jr., DL – Millbrook, Ala.)
DL – Richard Jibunor, Troy (Sr., DL – Delta State, Nigeria)
LB – JT Killen, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., LB – Lake Wylie, S.C.)
LB – Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., LB – Beaver Falls, Pa.)
LB – Eli Neal, Marshall (Sr., LB – Memphis, Tenn.)
LB – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)
DB – Micah Abraham, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – Tampa, Fla.)
DB – Yam Banks, South Alabama (Jr., DB – Ridgeland, Miss.)
DB – Jay Stanley, Southern Miss (Sr., DB – Greenwood, Miss.)  
DB – Reddy Steward, Troy (Sr., DB – Decatur, Ala.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams 
K – Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State (So., K – Chandler, Ariz.)
P – Ryan Hanson, James Madison (RS Jr., P – Elgin, Texas)
RS – Milan Tucker, App State (RS Jr., RS – Lehigh Acres, Fla.)
AP – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., AP – Miami, Fla.)  

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense 
QB – Carter Bradley, South Alabama (Sr., QB – Jacksonville, Fla.)
RB – Rasheen Ali, Marshall (RS So., RB – Cleveland, Ohio)
RB – Kimani Vidal, Troy (Jr., RB – Marietta, Ga.)
OL – Damion Daley, App State (RS Sr., OL – Columbia, S.C.)
OL – Will McDonald, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., OL – Matthews, N.C.)
OL – AJ Gillie, Louisiana (RS Jr., OL – Natchitoches, La.)
OL – Ethan Driskell, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Louisville, Ky.)
OL – Daniel King, Troy (Jr., OL – Cairo, Ga.)
TE – Jjay Mcafee, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., TE – Charleston, S.C.)
WR – Tyrone Howell, ULM (6th Yr., WR – Idabel, Okla.)
WR – Caullin Lacy, South Alabama (Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.)
WR – Devin Voisin, South Alabama (Sr., WR – Crestview, Fla.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense 
DL – Javon Denis, Georgia State (RS Sr., DL – Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
DL – Wy’Kevious Thomas, South Alabama (RS Jr., DL – Riverdale, Ga.)
DL – Jalen Williams, Southern Miss (Sr., DL – Tylertown, Miss.)  
DL – Jordan Revels, Texas State (Sr., DL – Houston, Texas)
DL – Javon Solomon, Troy (Jr., DL – Tallahassee, Fla.)
LB – Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State (RS Sr., LB – Tampa, Fla.)
LB – Jordan Veneziale, Georgia State (Sr., LB – Dallas, Ga.)
LB – Taurus Jones, James Madison (RS Jr., LB – Portsmouth, Va.)
DB – Bryquice Brown, Georgia State (RS Sr., DB – Dorchester, Mass.)
DB – Keith Gallmon Jr., South Alabama (RS Sr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)
DB – Jaden Voisin, South Alabama (RS Jr., DB – Crestview, Fla.)
DB – Dell Pettus, Troy (Sr., DB – Harvest, Ala.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams 
K – Diego Guajardo, South Alabama (Sr., K – Spanish Fort, Ala.)
P – Ethan Duane, Old Dominion (Jr., P – Melbourne, Australia)
RS – Matthew McDoom, Coastal Carolina (So., RS – Winter Garden, Fla.)
AP – Kimani Vidal, Troy (Jr., AP – Marietta, Ga.)

2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
East Division 
1. James Madison – 78 Points (4)
2. App State – 75 Points (4)
3. Coastal Carolina – 71 Points (3)
4. Marshall – 68 Points (2)
5. Georgia Southern – 52 Points (1)
6. Georgia State – 31 Points
7. Old Dominion – 17 Points

West Division 
1. Troy – 92 Points (10)
2. South Alabama – 85 Points (4)
3. Louisiana – 64 Points
4. Southern Miss – 62 Points 
5. Texas State – 36 Points
6. Arkansas State – 33 Points
7. ULM – 20 Points