MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year on Wednesday, and 10 Jaguars earned spots on the All-Sun Belt Conference football team.
Jones led South Alabama to a 6-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play in the Jaguars’ first season as a full Football Bowl Subdivision and Sun Belt member. South Alabama, which was picked to finish seventh of eight teams in the preseason coaches poll, won its final three games to become bowl eligible. Jones, who started the program, is 31-21 in five seasons.
All-Sun Belt Selections
Four Jaguars made the first team:
- Tight end Wes Saxton
- Offensive lineman Chris May
- Defensive end Alex Page
- Defensive lineman Romelle Jones
Four more were second-team picks:
- Quarterback Ross Metheny
- Wide receiver Shavarez Smith
- Offensive lineman Ucambre Williams
- Linebacker Enrique Williams
Placekicker Aleem Sunanon and running back Jay Jones received honorable mention.
Season Statistics
Saxton, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound junior from Hueytown, Ala., caught 50 passes, tied for the team lead, for 635 yards.
Page, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior from Prattville, Ala., made 51 tackles and led the team with 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Romelle Jones, a 6-foot-2, 270-pound senior from New Orleans, had 42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Metheny, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior, leads the Sun Belt in total offense. He passed for 2,622 yards and 15 touchdowns and ran for 604 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Smith, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior from McDonough, Ga., also caught 50 passes, gaining 940 yards with six touchdowns.
Enrique Williams, a 6-foot, 235-pound senior from Mobile, led the Jaguars with 105 tackles, 7.5 of them for loss.
Sunanon, a 5-foot-7, 185-pound redshirt freshman from Orlando, Fla., made 18 of 23 field goal attempts, closing the season with a school-record 12 straight makes. His 91 points led the team.
Jay Jones, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound junior from Horn Lake, Miss., led South Alabama with 737 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Conference Awards
Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. Hilltoppers linebacker Xavius Boyd was the Defensive Player of the Year, and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Elijah McGuire was named Freshman of the Year.
Arkansas State led the league with 12 first- or second-team selections. Louisiana-Lafayette and Troy each had nine, South Alabama had eight, Western Kentucky had seven and Louisiana-Monroe had six. Newcomers Georgia State and Texas State had two apiece.
