NEW ORLEANS – James Madison redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year to headline the 2023 Sun Belt football postseason awards and All-Sun Belt teams announced Thursday. The honors were voted upon by the conference’s 14 head coaches and select media representatives.
Troy junior running back Kimani Vidal was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while James Madison senior defensive lineman Jalen Green was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. App State junior quarterback Joey Aguilar was picked as the Newcomer of the Year, Arkansas State freshman quarterback Jaylen Raynor was dubbed the Freshman of the Year and James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti was honored as the Coach of the Year.
McCloud paced the Sun Belt in points responsible for (20.2, 5th in the nation), yards of total offense per game (310.3, 10th in the nation), passing efficiency (167.4, 10th in the nation) and completion percentage (.689, 11th in the nation). The Tampa, Fla., native threw for 3,400 yards and 32 touchdowns—ranking second in the conference and among the Top 15 in the country in both categories. The redshirt senior quarterback led the Dukes to a 10-0 start and an 11-1 overall record, earning the first bowl berth in program history.
Vidal ranked second in the Sun Belt and seventh in the nation with 1,349 rushing yards and added nine rushing touchdowns on the year. The Marietta, Ga., product became Troy’s single-game, single-season and career rushing yards leader during the 2023 campaign—while matching the Troy single-season record with six 100-yard outings. The junior running back led the Trojans to a 10-2 record and the Sun Belt West Division title, earning the right to host the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game for the second-straight…
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