ASU earns Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year honors from Sun Belt

ASU junior quarterback Justice Hansen, left; and defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones
ASU junior quarterback Justice Hansen, left; and defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones

The Sun Belt Conference said Wednesday that Arkansas State University senior defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones is the conference's Player of the Year and redshirt junior quarterback Justice Hansen is its Offensive Player of the Year.

Rolland-Jones is the third player to win the Sun Belt's Player of the Year in consecutive seasons, and he is the first since ASU quarterback Ryan Aplin won the award in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Rolland-Jones finished the regular season ranked second in the nation with 1.18 sacks per game, and his 43.5 sacks are one shy of the all-time NCAA Football Subdivision career sack record held by Arizona State's Terrell Suggs. Rolland-Jones, who had at least one sack in each of the last eight games, is also seventh in the nation with 1.7 tackles for loss per game.

Hansen finished the regular season ranked sixth in the nation with 330 passing yards per game, and his 34 touchdown passes broke the Sun Belt's single-season record set by Florida Atlantic's Rusty Smith in 2007, when he passed for 32 touchdowns.

Hansen became ASU's starting quarterback last season after transferring from both Butler Community College (Kan.) and Oklahoma.

Rolland-Jones and Hansen were also both named to the All-Sun Belt First Team, along with senior tight end Blake Mack, redshirt junior offensive lineman Lanar Bonner and senior cornerback Blaise Taylor.

Four ASU players were named to the second team: senior wide receiver Chris Murray, junior defensive end Ronheen Bingham, senior linebacker Kyle Wilson and junior safety Justin Clifton.

Six ASU players were named to the third team: junior wide receiver Justin McInnis, senior offensive tackle Jaypee Philbert, senior defensive end Caleb Caston, redshirt sophomore kicker Sawyer Williams and redshirt sophomore punter Cody Grace. Blaise Taylor was also named to the third team as a return specialist.

The full list:

All-Sun Belt First Team Offense

Justice Hansen (Arkansas State, QB, Jr.)

Jalin Moore (Appalachian State, RB, Jr.)

Aaron Duckworth (Idaho, RB, Sr.)

Ike Lewis (Appalachian State, WR, Sr.)

Penny Hart (Georgia State, WR, RS-So.)

Jaleel Scott (New Mexico State, WR, RS-Sr.)

Blake Mack (Arkansas State, TE, Sr.)

Colby Gossett (Appalachian State, OL, Sr.)

Beau Nunn (Appalachian State, OL, Sr.)

Victor Johnson (Appalachian State, OL, So.)

Lanard Bonner (Arkansas State, OL, RS-Jr.)

Steven Rowzee (Troy, OL, Sr.)

All-Sun Belt First Team Defense

Tee Sims (Appalachian State, DL, Sr.)

Ja’Von Rolland-Jones (Arkansas State, DL, RS-Sr.)

Aikeem Coleman (Idaho, DL, Sr.)

Cedric Wilcots II (New Mexico State, DL, RS-So.)

Hunter Reese (Troy, DL, Jr.)

Eric Boggs (Appalachian State, LB, Sr.)

Tony Lashley (Idaho, LB, Jr.)

Dalton Herrington (New Mexico State, LB, Sr.)

Clifton Duck (Appalachian State, DB, So.)

Blaise Taylor (Arkansas State, DB, Sr.)

Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama, DB, Sr.)

Blace Brown (Troy, DB, Jr.)

All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams

Gavin Patterson (South Alabama, PK, Jr.)

Corliss Waitman (South Alabama, P, Jr.)

Marcus Green (ULM, Return Specialist, Jr.)

Marcus Green (ULM, All-Purpose, Jr.)

All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense

Taylor Lamb (Appalachian State, QB, Sr.)

Larry Rose III (New Mexico State, RB, Sr.)

Jordan Chunn (Troy, RB, Sr.)

Chris Murray (Arkansas State, WR, Sr.)

Jamarius Way (South Alabama, WR, Jr.)

Deondre Douglas (Troy, WR, Jr.)

Gabe Schrade (Texas State, TE, Sr.)

Noah Johnson (Idaho, OL, So.)

Kevin Dotson (Louisiana, OL, So.)

Noah Fisher (South Alabama, OL, Jr.)

Deontae Crumitie (Troy, OL, Jr.)

Tristan Crowder (Troy, OL, So.)

All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense

Ronheen Bingham (Arkansas State, DL, Jr.)

Logan Hunt (Georgia Southern, DL, Jr.)

Jamal Stadom (Troy, DL, Sr.)

Trevon Sanders (Troy, DL, Jr.)

Kyle Wilson (Arkansas State, LB, Sr.)

Shane Johnson (Coastal Carolina, LB, Sr.)

Kaden Elliss (Idaho, LB, Jr.)

Tron Folsom (Troy, LB, So.)

Tae Hayes (Appalachian State, DB, Jr.)

Justin Clifton (Arkansas State, DB, Jr.)

Monquavion Brinson (Georgia Southern, DB, So.)

Ron LaForce (New Mexico State, DB, Jr.)

All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams

Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern, PK, RS-So.)

Cade Coffey (Idaho, P, RS-Fr.)

Marcus Jones (Troy, Return Specialist, Fr.)

Marcus Jones (Troy, All-Purpose, Fr.)

All-Sun Belt Third Team Offense

Tyler Rogers (New Mexico State, QB, RS-Sr.)

Osharmar Abercrombie (Coastal Carolina, RB, Sr.)

Trey Ragas (Louisiana, RB, RS-Fr.)

Justin McInnis (Arkansas State, WR, Jr.)

Malcolm Williams (Coastal Carolina, WR, Jr.)

RJ Turner (ULM, WR, So.)

Chase Rogers (Louisiana, TE, Fr.)

Jaypee Philbert (Arkansas State, OL, Sr.)

Grant Horst (Louisiana, OL, Sr.)

Frank Sutton (ULM, OL, Sr.)

Aaron Brewer (Texas State, OL, So.)

Kirk Kelley (Troy, OL, So.)

All-Sun Belt Third Team Defense

Caleb Fuller (Appalachian State, DL, Sr.)

Caleb Caston (Arkansas State, DL, Sr.)

Marterious Allen (Georgia State, DL, Jr.)

Joe Dillon (Louisiana, DL, So.)

Devan Stringer (Appalachian State, LB, Sr.)

Michael Shaw (Georgia State, LB, RS-Jr.)

Frankie Griffin (Texas State, LB, Jr.)

A.J. Howard (Appalachian State, DB, Sr.)

Chandon Sullivan (Georgia State, DB, Sr.)

Tracy Walker (Louisiana, DB, Sr.)

Shamad Lomax (New Mexico State, DB, So.)

Cedarius Rookard (Troy, DB, Jr.)

All-Sun Belt Third Team Special Teams

Sawyer Williams (Arkansas State, PK, RS-So.)

Cody Grace (Arkansas State, P, RS-So.)

Blaise Taylor (Arkansas State, Return Specialist, Sr.)

Glenn Smith (Georgia State, All-Purpose, Sr.)

Player of the Year

Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State

Offensive Player of the Year

Justice Hansen, Arkansas State

Upcoming Events