After leading the Cajuns to a program-best ten wins in the 2019 season, Louisiana Ragin Cajuns head coach Billy Napier was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year on Wednesday.
His squad went 7-1 in Sun Belt play, the most conference wins in school history. Napier’s Cajuns roll into the title game for the second straight season, taking on Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina with kickoff at 11 am. Louisiana also finished the regular season among the FBS leaders on both sides of the ball – eighth in total offense (500.3), 12th in scoring offense (38.8) and 11th scoring defense (17.8).
The Cajuns also racked up all-conference honors with three being named to the first-team All-Sun Belt, five on the second-team, and four on the third-team.
Below is the full list of All-Sun Belt teams and individual awards.
All-Sun Belt First Team
Offense
Kaleb Barker, Troy (Sr., QB, Decatur, Ala.)
Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State (Jr., RB, Oak Hill, Fla.)
Tra Barnett, Georgia State (Sr., RB, Elberton, Ga.)
Omar Bayless, Arkansas State (RSr., WR, Laurel, Miss.)
Kirk Merritt, Arkansas State (Sr., WR, Destrehan, La.)
Kaylon Geiger, Troy (Jr., WR, Fort Worth, Texas)
Josh Pederson, ULM (Jr., TE, Morristown, N.J.)
Noah Hannon, Appalachian State (Jr., OL, Greer, S.C.)
Victor Johnson, Appalachian State (Sr., OL, North Augusta, S.C.)
Hunter Atkinson, Georgia State (Sr., OL, Flowery Branch, Ga.)
Kevin Dotson, Louisiana (Sr., OL, Plaquemine, La.)
Robert Hunt, Louisiana (Sr., OL, Burkeville, Texas)
Defense
Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State (Jr., DL, Miami, Fla.)
William Bradley-King, Arkansas State (Jr., DL, Kansas City, Mo.)
Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DL, Aiken, S.C.)
Raymond Johnson III, Georgia Southern (Jr., DL, Sumter, S.C.)
Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State (Sr., LB, Thomasville, N.C.)
Bryan London II, Texas State (Sr., LB, Converse, Texas)
Carlton Martial, Troy (So., LB, Mobile, Ala.)
Shaun Jolly, Appalachian State (So., DB, Stone Mountain, Ga.)
Darreon Jackson, Arkansas State (Sr., DB, Derby, Kan.)
Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern (Sr., DB, College Park, Ga.)
Corey Straughter, ULM (Jr., DB, Monroe, La.)
Will Sunderland, Troy (Sr., DB, Midwest City, Okla.)
Special Teams
Blake Grupe, Arkansas State (So., PK, Sedalia, Mo.)
Cody Grace, Arkansas State (Sr., P, Perth, Western Australia)
Raymond Calais, Louisiana (Sr., RS, Breaux Bridge, La.)
Tra Minter, South Alabama (Sr., AP, Ellaville, Ga.)
All-Sun Belt Second Team
Offense
Dan Ellington, Georgia State (Sr., QB, Olive Branch, Miss.)
Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana (Jr., RB, Erath, La.)
Josh Johnson, ULM (Jr., RB, Opelika, Ala.)
Thomas Hennigan, Appalachian State (Jr., WR, Greensboro, N.C.)
Corey Sutton, Appalachian State (Jr., WR, Cornelius, N.C.)
Ja’Marcus Bradley, Louisiana (Sr., WR, Ackerman, Miss.)
Aubry Payne, Georgia State (Jr., TE, Locust Grove, Ga.)
Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State (Fr., OL, Glen St. Mary, Fla.)
Baer Hunter, Appalachian State (Jr., OL, Clemmons, N.C.)
Bobby Reynolds, ULM (Sr., OL, Keller, Texas)
Aaron Brewer, Texas State (Sr., OT, Dallas, Texas)
J.l. Gaston, Troy (Sr., OL, Monroeville, Ala.)
Defense
Kevin Thurmon, Arkansas State (Sr., DL, Chicago, Ill.)
Zi’Yon Hill, Louisiana (So., DL, New Iberia, La.)
Jeffery Whatley, South Alabama (Sr., DL, Midland City, Ala.)
Will Choloh, Troy (So., DL, Lawrenceville, Ga.)
Jordan Fehr, Appalachian State (Sr., LB, Charlotte, N.C.)
Rashad Byrd, Georgia Southern (Jr., LB, North Augusta, S.C.)
Joe Dillon, Louisiana (Jr., LB, Tylertown, Miss.)
Cortez Sisco, ULM (Sr., LB, Memphis, Tenn.)
Josh Thomas, Appalachian State (Sr., DB, Montgomery, Ala.)
B.J. Edmonds, Arkansas State (Sr., DB, Mobile, Ala.)
Chandler Kryst, Coastal Carolina (Sr., DB, Tega Cay, S.C.)
Michael Jacquet III, Louisiana (Sr., DB, Beaumont, Texas)
Special Teams
Tyler Bass, Georgia Southern (Sr., PK, Irmo, S.C.)
Rhys Byrns, Louisiana (So., P, Melbourne, Australia)
Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State (Jr., AP, Oak Hill, Fla.)
Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State (Jr., RS, Oak Hill, Fla.)
All-Sun Belt Third Team
Offense
Zac Thomas, Appalachian State (RJr., QB, Trussville, Ala.)
Raymond Calais, Louisiana (Sr., RB, Breaux Bridge, La.)
Trey Ragas, Louisiana (Jr., RB, New Orleans, La.)
Jonathan Adams, Arkansas State (Jr., WR, Jonesboro, Ark.)
Cornelius McCoy, Georgia State (So., WR, Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Reggie Todd, Troy (Jr., WR, Mobile, Ala.)
Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina (So., TE, Maiden, Mass.)
Jarrett Horst, Arkansas State (So., OL, Middleton, Wis.)
Jacob Still, Arkansas State (Jr., OL, Collierville, Tenn.)
Trey Carter, Coastal Carolina (Jr., OL, Monroeville, Ala.)
Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State (Jr., OL, Riverdale, Ga.)
Kirk Kelley, Troy (Sr., OL, Marrero, La.)
Defense
E.J. Scott, Appalachian State (Sr., DL, Farmville, N.C.)
C.J. Brewer, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DL, Bowdon, Ga.)
Sterling Johnson, Coastal Carolina (Sr., DL, Clayton, N.C.)
Donald Louis, ULM (Sr., DL, Monroe, La.)
Marcus Webb, Troy (Sr., DL, Decatur, Ala.)
Tajhea Chambers, Arkansas State (Jr., LB, Gordon, Ga.)
Teddy Gallagher, Coastal Carolina (Jr., LB, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Nikolas Daniels, Texas State (Sr., LB, League City, Texas)
Desmond Franklin, Appalachian State (Sr., DB, Inverness, Fla.)
Monquavion Brinson, Georgia Southern (Sr., DB, Atlanta, Ga.)
Kenderick Duncan Jr., Georgia Southern (So., DB, Stockbridge, Ga.)
Travis Reed, South Alabama (Sr., DB, Meridian, Miss.)
Special Teams
Stevie Artigue, Louisiana (Sr., PK, Lafayette, La.)
Tyler Sumpter, Troy (Jr., P, Hoover, Ala.)
Reggie Todd, Troy (Jr., RS, Mobile, Ala.)
Raymond Calais, Louisiana (Sr., AP, Breaux Bridge, La.)
All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention
Noel Cook, Appalachian State (Sr., LB, Reidsville, N.C.)
Ryan Neuzil, Appalachian State (Jr., OL, Bradenton, Fla.)
Marcus Williams Jr., Appalachian State (Jr., RB, Rocky Mount, N.C.)
Malik Williams, Appalachian State (Jr., WR, Chester, S.C.)
Caleb Bonner, Arkansas State (Jr., LB, Reform, Ala.)
Andre Harris Jr., Arkansas State (So., OL, Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Marcel Murray, Arkansas State (So., RB, Hiram, Ga.)
Ivory Scott, Arkansas State (Jr., OL, Kenner, La.)
Shadell Bell, Coastal Carolina (RSr., TE, Decatur, Ga.)
Jaivon Heiligh, Coastal Carolina (So., WR, Venice, Fla.)
Ethan Howard, Coastal Carolina (RSr., OL, Brookwood, Ala.)
CJ Marable, Coastal Carolina (Jr., RB, Decatur, Ga.)
Shai Werts, Georgia Southern (RJr., QB, Clinton, S.C.)
Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern (Jr., RB, Savannah, Ga.)
J.D. King, Georgia Southern (Jr., RB, Fitzgerald, Ga.)
Reynard Ellis, Georgia Southern (RSo., LB, Birmingham, Ala.)
Roger Carter, Georgia State (Jr., TE, Columbia, S.C.)
Malik Sumter, Georgia State (RSo., C, Irmo, S.C.)
Hardrick Willis, Georgia State (RSo., DE, Jonesboro, Ga.)
Dontae Wilson, Georgia State (Jr., NG, Jefferson, Ga.)
Jacques Boudreaux, Louisiana (Sr., LB, New Orleans, La.)
Jarrod Jackson, Louisiana (RSr., WR, Reserve, La.)
Chauncey Manac, Louisiana (RJr., LB, Homerville, Ga.)
Nick Ralston, Louisiana (Gr., TE, Argyle, Texas)
Caleb Evans, ULM (Sr., QB, Mansfield, Texas)
Markis McCray, ULM (RSr., WR, Euless, Texas)
Larance Shaw, ULM (Sr., DL, Fort Worth, Texas)
Eastwood Thomas, ULM (RSr., OL, Jackson, Ala.)
Kawaan Baker, South Alabama (Jr., WR, Atlanta, Ga.)
Sean Brown, South Alabama (Sr., DL, Pleasant Grove, Ala.)
Riley Cole, South Alabama (Jr., LB, Oneonta, Ala.)
Jacob Shoemaker, South Alabama (Jr., OL, Gulfport, Miss.)
Jarron Morris, Texas State (So., CB, Orange, Texas)
Caeveon Patton, Texas State (Jr., DT, Cuero, Texas)
Hutch White, Texas State (Sr., WR, Kerrville, Texas)
Khambrail Winters, Texas State (Fr., CB, Houston, Texas)
Dylan Bradshaw, Troy (Jr., OL, Enterprise, Ala.)
Khalil McClain, Troy (Jr., WR, Fairburn, Ga.)
Dell Pettus, Troy (Fr., DB, Harvest, Ala.)
Austin Stidham, Troy (RSo., OL, Russellville, Ala.)
Player of the Year
Omar Bayless, Arkansas State (RSr., WR, Laurel, Miss.)
Offensive Player of the Year
Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State (Jr., RB, Oak Hill, Fla.)
Defensive Player of the Year
Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State (Sr., LB, Thomasville, N.C.)
Freshman of the Year
Layne Hatcher, Arkansas State (RFr., QB, Little Rock, Ark.)
Newcomer of the Year
Kaylon Geiger, Troy (Jr., WR, Fort Worth, Texas)
Coach of the Year
Billy Napier, Louisiana