SoCon names football players of the week

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On Monday, the Southern Conference Football Players of the Week presented by Southern Recognition were awarded for all games played on Oct. 4. Western Carolina Taron Dickens was named the Offensive Player of the Week, Furman defensive back Jordan Miller was named the Defensive Player of the Week and VMI kicker/punter Ben Shrewsbury was named the Special Teams Player of the Week. The awards are selected by the league office.
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Taron Dickens, R-So., QB, Western Carolina, Miami, Fla.

Dickens, who also won the honor on Sept. 22, set an NCAA passing record in Western Carolina’s 23-21 road win at Wofford on Saturday. The native of Miami, Florida, threw for 378 yards, completing 53-of-56 passes, including connecting on his first 46 attempts, and three touchdowns. Dickens also ran for 44 yards in the contest. The 46 straight completions to begin the game established a new NCAA record for consecutive pass completions in a game at all levels of competition – NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III. The previous record was 28, set in 2013 by Princeton’s Quinn Epperly. Dickens’ 53 completions also set the school record for completions in a game, breaking Troy Mitchell’s mark of 46, which was set in 2014 at USF. Dickens was named the Stats Perform FCS National Player of the Week on Monday. On Saturday, he was featured on a segment on ESPN’s SportsCenter and College Football Final, receiving a helmet sticker for his play against the Terriers.

Other nominees: Devontae Houston (ETSU), Trey Hedden (Furman), Braden Atkinson (Mercer), Samuel Pickett III (Samford), Justus Durant (Chattanooga), and Noah Grevious (VMI) 

 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jordan Miller, R-Fr., DB, Furman, Conyers, Ga.

Miller had four tackles, two pass breakups and the game-sealing interception, which he returned for a touchdown, in Furman’s 31-22 win over ETSU. The redshirt freshman made his most impactful plays of the day on the final drive of the game, beginning with a pass breakup in the final minute to save a potential game-winning touchdown by the Bucs. The product of Conyers, Georgia, finished the game by intercepting a pass at the Furman 5-yard line and returning it for a score on the game’s final play. Miller’s score was the third-longest pick-6 in Furman history and punctuated a 15-point comeback win, giving the Paladins their fifth-biggest comeback win since 1973. On Monday, Furman received votes in the AFCA and Stats Perform polls.

Other nominees: Mike Jenkins, Jr. (ETSU), Drew Clare (Mercer), Lashon Young (Samford), Kamari Todd (Chattanooga), Stephen Dean III (VMI), Jordan Thompson (Western Carolina), and Wyatt Ward (Wofford)
 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ben Shrewsbury, Jr., K/P, VMI, Jonesborough, Tenn.
Shrewsbury had the best game of his Keydet career on Saturday against Chattanooga, a 21-14 win for the Mocs. The junior from Jonesborough, Tennessee, made a pair of field goals and launched all four of his punts over 50 yards. Two of the punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, including a second quarter boot that went out of bounds at the one-yard line. Shrewsbury leads the SoCon in punt average at 47.1 yards per kick, which is ranked sixth in the nation.

Other nominees: Cole Keller (ETSU), Reice Griffith (Mercer), Jake Garner (Samford), Marcus Trout (Western Carolina), and Isaiah Scott (Wofford)

 
2025 SoCon Football Players of the Week
Offensive
Sept. 1             Devontae Houston, Gr., RB, ETSU
Sept. 8             Javonte Graves-Billips, Gr., WR, The Citadel
Sept. 15            Trey Hedden, So., QB, Furman
Sept. 22            Taron Dickens, R-So., QB, Western Carolina 
Sept. 29            CJ Miller, R-Jr., RB, Mercer 

Oct. 6               Taron Dickens, R-So., QB, Western Carolina 

Defensive
Sept. 1             Taylen Blaylock, Gr., DB, Furman

Sept. 8             CJ Coombes, So., DB, Wofford
Sept. 15            Joshua Stoneking, R-So., DE, Furman

Sept. 22            Julian Fox, R-So., LB, Mercer

Sept. 29            Joshua Stoneking, R-So., DE, Furman

Oct. 6               Jordan Miller, R-Fr., DB, Furman

 
Special teams
Sept. 1             Ian Williams, Gr., PK, Furman

Sept. 8             Bradlee Jones, Jr., DB, The Citadel

Sept. 15            AJ Little, R-So., WR, Chattanooga

Sept. 22            Reice Griffith, Jr., PK, Mercer

Sept. 29            Reice Griffith, Jr., PK, Mercer

Oct. 6               Ben Shrewsbury, Jr., K/P, VMI