DALLAS—Jax State brought in a haul of Conference USA football honors when the league announced its postseason awards today.
 
The Gamecocks had seven First-Team All-Conference USA selections, two second-team selections, three honorable mention selections, and three all-freshman selections.
 
Leading the way was running back Cam Cook who was named the Conference Most Valuable Player and the league's Newcomer of the Year along with first-team honors. Cook is the FBS leader in rushing at 131.8 yards per game and all-purpose at 153.67 per game. The Round Rock, Texas native has 49 rushes of at least 10 yards this season which is the most of all FBS players. The junior rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown in every Conference USA game this season.
 
Joining Cook on the first team are two of his blockers in offensive linemen Bubba Grayson and Cameron Griffin along with redshirt junior defensive end Emmanuel Oyebadejo, redshirt junior defensive back Caleb Nix, redshirt sophomore kicker Garrison Rippa, and redshirt sophomore long snapper Cole Marszalek.
 
Grayson allowed just one sack all season and helped the Gamecocks lead Conference USA in rushing and in fewest sacks allowed. Griffin showed his versatility by starting games at center, guard, and tackle this season, and playing on both sides of the line.
 
Oyebadejo made 36 tackles, highlighted by 6.5 for loss which was second most on the roster. The redshirt junior from Manchester, England added six QB hurries, five pass breakups, and forced a pair of fumbles.
 
Nix was second in Conference USA with four interceptions, and recovered three fumbles and scored a pair of defensive touchdowns. The two-time conference player of the week from Phenix City was fourth on the roster in total tackles with 53.
 
Marszalek, a Goodyear, Ariz. native, ran a clean operation as the long snapper all season that made a Conference USA-best 20 field goals and allowed 8.9 yards per punt return.
 
Rippa connected on three game winning field goals in the final minute of regulation this year. The Locust Grove, Ga. native became the first Conference USA player since 2022 to make 20 field goals in a season, which included a pair of 52-yarders to tie the program record for longest field goal made.
 
Second-team honors went to defensive tackle Talan Carter and linebacker Walker O'Steen.
 
Carter had 48 tackles this season which was the most among Jax State defensive linemen. The sophomore from Ocean Springs, Miss. had 4.5 tackles for loss, two QB hurries, and a pass breakup.
 
O'Steen led the team in tackles with 69 with 5.5 for loss. The junior from White Plains also had five QB hurries, three interceptions, a sack, and forced a fumble.
 
Wide receiver Deondre Johnson, linebacker Mac Sanders, and defensive back Tre'Quon Fegans earned honorable mention honors.
 
Johnson made 20 catches for a team-best 564 yards and six touchdowns. Sanders led the team in tackles for loss with nine. Fegans had a team-best nine pass breakups and allowed just 12 receptions.
 
Jax State landed offensive linemen Lucas Mrachkovskiy and Lance Johnson along with Sanders on the All-Freshman team. Mrachkovskiy, a former walk-on, allowed just one sack in 793 snaps at center. Johnson made three starts at left tackle and allowed just two sacks in 301 snaps. Sanders finished second on the team in total tackles with 66.
 
The Gamecocks will host Kennesaw State tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the 2025 Air National Guard Conference USA Football Championship on CBS Sports Network.