Four Players Named to HERO Sports Preseason Group of Five All-American Teams

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Four Southern Miss football players have earned a spot on the HERO Sports Preseason Group of Five All-American Teams released Wednesday morning.
Golden Eagle defensive back Josh Moten (Waldorf, Md.) garnered a first-team nod, while quarterback Braylon Braxton (Frisco, Texas), defensive lineman Brodarius Lewis (Prattville, Ala.) and return specialist Ian Foster (Brundidge, Ala.) earned second team honors.

Moten, who earned a spot on the Chuck Bednarik Watch List, collected HERO G5 honorable mention All-American following last season as he also was a Sun Belt Conference honorable mention pick. He started all 12 games he played and finished with five interceptions on the season, which tied for 3rd in FBS and tops in the Sun Belt. Moten secured an interception in four of the final five games in which he saw action in the 2024 season, including a diving interception against Louisiana in the Herd's 31-3 win over the Ragin' Cajuns in the 2024 SBC Championship.

Braxton has been named to four preseason national watch lists including the Davey O'Brien Award, the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Wuerffel Trophy and the Maxwell Award. The Marshall transfer was named the Sun Belt Conference's preseason Offensive Player of the Year after being named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year played in 11 games and started in eight for the Thundering Herd, helping lead them to the 2024 SBC championship. His play in the SBC title game earned him Most Valuable Player honors. He went 8-0 as a starter, throwing for 1,624 yards on 124-of-206 throws with 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions as he averaged 147.6 yards per game passing. Braxton also ranked second on the team in rushing with 610 yards on 134 carries with four touchdown runs and averaged 55.5 rushing yards per contest.

Lewis played in all 12 games for the Golden Eagles with 10 starts last season, earning Sun Belt honorable mention honors. He led the Southern Miss defensive line with 39 tackles, including 19 solos, which also included eight for a loss of 24 yards and four sacks for 16 yards. Both his TFL and sack totals were tops on the team. Lewis recorded at least one tackle in every game and posted a season-best seven versus South Alabama (11/23) which also included season-highs of two sacks and 2.5 TFLs.

Foster appeared in 13 games as a reserve defensive back and return specialist at Marshall in 2024. He made All-SBC First Team honors as a return man after leading the FBS in return average among qualifying players (32.4). Foster finished with 16 kick returns for 518 yards and led the FBS in 50-plus-yard kickoff returns (3) and 40-plus-yard kickoff returns (5). Also finished the season with 48 tackles, including 5.0 tackles for loss with a fumble recovery and four pass breakups.

All four individuals collected first-team All-Sun Belt preseason honors.

Tickets are still available for the seven-game Golden Eagle home schedule. Fans can purchase tickets by going online at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.

Here is a list of the three teams below:

First Team Offense
QB Maddux Madsen, Boise State
QB Blake Horvath, Navy
RB Al-Jay Henderson, Buffalo
RB George Pettaway, James Madison
WR Junior Vandeross III, Toledo
WR Corey Rucker, Arkansas State
WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
TE Matt Lauter, Boise State
TE Houston Thomas, UTSA
OL Kage Casey, Boise State
OL Brady Small, Army
OL Pat McMurtrie, James Madison
OL Paolo Gennarelli, Army
OL Chris Adams, Memphis
AP Jai'Den Thomas, UNLV

First Team Defense
DL Trey White, San Diego State
DL Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Boise State
DL Mo Westmoreland, Tulane
DL Kobe Stewart, Buffalo
DL Nasir Washington, Miami (Ohio)
LB Red Murdock, Buffalo
LB Jordan Pollard, San Jose State
LB Marco Notarainni, Boise State
LB Kolbe Fields, Louisiana Tech
LB Shay Taylor, Charlotte
DB Josh Moten, Southern Miss
DB Tyree Skipper, Louisiana
DB Jacob Thomas, James Madison
DB Al'zillion Hamilton, Fresno State
DB Avery Smith, Toledo

First Team Special Teams
K Jonah Delange, UAB
P Luke Freer, Air Force
RS Quinton Jackson, Rice

Second Team Offense
QB Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss
QB Owen McCown, UTSA
RB Kentrel Bullock, South Alabama
RB Cam Edwards, UConn
WR Skyler Bell, UConn
WR Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii
WR Nick Cenacle, Hawaii
TE Blake Bosma, Western Michigan
TE John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
OL Aaron Fenimore, Liberty
OL Derrick Graham, Tulane
OL Shadre Hurst, Tulane
OL Caden Barnett, Wyoming
OL Ben Purvis, Navy
AP Eli Heidenreich, Navy

Second Team Defense
DL William Whitlow Jr., Memphis
DL Santana Hopper, Tulane
DL Tyce Westland, Wyoming
DL Brodarius Lewis, Southern Miss
DL Bryan Whitehead, Arkansas State
LB Jalen Stewart, Temple
LB Jordan Kwiatkowski, Central Michigan
LB Tyler Martinez, New Mexico State
LB Marsel McDuffie, UNLV
LB Jhalyn Shuler, USF
DB A'Marion McCoy, Boise State
DB Justin Weaver, Army
DB Silas Walters, Miami (Ohio)
DB Tank Pearson, Ohio
DB Brian Blades II, FIU

Second Team Special Teams
K Dom Dzioban, Miami (Ohio)
P John Henderson, Bowling Green
RS Ian Foster, Southern Miss

Third Team Offense
QB Keyone Jenkins, FIU
QB Parker Navarro, Ohio
RB Bill Davis, Louisiana
RB Robert Henry Jr., UTSA
WR Easton Messer, Florida Atlantic
WR Anthony Smith, East Carolina
WR Victor Snow, Buffalo
TE Patrick Overmyer, UTSA
TE Jacob Jenkins, Liberty
OL Aaron Karas, Colorado State
OL Marshall Jackson, Western Kentucky
OL Tyler Doty, Buffalo
OL Jack Walsh, Wyoming
OL Jalen Slappy, Marshall
AP Ja'Quez Cross, Arkansas State

Third Team Defense
DL Roy Williams, Northern Illinois
DL Payton Zdroik, Air Force
DL Immanuel Bush, James Madison
DL Kris Trinidad, Old Dominion
DL Briceon Hayes, North Texas
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
LB Sam Howard, Tulane
LB Andon Thomas, Army
LB Mac Harris, USF
LB Kalib Fortner, Army
DB Solomon Brown, Buffalo
DB Ty Benefield, Boise State
DB Devin Lafayette, Troy
DB JeRico Washington Jr., Kennesaw State
DB Jaydan Mayes, Army

Third Team Special Teams
K Gabriel Plascencia, San Diego State
P Ryan Millmore, Western Michigan
RS Henry Rutledge, Charlotte

Four Players Named to HERO Sports Preseason Group of Five All-American Teams

Players Mentioned

Braylon Braxton

Ian Foster

Brodarius Lewis

Josh Moten

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