University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men’s Golf Trio Receives All-Sun Belt Honors; Moffitt Awarded Freshman of the Year
5/5/2026 3:00:00 PM | Men's Golf
HATTIESBURG, Miss.— Three Southern Miss men's golfers received All-Sun Belt awards announced on Tuesday afternoon by the league office.
"What an accomplishment for our program," said head coach Eddie Brescher. "To have three players named All-Conference in a season is an incredible achievement for our program. The beauty about golf is all three of these players play a completely different style. Javier has a diligent style of play, Ben is aggressive, and Jake a more laid-back type of game. When it's time to compete, all three of these guys rise to the challenge. I am so proud of them."
Jake Moffitt, of Ripley, Mississippi, earned the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year award and was voted to the All-Conference Second Team alongside junior Benjamin Fernandez. Matthew Javier, a Toronto native, was selected for the Third Team All-Conference. The last time the Golden Eagles had three golfers win All-Conference awards was in the 2022-23 season.
Moffitt was ranked No. 202 in the nation, winning the Ben Hogan award for November and December. The freshman made an immediate impact, helping the Golden Eagles win back-to-back tournaments: the JT Poston Invitational and the Badger Invitational. This marked the first time in program history since the 1979-80 season.
The Mississippi native recorded three top-five finishes and two top-10 finishes with a best score of 10-under at the Argent Financial Classic. His consistency resulted in a record of 707-158-31. Through the season, Moffitt posted an average of 70.4 through 30 rounds with 21 rounds of par or better to set a school record, which was previously held by Cameron Clarke at 71.47 stroke average through 36 rounds and tied Clarke's 21 rounds of par or better.
Coach Brescher continued, "Jake is an exception to the rule as a freshman. Although this is his first year in college golf, he is very mature and handles himself very well on the course."
Fernandez was ranked No. 198 in the nation, good for a record of 639-230-27, four top-three finishes and one top-10 finish. The junior was awarded Sun Belt honors for his performance at the Hal Williams Collegiate and the Dorado Beach Collegiate, where he placed in the top three in back-to-back events. The Paraguay native was a key driver in the team's historic season, with a top-10 finish at the JT Poston Invitational, holding a 4-under, and a top-three finish at the Badger Invitational with a 9-under.
Javier was ranked No. 305 in the nation with a scoring average of 71.4 through 30 total rounds. The sophomore recorded a record of 590-278-28 with one top-three finish, two top-five finishes and two top-10 finishes. The Toronto native helped write history, with a 5-under at the JT Poston Invitational to rank fourth and 4-under at the 2025 Badger Invitation to finish seventh. Javier recorded the lowest 18-hole score with an 8-under 64, one stroke shy of tying the program record at 63.
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