Marshall University Athletics
Herd’s Green, Braxton Earn Top Honors Among All-SBC Superlatives
12/5/2024 11:00:00 AM | Football
Marshall’s Osburn, Green, Yates, Roberts, Foster named All-SBC 1st Team
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall defensive lineman Mike Green was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Herd quarterback Braylon Braxton was named as the league's Newcomer of the Year.
The announcement was made by the Sun Belt Conference office on Thursday morning.
"I couldn't be more excited for Mike and Braylon!" Marshall Football head coach Charles Huff said. "Those are two guys who have been elite leaders and elite men in our program. They have done everything we've asked them to and with team success, they have gotten their individual accolades. They are two phenomenal players getting the recognition they've earned."
Green is making Marshall and Sun Belt history during the 2024 season, tying the Sun Belt record of 16.0 sacks set last year by Troy's Javon Solomon.
Currently, Green leads all FBS players in three major statistical categories while ranking in the top-3 in FBS in two others: tackles for loss (21.0, 1st in FBS), sack yardage (139, No. 1 in FBS), TFL yardage (150, No. 1 in FBS), sacks (16.0, No. 2 in FBS) and tackles by a defensive lineman (79, No. 3 in FBS).
Green is also one sack away from the Marshall record of 17.0, set by Cecil Fletcher.
Braxton earned the Newcomer of the Year honors after leading Marshall to a Sun Belt East championship, using efficiency and a balanced attack to propel Marshall to the front.
Braxton is currently 7-0 for Marshall as a starter in 2024 and has been at his best in the final weeks of the season, leading Marshall to turnover-free efforts in the final three wins of the regular season, which included road wins over Old Dominion (42-35) and a double-overtime comeback win at James Madison (35-33).
Twice this season, Braxton was named as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week for his play and he had a pair of 140-yard rushing efforts to go with his stellar play in leading the Herd passing attack.
Braxton has thrown for 1,431 yards with 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions, serving as the only quarterback in FBS to have an 8:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also has added 544 yards and four scores on the ground.
Green and Braxton's honors were part of a release in which Marshall had 13 players named as All-SBC honorees following their run to the SBC East Division title.
Of those 13 players, five were named as All-SBC First Team selections. In addition to Green, first-team nominees included offensive lineman Logan Osburn, linebacker Jaden Yates, safety J.J. Roberts and return specialist Ian Foster.
"All of our players have put in a tremendous amount of work and to see them get the recognition for their hard work in the dark is gratifying as their coach!" Huff said. "I couldn't be more proud and excited for those guys and their families."
Osburn has led the Herd for several seasons, having started 45 games in his Marshall career, including 38 straight. This season, the Cabell Midland product has led a Marshall offensive line that ranks in the top-20 in FBS in rushing at 200.4 yards per game, while also allowing just 16 sacks in 12 games.
Yates earned the first-team nomination in his first season as a starter after emerging as the Sun Belt Conference's leader in tackles with 114 on the season. Yates has started all 12 games this season and has added 7.0 tackles for loss, a sack and two fumble recoveries.
Roberts leads the Sun Belt and is ranked in the top-10 in FBS in passes defended and is No. 2 in FBS in pass breakups with 14. In addition to that, Roberts is No. 2 on the Herd's team in tackles with 91 and has 5.0 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a blocked kick that was returned for a touchdown.
Roberts also had the unique distinction of being named as SBC Defensive Player of the Week and SBC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2024.
Speaking of special teams, it got no more special than Herd freshman kick returner/safety Ian Foster, who averages 33.4 yards per kick return, which leads all FBS. Foster also leads all kick returners in FBS in 40-yard returns (5) and 50-yard returns (3). Foster also added 46 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss as a safety.
Braxton was named as the All-SBC Second Team quarterback, joining running back A.J. Turner as the Herd's two selections on the All-SBC Second Team Offense.
Turner currently has 864 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns while also catching eight passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns for the Herd. Despite being limited late in the season due to injury, Turner is still ranked sixth in the SBC in rushing and is one of only two players in FBS to record multiple 80-yard runs this season.
The Herd also boasted of a pair of All-SBC Third Team Defense selections in defensive lineman Deeve Harris (51 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 1 FF) and defensive back Jacobie Henderson (46 tackles, 2 INTs, 10 PBUs).
Marshall's All-SBC Honorable Mention selections included wide receiver Christian Fitzpatrick (32 receptions, 569 yards, 6 TDs), tight end Toby Payne (16 rec., 163 yards, 6 TDs), offensive lineman Jeremy Jones (started all 12 games at RT) and defensive back Josh Moten (37 tackles, 4 INTs, 4 PBUs).
Marshall travels to Cajun Field in Lafayette, La., this weekend to take on Louisiana in the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Championship Game. That game will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET and be shown on ESPN.
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