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. 3. The Citadel running back Gavin Garcia was named the Offensive Player of the Week, ETSU linebacker Jarvis Johnson was named the Defensive Player of the Week and Mercer place kicker Simon Zeidan was also named the Special Teams Player of the Week. The awards are selected by the league office.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gavin Garcia, 5th, RB, The Citadel, Catawissa, Pa.
Garcia scored three touchdowns for The Citadel as the Bulldogs got a 34-31 road win over then-ranked No. 12/15 South Carolina State. The product of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, ran for a season-high 160 yards on 18 carries, which produced two scores, and had an eight-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter. The fifth-year transfer had his longest rush of the day came with two minutes left in the game when he scampered for 44 yards on 3rd-and-one, helping set up the game-winning field goal by Evan Kiely as time expired. Garcia currently leads the SoCon in rushing yards per game (103.2), which is eighth in the FCS.
Other nominees: Jason Albritton (ETSU), Zahmari Palode-Gary (Mercer), Gabe Nunez (Tennessee Tech), Josh Perry (Western Carolina), and Isaiah Scott (Wofford)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jarvis Johnson, R-So., LB, ETSU, Miami, Fla.
Johnson led the ETSU defense on Saturday as the Buccaneers downed Chattanooga, 14-3. The redshirt sophomore from Miami, Florida finished the game with 13 tackles, with two of those coming behind the line of scrimmage. Johnson’s 13 stops are the most by any Bucs defender in a game this season. The three points allowed by the Bucs on Saturday were the fewest by the team in a SoCon game since football returned and the fewest ETSU has allowed in a conference game since Sept. 16, 2000, against VMI.
Other nominees: Jalen Nelson (Samford), Kristian Ozane (Chattanooga), Andre Jackson Jr. (Western Carolina), and Logan McCloud (Wofford)
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Simon Zeidan, So., PK, Mercer, Kennesaw, Ga.
Zeidan went 4-for-4 on field goals and connected on all six PAT attempts in Mercer’s 54-3 road win over VMI. The native of Kennesaw, Georgia, finished with 18 points in the contest, breaking a school record for points by a kicker. The sophomore’s field goals came from 39, 36, 38 and 23 yards out. Zeidan also averaged 63.7 yards on 11 kickoffs, including eight that resulted in touchbacks.
Other nominees: Evan Kiely (The Citadel), Luke Stewart (ETSU), Carter Brown (Tennessee Tech), Bryan McCollum (Western Carolina), and Connor Deviney (Wofford)
2026 SoCon Football Players of the Week
Offensive
Aug. 31 Lex Thomas, Jr., QB, Western Carolina
Sept. 7 Gavin Garcia, Gr., RB, The Citadel
Sept. 14 Tre’ Holloway, Gr., WR/RS, Tennessee Tech
Sept. 21 Joshua Perry, So., RB, Western Carolina
Sept. 28 Jax Leatherwood, Sr., QB, Tennessee Tech
Oct. 5 Gavin Garcia, 5th, RB, The Citadel
Defensive
Aug. 31 Cameron Goggins, Sr., CB, Mercer
Sept. 7 Omari Philyaw, Sr., DB, Tennessee Tech
Sept. 14 Caleb Easterling, So., CB, Furman
Sept. 21 Mike Jenkins Jr., Sr., S, ETSU
Sept. 28 Lashon Young, Jr., S, Samford
Oct. 5 Jarvis Johnson, R-So., LB, ETSU
Special teams
Aug. 31 Davis Penn, Fr., RB, Wofford
Sept. 7 Cillian Bonner, So., P, Wofford
Sept. 14 Tre’ Holloway, Gr., WR/RS, Tennessee Tech
Sept. 21 Bryan McCollum, So., PK, Western Carolina
Sept. 28 Ewan Johnson, R-Sr., PK, ETSU
Oct. 5 Simon Zeidan, So., PK, Mercer