🏈 Recognizing excellence across all 33 college football programs in the Old North State
At NC Football News, our mission is to spotlight and celebrate football greatness at every level in North Carolina. In 2025, we’re bringing that mission to life with statewide player awards, honoring the top offensive, defensive and special teams performers from all 33 of the state’s college programs — spanning FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NJCAA.
Each week of the season, we’ll name an Offensive Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week, leading up to our year-end honors in late December/early January.
📌 Bookmark this North Carolina College Football Awards Hub page and check back all season for weekly award winners, updated watch lists, fan voting and our year-end NC College Football Player of the Year announcements.
🏆 Weekly Winners | North Carolina College Football Awards
🔥 Offensive Player of the Week
Week 1: Gardner-Webb QB Nate Hampton accounts for 6 TDs in wild comeback win over Western Carolina.
Week 2: JCSU QB Kelvin Durham pilots Golden Bulls to monumental win over Valdosta State.
Week 3: Elon QB Landen Clark leads electrifying win over Western Carolina in Cullowhee.
Week 4: WCU quarterback Taron Dickens explodes for 582 passing yards, 6 TDs in shootout vs. Samford
Week 5: Duke RB Nate Sheppard earns national and ACC honors after averaging more than 11 yards per carry at Syracuse.
Week 6: Western Carolina QB Taron Dickens shatters NCAA passing record with 46 consecutive completions against Wofford
Week 7: Barton RB Jackson Parrish makes Conference Carolinas history
Week 8: Barton running back Jackson Parrish repeats as Player of the Week after another 200+ yard rushing performance.
Week 9: Gardner-Webb’s Carson Gresock makes 4 trips to the end zone in 48-20 win over Lindenwood.
Week 10: They call him “Duke” but he plays for NC State. Freshman RB Jaylen “Duke” Scott rushes for 196 yards in his first start, helping power a Top-10 upset.
Week 11: WCU’s Taron Dickens twirls another masterful game, throwing for more than 500 yards and 7 TDs against Mercer.
💪 Defensive Player of the Week
Week 1: North Carolina A&T LB Joshua Iseah wracks up 10 tackles, 3 TFLs and an interception.
Week 2: Duke defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. sacks Illinois three times in first half.
Week 3: NC State’s Isaiah Shirley sparked a Wolfpack rally at Wake Forest with a 41-yard “thick six” interception return for a TD.
Week 4: Guilford linebacker Nick Iannone shatters school tackles record with 24
Week 5: Winston-Salem State LB Jamieson Alston records a season-high 6 TFLs to lead the Rams past Bowie State
Week 6: Catawba’s Evan Simons and Guilford’s Travis Burton share honors this week after a pair of monster performances
Week 7: Western Carolina DB Ken Moore Jr. picks off two passes in rout of Furman
Week 8: Elon’s Khamari Brown racks up 13 tackles, three sacks, 3.5 TFLs in monster game vs. William & Mary.
Week 9: Livingstone’s Kenyon Garner adds to national lead in tackles-for-loss and quarterback sacks.
Week 10: He’s at it again – Livingstone’s Kenyon Garner earns top defensive honor for the second week in a row.
Week 11: Wingate’s Elihu Lipscomb returns two fumbles for touchdowns in romp of Tusculum.
⚡ Special Teams Player of the Week
Week 1: Wingate kicker Caleb Bonesteel kicks three FGs of 40+ yards and 3 PATs to lift Bulldogs past UNCP.
Week 2: Elon placekicker Luke Barnes stays busy in win over Davidson — two FGs and 7 PATs.
Week 3: Elon punter Jeff Yurk and NC A&T kicker Andrew Brown share honors after clutch performances.
Week 4: Fayetteville State placekicker John Hernandez-Vargas earns 15 kicker points with big game in Down East Viking Classic
Week 5: Johnson C. Smith kicker Lukasz Smolen, from London, England, hits 9 PATs and helps control field position against Bluefield State
Week 6: Gardner-Webb’s Charlie Viorel scores 12 points, kicks game-winner vs. Charleston Southern
Week 7: North Carolina A&T’s Andrew Brown breaks school record with 55-yard field goal
Week 8: Johnson C. Smith’s Lukasz Smolen does it all in the kicking game against Shaw.
Week 9: North Carolina A&T’s Elijah Kennedy earns national accolades for multiple kick-return touchdowns against Campbell.
Week 10: Duke’s Samir Hagans returns kickoff 100 yards for a score and catches game-winning 2-point conversion in Devils’ first win at Clemson since 1980.
Week 11: Mars Hill kicker Lon Teachey accounts for 16 points and ties school record with 52-yard FG.
💥 Team of the Week
Each week we’ll spotlight one North Carolina college football program that stood above the rest — whether it’s a dominant win, a huge upset or a program-defining performance. We call it “One Team To Rule Them All! This Week.” How many times will your team make this list.
Week 0: North Carolina Central shuts down Southern in MEAC/SWAC Challenge
Week 1: Gardner-Webb rallies from a 35-7 deficit to defeat top-20 Western Carolina
Week 2: Johnson C. Smith makes a statement with a 28-16 comeback win over D2 power Valdosta State
Week 3: North Carolina A&T snaps 12-game losing streak with thrilling, come-from-behind 2 OT over Hampton
Week 4: North Carolina Central collects honor for second time this season after romp over rival NC A&T
Week 5: UNC Pembroke earns historic shutout win at Valdosta State, enters national Top 25 for first time in 2025
Week 6: Catawba continues its hot start, improving to 5-1 with an impressive win over Mars Hill
Week 7: Shaw dominates time of possession, fourth-down plays in upset of Winston-Salem State
Week 8: The Wingate Bulldogs upset nationally ranked Emory & Henry to get back into the D2 playoff picture.
Week 9: Connor Calvert kicks 50-yard FG as time expires, Wake Forest stuns SMU to end Mustangs’ 20-game conference win streak.
Week 10: NC State shocks a Top-10 Georgia Tech team, ending Yellow Jackets’ bid for perfect regular season.
Week 11: Johnson C. Smith reaches nine wins for first time in school history, earns spot in CIAA title game.
🏆 Preseason Player Watch Lists
Before the first snaps of the 2025 season, NC Football News spotlighted the top players to watch across every level of college football in North Carolina. From national award candidates to local standouts ready for breakout seasons, these lists highlight the names you’ll want to follow all year long.
- FBS Player Watch List
- FCS Player Watch List
- Division II Player Watch List
- Division III Player Watch List
Explore each list to see which players are already on our radar — and keep an eye out as many of them appear in our weekly Players of the Week honors.
Here’s the 2025 Awards Timeline:
📅 Mid-August: Preseason Award Watch Lists released
📅 Weeks 1–14: Weekly award winners announced
📅 Mid-November: Season-ending finalists unveiled
📅 Late December / Early January: Official award winners crowned
💼 Interested in Sponsoring the NC Football News Player Awards?
Want your business or brand associated with one of the most exciting new college football honors in North Carolina?
We’re currently seeking a presenting sponsor for our 2025 Player of the Year awards — and weekly award segments throughout the season.
Sponsorship includes:
- 📣 Your name/logo on every weekly and end-of-season Player of the Year post
- 📱 Social media shout-outs to thousands of engaged football fans
- 📬 Mentions in our weekly newsletter
- 🏆 Optional co-branded graphics for you to share on your channels
- 📊 End-of-season sponsor recap with reach and engagement metrics
We’re here to advocate for your brand just like we advocate for the players and teams across the state. Let’s grow together!
👉 To inquire about sponsoring the NC Football News College Player Awards, email publisher Eric Lusk at eric@ncfootballnews.com.