RUSTON – Nine Louisiana Tech football players earned All-Conference USA honors, highlighted by defensive back Jacob Fields, who was named the CUSA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced Thursday.
 
Fields is the first LA Tech player to earn CUSA Defensive Player of the Year honors since Jaylon Ferguson won the award in 2018.
 
The Bulldogs placed two players on the first team, four on the second team, two on the honorable mention list and two on the all-freshman team.
 
Jacob Fields | Co-Defensive Player of the Year / All-CUSA First Team Defensive Back
Played and started in all 12 games at safety … Led the team with 92 stops, becoming the first defensive back to lead LA Tech in tackles since 2014 … Tallied three interceptions for 123 yards including two pick sixes, 2.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups … Recorded three games with double-digit tackles, including a career-high 14 versus Liberty … Led Tech in tackles in each of the final eight games of the season … Finished with seven stops and an 85-yard pick six against Sam Houston … Tallied eight tackles and a 38 yard pick six at Delaware … Finished with 11 stops versus WKU and 10 tackles with one tackle for loss at LSU.
 
Devin Gandy | All-CUSA First Team Kick Return
Led CUSA in kickoff return yards (467), touchdowns (2) and average (31.1) … Was the only player in CUSA to record 400+ kick return yards … Recorded an 85-yard touchdown return against WKU, while returning a kick for 93 yards to the house against Missouri State … Finished with over 100 KR return yards twice … Had six returns of 25+ yards.
 
Eli Finley | All-CUSA Second Team Tight End
Played in all 12 games while making 11 starts at tight end … Led the Bulldogs in receptions (37) and yards (440) … Recorded nine multi-reception games … Had three games with five or more receptions … Tallied a career-high 154 yards on a career-high six catches against Southern Miss, becoming the first Tech tight end since 2009 to record 100+ receiving yards … Registered six grabs of 20+ yards and two 40+ yard receptions … Helped pave the way for four 300+ yard ground games, including one 400+ yard game, along with six 100+ yard individual games.
 
Mekhi Mason | All-CUSA Second Team Linebacker
Had a breakout season after playing in all 12 games with 11 starts at linebacker … Tallied 68 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and one blocked kick … His 14.5 tackles for loss led CUSA while his 3.5 sacks are tied for the team lead … Recorded nine tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in the season opener against Southeastern … Collected a career-high 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack at LSU … Finished with eight stops and 3.5 tackles for loss against Liberty … Had three games with 1.5 tackles or loss or more and recorded at least .5 tackles for loss in eight games … Finished with 5+ tackles nine times.
 
Jakari Foster | All-CUSA Second Team Defensive Back
Started in all 12 games at safety … Led the nation with seven interceptions, becoming the first FBS player to record seven interceptions in a season since 2022 and the first Bulldog to do so since 1997 … Had one pick six versus UTEP (63 yards) … Added 54 tackles, one forced fumble, four pass breakups, .5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries … Collected a career-high 10 tackles against WKU … Registered two interceptions and eight tackles on senior day against Liberty … Recorded interceptions in six different games.
 
John Hoyet Chance | All-CUSA Second Team Punter / All-CUSA Freshman Team
Played in all 12 games as Tech's punter and kickoff specialist … Finished the regular season with 58 punts for 2,724 yards, averaging 46.97 yards per punt … Led the nation with 28 punts of 50 or more yards while finishing third in the nation with 26 punts inside the 20 … Had a long punt of 72 yards, which was tied for the longest in CUSA … Had a 50-yard punt or longer in all 12 games … including five games with punts of 60 or more yards … Recorded 53 touchbacks on 58 kickoff opportunities for 3,786 yards … Connected on three field goals including a long of 55 yards.
 
Landon Nelson | All-CUSA Honorable Mention Offensive Line
Played and started in 11 games at Center … Earned CUSA Offensive Lineman of the Week honors after the Sam Houston win … Helped pave the way for four 300+ yard rushing games and one 400+ yard game … Blocked for three five+ rushing touchdown performances … Helped lead the way for six individual 100+ yard rushing performances … In the win over Sam Houston, the Bulldogs rushed for 425 yards, the third most in a single game in program history (most since 1991) … The team also totaled six rushing touchdowns, tied for the fourth most in program history (most since 2015) … Helped LA Tech finish with the No. 2 rushing offense in CUSA and No. 22 nationally at 196.6 yards per game.
 
Dedrick Latulas | All-CUSA Honorable Mention Punt Return
Served as Tech's primary punt return man … Returned 18 punts for 170 yards … Averaged 9.44 yards per return … Had a long return of 25 yards.
 
Jadon Mayfield | All-CUSA Freshman Team
Played in all 12 games with six starts at linebacker as a redshirt freshman … Finished third on the team with 57 stops, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and four quarterback hurries … His 3.5 sacks were tied for the team lead … Recorded multiple stops in all 12 games … Tallied a career-high eight tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack against Liberty … Had eight games of 5+ tackles … Recorded at least .5 TFL in seven games … Finished tied for the lead in tackles against Missouri State (6). 
 
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