IRVING, Texas – The American Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly football honors from Week 7 of the 2025 season.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Blake Horvath • Sr. • QB • Navy
Horvath accounted for 296 yards of total offense and three touchdowns with no turnovers and came up with the winning plays in the fourth quarter of a 32-31 win at Temple. Horvath rushed for a 51-yard touchdown on fourth down with 39 seconds left in regulation to bring the Midshipmen within one point and threw the ensuing two-point conversion pass to put Navy ahead. Horvath finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries and added 141 yards and a touchdown pass.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jhalyn Shuler • Gr. • LB • South Florida
Shuler finished with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry and was part of two key turnovers in South Florida’s 63-36 win at previously unbeaten North Texas. Shuler had a 31-yard interception return and contributed to the scoring with a 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the third quarter, giving the Bulls a 42-21 lead.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Patrick Durkin • RFr. • K • Tulane
Durkin supplied all of Tulane’s scoring in the first half and finished with 14 points in the Green Wave’s 26-19 win against East Carolina. Durkin went 4-for-4 on field goals, connecting from 30, 29, 21 and 40 yards, and made both second-half PAT kicks to help Tulane improve to 5-1. Durkin is one of four NCAA FBS kickers who is perfect on at least 10 field goal attempts this season (13-of-13).
HONORABLE MENTION
Cale Hellums • Jr. • QB • Army
Rushed for a career-high 143 yards with two touchdowns and added 50 passing yards in a 24-7 win against Charlotte.
Kaden Shields-Dutton • So. • RB • Florida Atlantic
Rushed for 77 yards and three touchdowns (13, 2, 1) on 15 carries in a 53-33 win against UAB.
Byrum Brown • Sr. • QB • South Florida
Accounted for 327 yards of total offense and five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in a 63-36 win at North Texas.
Jake Retzlaff • Sr. • QB • Tulane
Completed 26 of 36 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-19 win against East Carolina.
Will Henderson III • RFr. • RB • UTSA
Rushed for a career-high 115 yards and two touchdowns (43, 57) on only five carries in a 61-13 win against Rice.
2025 OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sept. 1 Evan Simon, QB, Temple
Sept. 8 Byrum Brown, QB, South Florida
Sept. 15 Jake Retzlaff, QB, Tulane
Sept. 22 Caleb Hawkins, RB, North Texas
Sept. 29 Greg Desrosiers Jr., RB, Memphis
Oct. 6 Blake Horvath, QB, Navy
Oct. 13 Blake Horvath, QB, Navy
2025 DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sept. 1 Jhalyn Shuler, LB, South Florida
Sept. 8 Collin Matteson, S, Army
Sept. 15 Shane Whitter, LB, North Texas
Sept. 22 Chris Bracy, DB, Memphis
Sept. 29 Santana Hopper, DL, Tulane
Oct. 6 Kamari Wilson, DB, Memphis
Oct. 13 Jhalyn Shuler, LB, South Florida
2025 SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sept. 1 Patrick Durkin, K, Tulane
Sept. 8 Nico Gramatica, K, South Florida
Sept. 15 Solomon Beebe, RB/KR, UAB
Sept. 22 Seth Morgan, K, Tulsa
Sept. 29 Alec Clark, P, Tulane
Oct. 6 Gianni Spetic, K, Memphis
Oct. 13 Patrick Durkin, K, Tulane
