Eleven Golden Eagles Named to Phil Steele Magazine Preseason Teams

The 2025 Sun Belt Conference preseason teams were released this week by Phil Steele Magazine, and 11 different Southern Miss football players made the cut across the publication’s four teams.

The first team included four players from Southern Miss, including three new Marshall transfers in quarterback Braylon Braxton, linebacker Ian Foster and cornerback Josh Moten. Arizona State transfer defensive lineman J’Mond Tapp also made the first team.

Braxton won the Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year in 11 games played for the Marshall Thundering Herd in 2024. He started in eight games in which he helped lead them to the 2024 SBC championship. Foster also earned All-SBC First Team honors as a return man when he led the FBS in return average among qualifying players (32.4).

Three Eagles made the second team including Foster at kick returner, Ole Miss transfer tight end Kyirin Heath and true freshman linebacker Chris Jones. The third team consisted of four Golden Eagles in Ole Miss transfer receiver Micah Davis, defensive tackle Isaiah Gibson, Marshall transfer safety Ahmere Foster and another Thundering Herd transfer in Elijah Metcalf at kick returner.

Mississippi State transfer running back Jeffery Pittman was the Golden Eagles’ lone representative of the magazine’s four teams. In the 2023 season, Pittman made 11 appearances and two starts, rushing the ball 54 times for 268 yards and one touchdown.

Southern Miss will open its season on Aug. 30 where they will host in-state rival Mississippi State.

Author administrator Kellen Walker