BATON ROUGE, LA — Southern defensive back Herman Brister III has been named to the HBCU National Player of the Year Award Watch List after emerging as one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's premier defensive playmakers.
A redshirt junior from Southern, Brister enters the 2026 season following back-to-back standout campaigns in the Jaguars' secondary. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound defensive back has established himself as one of the SWAC's most reliable tacklers at his position, recording 62 tackles in 2024 before raising that total to 76 last season.
Brister also contributed 1.5 tackles for loss, broke up five passes and forced a fumble in 2025, earning first-team All-SWAC honors. His combination of size, athleticism and physical play has made him a key piece of Southern's defense heading into the upcoming season.
With another productive year, Brister will look to strengthen his case for HBCU National Player of the Year honors while helping lead the Jaguars' pursuit of a conference championship.
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