BATON ROUGE, LA — Southern University's Herman Brister III and Trey Holly earned spots on the 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Football Team following standout performances during the 2025 season.
The selections highlight two of the Jaguars' top returning performers as Southern prepares for the 2026 campaign with expectations of competing among the conference's elite.
Brister established himself as one of the SWAC's premier defensive players during the 2025 season. The veteran safety finished among the conference's top 10 tacklers with 84 total stops while serving as a steady presence in Southern's secondary.
In addition to his tackling production, Brister recorded 2.5 tackles for loss totaling 15 yards and broke up nine passes. His ability to impact the game against both the run and pass made him one of the league's most versatile defenders and a key leader for the Jaguars' defense.
Brister's toughness, consistency, and playmaking ability helped anchor Southern's defensive unit throughout the season and earned him recognition as one of the conference's top returning defensive players.
On the offensive side, Holly emerged as one of the SWAC's most productive running backs in 2025. He finished fourth in the conference in rushing, totaling 904 yards and nine touchdowns on 169 carries while averaging 5.3 yards per attempt across 11 games.
His combination of explosiveness, durability, and scoring ability provided a spark for the Jaguars' offense throughout the season. Holly consistently produced against conference competition and established himself as one of the league's premier rushers.
With Brister leading the defense and Holly powering the running game, Southern returns two proven playmakers who are expected to play major roles in the Jaguars' pursuit of success during the 2026 season.
Both players enter the year as key pieces of Southern's roster and will be counted on to help guide the Jaguars in their quest for a championship run.
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