SEC Football Players Of The Week: Oct. 6

On Monday, the SEC announces the league's Football Players of the Week for October 6.

OFFENSIVE

DJ Lagway, QB, Florida

-Lagway completed 21-of-28 passes (75.0%) for a season-high 298 yards (third-highest total of career) and two touchdowns.

-Was a perfect 4-for-4 for 31 yards on Florida’s opening drive.

-He posted the third-best quarterback rating of his career (180.8) while completing at least 75% of his passes for the second time in five starts this season.

-Has posted a QB rating above 130.0 in nine of his last 11 games.

-Lagway delivered a 150.0-plus rating for the eighth time in his career. He has thrown a touchdown in 10 out of his last 12 contests.

-Lagway’s 60-yard connection with WR Vernell Brown III marked his 14th-career completion of 40-plus yards.



DEFENSIVE

-Justin Jefferson, LB, Alabama

-Led the Alabama defense with 14 total tackles against No. 16/17 Vanderbilt.

-Registered a team-best nine solo stops and five assisted tackles.

-More than tripled the next-closest tackler on the team.

-Added one sack (-11 yards) and a forced fumble on the day.

-His sack came on 1st-and-10 of Vandy's final drive to put the Commodores behind the sticks and lead to an eventual turnover on downs in that sequence, ending any comeback hopes.

-Jefferson's forced fumble on Diego Pavia came at the UA 13 as Vanderbilt was threatening to take a two-score lead early in the first quarter.

-The turnover led to an eventual touchdown on the Tide's very next drive.

-Played a key role on an Alabama defensive unit that limited Vanderbilt to 333 yards of offense and only 14 points, well-below their season averages of 494.4 ypg and 49.0 ppg, respectively.



Daymion Sanford, LB, Texas A&M

-Nine tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT versus Mississippi State.

-Recorded career highs in tackles, while earning his first career INT ... posted a 82.9 overall defensive grade, a 81.9 run defensive grade, a 82.3 tackling grade and a 70.2 pressure grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

-Logged 0.5+ sack for the third consecutive game ... over the last three games, has totaled 18 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks ... secured his seventh career game with 7+ tackles.

-Led a Texas A&M defense which limited Mississippi State to 9 total points – 29.6 points below the Tigers' season average (38.6) ... anchored a defense that limited the Bulldogs to 1-for-10 performance on 3rd down & just 77 rushing yards, including a mere eight, six, and nine yards in the second, third and fourth quarter, respectively.

-Helped the defense limit Mississippi State to 219 total yards, which was more than 200 yards below the Bulldogs’ season average entering the game (429.8).



SPECIAL TEAMS

Tate Sandell, PK, Oklahoma

-Redshirt junior K Tate Sandell was 3 for 3 on field goal attempts and 5 for 5 on PAT tries in Oklahoma's 44-0 win over Kent State in Norman.

-He made field goals from 49, 39 and 55 yards.

-His 55-yard field goal was a personal career long, tied for the seventh longest in school history and tied for OU’s fourth longest at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

-He improved to 9 for 10 on field goals and 18 for 18 on PATs this season.



Taylor Spierto, WR, Florida

-Spierto blocked a punt to force a safety in the second quarter.

-It marked Florida’s first blocked punt since Derek Wingo vs. Charlotte on Sept. 23, 2023 and the Gators’ first safety since Nov. 25, 2023 vs. FSU.

-The play also represented Florida’s first blocked punt in SEC play since Jordan Pouncey at LSU on Oct. 16, 2021.



OFFENSIVE LINE

-Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama

-Directed Alabama's offensive line unit in the Crimson Tide's 30-14 win over No. 16/17 Vanderbilt.

-Played all 69 snaps at center.

-Graded out at an 88 percent by the UA coaching staff.

-Did not allow a sack, pressure or quarterback hit on the afternoon.

-Registered a team-high 11 knockdown blocks against the Commodores.

-Helped Alabama rack up 486 total yards, including 146 on the ground against the SEC's third-ranked run defense.



DEFENSIVE LINE

Cashius Howell, DE, Texas A&M

-Three tackles, 3.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, one PBU versus Mississippi State

-Posted a 85.1 defensive grade, including a 86.2 pressure grade, according to Pro Football Focus ... his pressure grade was the eighth highest in Week 6 among FBS edge rushers who played at least 30 snaps ... the 3 tackles accounted for minus-26 total lost yards (1.0 sack for minus-7 yards, 1.0 sack for minus-12 yards & 1.0 sack for minus-7 yards).

-Led a Texas A&M defense which limited Mississippi State to 9 total points – 29.6 points below the Tigers' season average (38.6) and just three points in the first half.

-Anchored a defense that limited the Bulldogs to 1-for-10 performance on 3rd down & just 77 rushing yards, including a mere eight, six, and nine yards in the second, third and fourth quarter, respectively.

-Helped the defense limit Mississippi State to 219 total yards, which was more than 200 yards below the Bulldogs’ season average entering the game (429.8).



FRESHMAN

-Dallas Wilson, WR, Florida

-Had a game-high six receptions, 111 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate game and start.

-Set UF records for receptions, yards and touchdowns for a true freshman wide receiver in their first career start.