LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced its Football Athletes of the Week for Week 9 of the 2025 season. In the Western Division, Slippery Rock's JayJay Jordan is the Offensive Athlete of the Week while Edinboro's Nate Deanes (Defensive Athlete of the Week) and California's Deontae Williams (Special Teams Athlete of the Week) were also selected. In the Eastern Division, West Chester's Cooper Jordan and Lock Haven's Mekhi Watson are the Co-Offensive Athletes of the Week and are joined by Kutztown's Jhaisir Harden (Defensive) and Bloomsburg's Aaron Johnson (Special Teams.)
PSAC Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Week
JayJay Jordan
Slippery Rock
Running Back
Junior
Reading, Pa. / Berks Catholic
Jordan broke off a 67-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage and went on to finish with 176 rushing yards and one TD on 19 carries to go along with two catches for 13 yards in a 42-23 win over Clarion. Jordan averaged 9.9 yards per carry in the game and scored his fourth touchdown run of 60+ yards on the season. He also scored on a long TD run on the very first SRU play from scrimmage for the second straight week after also scoring on a 75-yard run against IUP. Jordan now leads all rushers in the PSAC with 1,167 yards in eight games. His 145.9 rushing yards per game, 8.6 yards per carry and 193.8 all-purpose yards per game all lead the PSAC and rank in the top four in the nation. In just eight games this year, he has already become the first SRU running back since 2018 to top 1,000 yards in a season.
PSAC Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Nate Deanes
Edinboro
Safety
Sophomore
Bridgeville, Pa. / South Fayette
Deanes did it all for the Fighting Scot defense in their 22-6 victory over Seton Hill on Saturday. In the first quarter, Deanes put his helmet on the football to force a fumble with Seton Hill threatening inside the redzone. Deanes also found his way into the end zone in the fourth quarter scooping up a fumble and returning it 70 yards for the score. For the day, Deanes recorded nine solo stops and 2.0 tackles for loss figuring in on two of the four turnovers the Scots forced on the day.
PSAC Western Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Deontae Williams
California
Wide Receiver / Return Specialist
Sophomore
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Woodland Hills
Williams posted an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter, as the Vulcans earned a 31-26 victory over No. 24 Frostburg State on Saturday afternoon. He became the first California player in at least two decades with multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown in a season. Williams is the first player in the PSAC with at least two kickoff returns for scores in a year since 2023 (Millersville). The Woodland Hills product also added 53 yards on three punt returns and one rushing attempt for five yards against the MEC-leading Bobcats.
PSAC Eastern Division Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week
Cooper Jordan
West Chester
Quarterback
Senior
Downingtown, Pa. / Bishop Shanahan
Jordan went 16-for-22 for 278 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception in a 46-44 triple-overtime win against Bloomsburg last Saturday afternoon. He also carried the ball 13 times for 53 yards and another TD while converting the game-winning 2-point conversion in the third OT. All of this came in his first game back after missing the last three weeks with an injury. Jordan's 2-yard TD run in the first OT tied the game and sent it into the second overtime. There, his TD pass to Troy Corson once again tied the game and sent it into the third OT. That's where he completed a pass to Matt Iuvara on WCU's opening attempt in the alternating 2-point version of OT.
PSAC Eastern Division Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week
Mekhi Watson
Lock Haven
Wide Receiver
Sophomore
Philadelphia, Pa. / Roman Catholic
Watson had a monster game on Saturday to lead the Bald Eagles to a 42-7 victory at Millersville. He finished with three total touchdowns to headline The Haven's season-high 42 points. He was on the receiving end of a pair touchdown throws and his other score came on the ground from his only rushing attempt of the contest. Watson finished with seven receptions for 146 yards. With the victory, The Haven improved to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the PSAC East after winning its third straight game, while also securing its third straight five-win season. Lock Haven's last three-game winning streak came back in 1981.
PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Jhaisir Harden
Kutztown
Safety
Redshirt Sophomore
Glassboro, N.J. / Glassboro
Harden registered his first career pick six on Saturday, helping No. 4 Kutztown to its third straight PSAC East title with a 49-6 victory over East Stroudsburg. Two plays after the Golden Bears had taken a 14-0 lead, Harden made a leaping interception near midfield and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown to push KU's advantage to 21-0 as part of a 28-point second quarter. It was Harden's second interception in as many games after making the first of his career last week at West Chester. Harden, a Glassboro, N.J., native, also had three solo tackles in the win.
PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Aaron Johnson
Bloomsburg
Kicker
Sophomore
Danville, Pa. / Danville Area
Johnson delivered a clutch performance in the Huskies’ triple-overtime thriller at West Chester, converting all five extra points and a pivotal 32-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to force overtime in the longest game in Bloomsburg football history. Johnson’s steady leg helped keep the Huskies alive in a back-and-forth battle that featured seven lead changes, ultimately sending the contest to a dramatic 46–44 finish in triple overtime. Johnson went 6-for-6 on total kicks (5 PATs, 1 FG) and repeatedly came through under pressure, including the game-tying kick with no time left on the clock to cap a 60-yard drive in the final minute of regulation. His poise and reliability were instrumental in Bloomsburg’s offensive rhythm and special teams consistency throughout the game, as he accounted for nine total points in a contest that featured no margin for error.