Brownwood, Texas – Blessing Ngene, Cameron Hall, and Elijah Cobos of the Howard Payne University football team were named Players to Watch by the American Southwest Conference, as voted on by the head football coach and sports information director from each member institution.

Ngene, from Madisonville High School, returns to the backfield for his senior season with the Yellow Jackets following a career year in 2025. The junior totaled 172 rushing attempts for 946 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning recognition as a Second Team All-Region selection according to D3football.com. Ngene rushed for more than 100 yards five times last year while adding 15 receptions for 179 yards.

Hall anchors the defensive line entering his senior year. The defensive end from The Woodlands, Texas, recorded three sacks, 7.5 TFL and 32 total tackles in 2025. After battling injuries during the season, Hall is expected to be fully healthy entering the upcoming campaign.

Cobos returns from Big Spring, Texas, after sharing ASC Special Teams Co-Player of the Year honors last season. The freshman punted 46 times for an average of 38.5 yards per punt, placing 15 punts inside the 20-yard line. Cobos led the kickoff team with 12 touchbacks, averaging 55.4 yards per kickoff.

Howard Payne sits fifth in the 2026 ASC Football Preseason Poll. The Yellow Jackets travel to Forest Grove, Oregon, for Week 1 of the new season on Friday, September 4, against Pacific University. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Central Time.

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