In addition to the Maxwell Club releasing the Bednarik Award List, the Maxwell Award (given to the college player of the year) has also been released. Many of the country’s top offensive players are included on the list.
Unsurprisingly, Jameis Winston tops the list as a likely finalist, and possible winner.
He is the only returning Maxwell finalist from last year’s awards. Other noteable players on the list include Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, and Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty.
Last year Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron won the award. Since 1937 Penn State and Notre Dame are tied for the most Maxwell Award winners with seven each. Ohio State, Texas and Navy each have four.
A look at the full 2014 Maxwell watch list is below.
2014 Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
Name |
School |
Position |
Class |
Ameer Abdullah |
Nebraska |
Running Back |
Senior |
Nelson Agholor |
USC |
Wide Receiver |
Junior |
Jay Ajayi |
Boise State |
Running Back |
Junior |
Javorius Allen |
USC |
Running Back |
Junior |
Dres Anderson |
Utah |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Anthony Boone |
Duke |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Tyler Boyd |
Pitt |
Wide Receiver |
Sophomore |
Jacoby Brissett |
North Carolina State |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Malcolm Brown |
Texas |
Running Back |
Senior |
Shane Carden |
East Carolina |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Rakeem Cato |
Marshall |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Sammie Coates |
Auburn |
Wide Receiver |
Junior |
Jacob Coker |
Alabama |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Stacy Coley |
Miami |
Wide Receiver |
Sophomore |
Alex Collins |
Arkansas |
Running Back |
Sophomore |
James Conner |
Pitt |
Running Back |
Sophomore |
Connor Cook |
Michigan State |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Amari Cooper |
Alabama |
Wide Receiver |
Junior |
Jamison Crowder |
Duke |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Mike Davis |
South Carolina |
Running Back |
Junior |
DeVante Davis |
UNLV |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Stefon Diggs |
Maryland |
Wide Receiver |
Junior |
Jeff Driskel |
Florida |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Cody Fajardo |
Nevada |
Quarterback |
Senior |
D.J. Foster |
Arizona State |
Running Back |
Junior |
Devin Funchess |
Michigan |
Wide Receiver |
Junior |
Devin Gardner |
Michigan |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Jared Goff |
Cal |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
Everett Golson |
Notre Dame |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Antwan Goodley |
Baylor |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Melvin Gordon |
Wisconsin |
Running Back |
Junior |
Johnathan Gray |
Texas |
Running Back |
Junior |
Deontay Greenberry |
Houston |
Wide Receiver |
Junior |
Rashad Greene |
Florida State |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Todd Gurley |
Georgia |
Running Back |
Junior |
Christian Hackenberg |
Penn State |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
Justin Hardy |
East Carolina |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Taylor Heinicke |
Old Dominion |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Derrick Henry |
Alabama |
Running Back |
Sophomore |
Austin Hil |
Arizona |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Taysom Hill |
BYU |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Kevin Hogan |
Stanford |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Brett Hundley |
UCLA |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Matt Johnson |
Bowling Green |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Duke Johnson |
Miami |
Running Back |
Junior |
Chuckie Keeton |
Utah State |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Taylor Kelly |
Arizona State |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Cody Kessler |
USC |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Trevor Knight |
Oklahoma |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
Jeremy Langford |
Michigan State |
Running Back |
Senior |
Shock Linwood |
Baylor |
Running Back |
Sophomore |
Tyler Lockett |
Kansas State |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Sean Mannion |
Oregon State |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Raymond Maples |
Army |
Running Back |
Senior |
Marcus Mariota |
Oregon |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Venric Mark |
Northwestern |
Running Back |
Senior |
Byron Marshall |
Oregon |
Running Back |
Junior |
Nick Marshall |
Auburn |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Braxton Miller |
Ohio State |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Ty Montgomery |
Stanford |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
John O’Korn |
Houston |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
DeVante Parker |
Louisville |
Wide Receiver |
Senior |
Bryce Petty |
Baylor |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Dak Prescott |
Mississippi State |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
Keenan Reynolds |
Navy |
Quarterback |
Junior |
Jaelen Strong |
Arizona State |
Wide Receiver |
Junior |
Thomas Tyner |
Oregon |
Running Back |
Sophomore |
P.J. Walker |
Temple |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
Dr. Bo Wallace |
Ole Miss |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Jake Waters |
Kansas State |
Quarterback |
Senior |
Davis Webb |
Texas Tech |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
Jonathan Williams |
Arkansas |
Running Back |
Sophomore |
Karlos Williams |
Florida State |
Running Back |
Senior |
Jamaal Williams |
BYU |
Running Back |
Junior |
Jameis Winston |
Florida State |
Quarterback |
Sophomore |
T.J. Yeldon |
Alabama |
Running Back |
Junior |