Homer, Richards, Quarterman, Johnson on award watch lists
CORAL GABLES — Veterans Travis Homer, Ahmmon Richards, Jaquan Johnson and Shaquille Quarterman are expected to be four of the Miami Hurricanes’ biggest playmakers this season.
Now they’ll also go into the season knowing they are in the running for some of college football’s biggest individual awards, too.
Homer, a junior running back, and Richards, a junior receiver, were both named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award on Monday. That award is given annually to the College Player of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club.
Also Monday, Johnson, a senior safety, and Quarterman, a junior linebacker, were named to the watch list for the Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to the defensive player of the year by the Maxwell Football Club.
Last fall, Homer stepped into Miami’s starting role after former Hurricanes running back Mark Walton was lost for the season with an ankle injury. A former standout at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Homer rushed for 966 yards and eight touchdowns in 2017, appearing in all 13 of Miami’s games. He was named second-team All-ACC after finishing with 1,203 all-purpose yards.
Richards was plagued by injuries last season and played in just eight games. But the former Freshman All-American still managed 439 yards and three touchdowns despite dealing with hamstring, ankle and knee issues. In his 21 games as a Hurricane, the former Wellington standout has 73 catches for 1,373 yards and six touchdowns.
Defensively, Quarterman and Johnson were two of Miami’s leaders in 2017.
A second-team AllAmerican, Johnson had a team-high 96 tackles and was tied with Michael Jackson for a team-high four interceptions. He earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors three times and was named a second-team AllACC selection.
Quarterman, who has appeared in all 26 of Miami’s games since he arrived on campus two years ago, was second on the Hurricanes defense last year with 83 tackles, including 2.5 sacks. In his two years at Miami, Quarterman — a former Freshman All-American — has totaled 167 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss, six sacks and two fumble recoveries.
The Hurricanes have had three Maxwell Award winners in program history, all of them quarterbacks. Vinny Testaverde won the award in 1986, Gino Torretta in 1992 and Ken Dorsey in 2001. Former Hurricanes linebacker Dan Morgan won the Bednarik Award in 2000.