Top college awards could feature repeats
The race for the top individual awards in college football this season will have some standout players seeking repeats.
Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back last season, while Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy earned the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding receiver. Both players are back for their junior seasons.
Taylor discussed his award candidacy by talking about the advice he’s received from former Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield and former Doak Walker Award winner Bryce Love.
“The thing that they mentioned to me about the award was they’re just going out there to try to win games,” Taylor said. “Now I feel I’m taking that into consideration. As long as I’m going out there and trying to win games, everything will fall into place.”
Taylor is trying to become the first player to win the Doak Walker in backto-back seasons since Arkansas’ Darren McFadden in 2006-07. The only other player to win this award in consecutive years was Texas’ Ricky Williams in 1997-98.
The only player to win the Biletnikoff Award in back-to-back seasons was Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon in 2010-11.
Syracuse’s Andre Szymt and Texas A&M’s Braden Mann also are looking to win annual position awards in back-to-back seasons. Szymt won the Lou Groza Award as college football’s top kicker and Mann won the Ray Guy Award as the game’s best punter last year.
Some of the top preseason candidates for various college football awards: HEISMAN TROPHY >> Trevor Lawrence, Clemson: Lawrence’s dominant performance in last year’s College Football Playoff establishes the sophomore quarterback as a Heisman front-runner.
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama: The junior quarterback was the Heisman favorite for most of last season but ultimately finished second to Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray.
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin: Taylor has rushed for 4,171 yards over the last two seasons and was the nation’s top rusher a year ago. His Heisman hopes could depend on whether Wisconsin improves upon last year’s 8-5 finish. DAVEY O’BRIEN (QB) >> Jake Fromm, Georgia: Fromm ranked fifth nationally in passing efficiency last year and has finished in the top 10 in that category each of the last two seasons.
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson: He threw 30 touchdown passes with only four interceptions as a freshman last season and wasn’t picked off in his last 169 attempts.
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama: Tagovailoa was a finalist for this award last year while throwing for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns with only six interceptions. DOAK WALKER (RB) >> Eno Benjamin, Arizona State: Benjamin rushed for 1,642 yards on 300 carries last season to earn Associated Press All-America thirdteam honors.
Travis Etienne, Clemson: Etienne ran for 1,658 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per carry last season as a second-team AP All-America selection.
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin: Taylor rushed for 2,194 yards last year — 285 more than anyone else BILETNIKOFF (WR) >> Jerry Jeudy, Alabama: Jeudy caught 68 passes for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore last season.
Laviska Shenault, Colorado: Shenault played just nine games last year due to injury but still had 86 catches for 1,011 yards. He ranked fourth in yards receiving per game.
Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State: Wallace was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff last season and earned second-team AP AllAmerica Honors. He caught 86 passes for 1,491 yards and 12 touchdowns while ranking third in yards receiving per game. OUTLAND (OL) >> Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin: He’s the leader of an offensive line that clears the way for Jonathan Taylor. The junior center is a third-year starter who earned consensus firstteam all-Big Ten honors last season.
Walker Little, Stanford: Two years ago, Little became the first Stanford true freshman to start at left tackle since 2000. Now he’s a junior regarded as a likely first-round draft pick.
Andrew Thomas, Georgia: This junior tackle is a third-year starter who earned second-team AP AllAmerica honors last season. BEDNARIK/NAGURSKI (DEFENSE) >> Grant Delpit, LSU: Delpit was a Nagurski finalist and earned first-team AP All-America honors as a sophomore last season.
A.J. Epenesa, Iowa: Epenesa is coming off a 2018 season in which he collected 16 ½ tackles for loss and 10 ½ sacks.
Chase Young, Ohio State: Young had 15 ½ tackles for loss and 10 sacks last year. BUTKUS (LB) >> Paddy Fisher, Northwestern: Fisher has collected at least 113 tackles and has forced four fumbles each of the last two seasons. He earned AP All-America third-team honors last year.
Dylan Moses, Alabama: Moses was one of three finalists for this award last season as he collected 86 tackles, including 10 for loss.
Isaiah Simmons, Clemson: This converted safety had a team-high 97 tackles for the national champions last year. He had 9 ½ tackles for loss and seven pass breakups. JIM THORPE (DB) >> Grant Delpit, LSU: Delpit had 74 tackles, five sacks and five interceptions last season. He hopes to follow the lead of former LSU teammate Greedy Williams, who was a Thorpe Award finalist last year.
Bryce Hall, Virginia: Hall led the nation in pass breakups (22) and tied for the lead in passes defended (24) last season.
C.J. Henderson, Florida: This junior cornerback already has made 18 career starts. He made a game-clinching interception against South Carolina and had 1½ tackles for loss in a Peach Bowl win over Michigan. JOHN MACKEY (TE) >> Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri: He was a finalist for this award last year even though injuries limited him to nine games. Okwuegbunam has caught 17 touchdown passes over the last two seasons.
Colby Parkinson, Stanford: This junior has 11 career touchdown catches. He caught four touchdown passes against Oregon State last November.