| Daily Blog •July 5, 2011 |
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In the next 3 days I will be examining some of the preseason watch lists that have been released for college football’s top players.
I take pride in being a member of several different College Football Awards including the Maxwell Football Club and got the chance to attend the Club’s Awards Dinner this past year in Atlantic City. I am also happy to say that I take part in compiling the preseason and postseason watch lists with some of the members and today the Club released their 2011 watch lists for the 75th annual Maxwell Award and the 17th annual Bednarik.
Today I will break down the Maxwell Award List, which has been given to America's outstanding collegiate football player since 1937 and is named in honor of sportswriter Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell.
Last year’s winner was Auburn QB Cam Newton and returning Maxwell Award semifinalists from 2010 include Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles, Baylor QB Robert Griffin, Oregon RB LaMichael James, Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and Michigan QB Denard Robinson.
Here is the complete list.
2011 Maxwell Award Watch List
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | SCHOOL | POSITION |
CLASS |
CONF |
| Edwin | Baker | Michigan State | RB |
Jr. |
Big 10 |
| Montee | Ball | Wisconsin | RB |
Jr. |
Big 10 |
| Vick | Ballard | Mississippi State | RB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Matt | Barkley | USC | QB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Justin | Blackmon | Oklahoma State | WR |
Jr. |
Big 12 |
| Tyler | Bray | Tennessee | QB |
Soph. |
SEC |
| Ryan | Broyles | Oklahoma | WR |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Greg | Childs | Arkansas | QB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Marcus | Coker | Iowa | RB |
Soph. |
Big 10 |
| Zach | Collaros | Cincinnati | QB |
Sr. |
Big East |
| Kirk | Cousins | Michigan State | QB |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Juron | Criner | Arizona | WR |
Sr. |
Pac-12 |
| Dayne | Crist | Notre Dame | QB |
Sr. |
Indep |
| Knile | Davis | Arkansas | RB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Dominique | Davis | East Carolina | QB |
Sr. |
CUSA |
| Michael | Dyer | Auburn | RB |
Soph. |
SEC |
| Andre | Ellington | Clemson | RB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Michael | Floyd | Notre Dame | WR |
Sr. |
Indep |
| Nick | Foles | Arizona | QB |
Sr. |
Pac-12 |
| Johnathan | Franklin | UCLA | RB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Jeff | Fuller | Texas A&M | WR |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Stephen | Garcia | South Carolina | QB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Mike | Glennon | NC State | QB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Ray | Graham | Pittsburgh | RB |
Jr. |
Big East |
| Cyrus | Gray | Texas A&M | RB |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Robert | Griffin | Baylor | QB |
Jr. |
Big 12 |
| Chandler | Harnish | Northern Illinois | QB |
Sr. |
MAC |
| Montel | Harris | Boston College | RB |
Sr. |
ACC |
| Jared | Hassin | Army | RB |
Jr. |
Indep |
| Ronnie | Hillman | San Diego State | RB |
Soph. |
MWC |
| LaMichael | James | Oregon | RB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Alshon | Jeffery | South Carolina | WR |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Damaris | Johnson | Tulsa | WR |
Sr |
CUSA |
| Landry | Jones | Oklahoma | QB |
Jr. |
Big 12 |
| Case | Keenum | Houston | QB |
Sr. |
CUSA |
| Marcus | Lattimore | South Carolina | RB |
Soph. |
SEC |
| Ryan | Lindley | San Diego State | QB |
Sr. |
MWC |
| Zach | Line | SMU | RB |
Jr. |
CUSA |
| Andrew | Luck | Stanford | QB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| E.J. | Manuel | Florida State | QB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Doug | Martin | Boise State | RB |
Sr. |
MWC |
| Taylor | Martinez | Nebraska | QB |
Soph. |
Big 10 |
| Bryant | Moniz | Hawaii | QB |
Sr. |
WAC |
| Kellen | Moore | Boise State | QB |
Sr. |
MWC |
| Aaron | Murray | Georgia | QB |
Soph. |
SEC |
| Danny | O'Brien | Maryland | QB |
Soph. |
ACC |
| Isaiah | Pead | Cincinnati | RB |
Sr. |
Big East |
| Dan | Persa | Northwestern | QB |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Chris | Polk | Washington | RB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Tauren | Poole | Tennessee | RB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Bobby | Rainey | Western Kentucky | RB |
Sr. |
Sun Belt |
| Trent | Richardson | Alabama | RB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Denard | Robinson | Michigan | QB |
Jr. |
Big 10 |
| Nathan | Scheelhaase | Illinois | QB |
Soph. |
Big 10 |
| Geno | Smith | West Virginia | QB |
Jr. |
Big East |
| Rodney | Stewart | Colorado | RB |
Sr. |
Pac-12 |
| Ryan | Tannehill | Texas A&M | QB |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Stepfan | Taylor | Stanford | RB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Darron | Thomas | Oregon | QB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Brandon | Weeden | Oklahoma State | QB |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Ed | Wesley | TCU | RB |
Jr. |
MWC |
| James | White | Wisconsin | RB |
Soph. |
Big 10 |
| Tyler | Wilson | Arkansas | QB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| David | Wilson | Virginia Tech | RB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Russell | Wilson | Wisconsin | QB |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Robert | Woods | USC | WR |
Soph. |
Pac-12 |
All 11 conferences plus the Independents were represented on the list with the SEC leading the way with 12 selections. The Pac-12 was second with 11 selections while the Big 10 was third with 10. Overall, four schools had 3 players on the list including Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Wisconsin while a total of 12 more schools had two selections.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell will be announced October 31st and the three finalists will be unveiled November 21st. The winners of the 2011 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on December 8th. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 2nd 2012.
The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's selection committee, evaluating past performance and future potential. The Club reserves the right to make additions and deletions to these lists as the 2011 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA sports information directors, head coaches, and selected national media are eligible to vote for the awards.