We have officially entered award watchlist season as the 2024 college football season is fast approaching. On Monday, the Maxwell Award announced its watchlist.
This is the 88th year that the award will be given out to the most outstanding player in college football. Of the 80 players listed, the Texas Longhorns lone athlete listed is redshirt junior quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Last season Ewers passed for 3,479 yards with 22 touchdowns to just six interceptions in 12 games. He missed a pair of games due to injury where backup Maalik Murphy had to step in a weather the storm until his return.
Ewers would be named the MVP of the Big 12 championship game and led the Longhorns to its first-ever trip to the College Football Playoffs. The team is looking for more of the same as they enter a new era of Texas football after joining the SEC ahead of the season.
In total, the SEC had the second-most players (15) from a single conference, just behind the ACC who had 20. They were tied with their former conference the Big 12 who also have 15. The Big Ten finished last among the Power Four with 12 players, three of which are with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ewers has the opportunity to join Texas legends Colt McCoy (2009) and Vince Young (2005) as the only Longhorns quarterbacks to win the award. Overall he would be the fifth Texas player to win the award joining former running back Ricky Williams (1998) and linebacker Tommy Nobis (1965). The first award was given out in 1937 to Clinton E. Frank of Yale.