Tag: Shaun Alexander Award

Alabama WR Ryan Williams a finalist for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award

Freshman Alabama phenom WR Ryan Williams was named a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Award.

Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide staff knew that five-star WR Ryan Williams was going to be a special player well before he ever stepped foot on campus. The expectations for Williams have been through the roof, with many people considering him to be DeBoer’s version of Julio Jones, yet he has somehow been better than expected.

As a 17-year-old true freshman, Williams has dominated college football with 45 receptions for 857 yards and eight TDs, including the game-winning score against Georgia. Williams has made a few other dazzling plays on the season, but it seems like most of them have been called back, such as his score against Oklahoma. Williams is in the conversation for best wide receiver in the game right now and will probably bring home a Biletnikoff Award at some point during his college career.

The Shaun Alexander Award, presented annually to the nation’s top freshman, named Williams a finalist for the award alongside Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Minnesota’s Koi Perich, South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart and Texas’s Colin Simmons. The award, named after Alabama legend Shaun Alexander, has only been around since the 2018 season where two former Crimson Tide players have brought home the award in Will Anderson and Caleb Downs.

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Alabama freshman named semifinalist for Shaun Alexander Award

The freshman has been one of Alabama’s top players this season.

In the midst of a truly phenomenal true freshman season, Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams was named a semifinalist for the 2024 Shaun Alexander Award on Wednesday.

The award recognizes the top freshman in college football, with Williams the lone Alabama player named a semifinalist. Alabama also had the most recent winner of the award in former safety Caleb Downs, who took home the honor in 2023.

Williams has been Alabama’s top wide receiver so far this season, hauling in a team-high 35 receptions for 702 yards and seven touchdowns, which leads the SEC. Averaging 20.1 yards per catch, Williams has also rushed for a touchdown on his lone attempt, as well as returned four punts for 31 yards and two kickoffs for 14 yards.

With four regular season games to go, it is entirely possibly that Williams ends up surpassing the 1,000-yard mark for the season during that span. If Williams were to do that also, would that be enough for the freshman to eventually win the Shaun Alexander Award?

Nick Marsh listed on Shaun Alexander Award watch list

Nick Marsh has been named to another freshman of the year watch list

Michigan State football is set to open the 2024 season on Friday against Florida Atlantic. With the last week before the season begins concluding, one of the final watch lists have been released.

Maxwell Football has announced that Nick Marsh has been listed on the watch list for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award.

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Raiola named to another watch list

The freshman was placed on the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List. 

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has been named to another watch list. The freshman was placed on the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List.

The award is named for former running back Shaun Alexander. Alexander played for Alabama from 1996-99.

He won the SEC Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American in 1999. Alexander finished his college career with 3,433 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns.

This is the second award watch list that Raiola has been named to this month. He was previously named to the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List.

The freshman will make his first start on Saturday afternoon when the Huskers host UTEP at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on Fox.

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Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter up for freshman of the year award

Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter makes semifinalist cut for national freshman award

Award season is nearly here in college football, and one of Penn State’s newest star players is a semifinalist for a national award. Linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] was among the 14 semifinalists named for this season’s Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club.

The Philadelphia native has started two games and played in eight for Penn State this season and has accumulated 35 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups.

Carter is one of three Big Ten freshmen making the semifinalist cut for the award. Here are this year’s semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander Award;

  • Terrion Arnold, DB, Alabama
  • Kelvin Banks Jr., OL, Texas
  • Jaishawn Barham, LB, Maryland
  • Will Campbell, OL, LSU
  • Abdul Carter, LB, Penn State
  • Nick Emmanwori, DB, South Carolina
  • Gabe Jacas, LB, Illinois
  • Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss
  • Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
  • Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
  • Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
  • Richard Reese, RB, Baylor
  • Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia
  • Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky

The Shaun Alexander Award was first presented in 2018 to Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Other recent recipients of the award include Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., and Georgia wide receiver Brock Bowers last season.

Carter and Penn State look to score a rebound win to add some highlights to his candidate profile with a road win at Indiana.

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Texas WR Xavier Worthy named finalist for Shaun Alexander Award

Xavier Worthy continues to be recognized for his outstanding freshman season.

It seems like every week Texas’ star wideout Xavier Worthy gets nominated for a new award.

This time Worthy has been named a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Award which is given to the top freshman in college football.

Worthy is joined on the list by some of the elite talents in college football.

The 2022 Shaun Alexander Award Finalist:

  • RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
  • TE Brock Bowers, Georiga
  • RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio St
  • QB CJ Stroud, Ohio St
  • WR Xavier Worthy, Texas

The winner of the award will be announced by the Maxwell Foundation Club on Jan. 10, 2022.

Winning the Shaun Alexander Award would add to Worthy’s already impressive resume. The speedster has already taken home Big 12 offensive freshman of the year and freshman All-American honors.

After his breakout freshman campaign, Worthy seems poised to mark his name among the best wide receivers the Texas football history.

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