Ad Disclosure
Almost a third of the finalists at The Home Depot 25th Anniversary College Football Awards are from the SEC as announced today.
The SEC will have seven different players among the 24 vying for the nine National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) awards given annually during the show. The awards show will air on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. ET.
Here are 5 quick takeaways from the announcement:
1.) Alabama RB Derrick Henry is one of only three players who are up for multiple awards along with Clemson QB DeShaun Watson and Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey.
2.) Alabama and Stanford lead schools in nominations as the Tide has three players nominated for four awards and the Cardinal has two players nominated for three awards.
3.) The SEC doesn’t have a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, which is given to the College Punter of the Year despite Texas A&M’s Drew Kaser and Tennessee’s Trevor Daniel ranking among the top field-flippers in yards per punt throughout the season.
4.) Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell is in some good company for the Biletnikoff Award for Outstanding Receiver. He’s joined by Baylor’s Corey Coleman and TCU’s Josh Doctson.
5.) Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III is in contention for the Jim Thorpe Award for Nation’s Best Defensive Back alongside Duke’s Jeremy Cash and Iowa’s Desmond King, who’s one of only two players this season with 8 interceptions.
Chuck Bednarik Award
College Defensive Player of the Year
Tyler Matakevich, Temple (Sr.)
Carl Nassib, Penn State (Sr.)
Reggie Ragland, Alabama (Sr.)
Biletnikoff Award
Outstanding Receiver
Corey Coleman, Baylor (Jr.)
Josh Doctson, TCU (Sr.)
Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (Jr.)
Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
Nation’s Outstanding Placekicker
Daniel Carlson, Auburn (So.)
Jake Elliott, Memphis (Jr.)
Ka’imi Fairbairn, UCLA (Sr.)
Ray Guy Award
College Punter of the Year
Michael Carrizosa, San Jose State (So.)
Tom Hackett, Utah (Sr.)*
Hayden Hunt, Colorado State (RS Jr.)
Maxwell Award
College Player of the Year
Derrick Henry, Alabama (Jr.)
Christian McCaffery, Stanford (So.)
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (So.)
Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award
Nation’s Best Quarterback
Trevone Boykin, TCU (Sr.)
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Jr.)
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (So.)
Outland Trophy
Nation’s Most Outstanding Interior Lineman
Spencer Drango, Baylor (Sr.)
Joshua Garnett, Stanford (Sr.)
A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama (Jr.)
Jim Thorpe Award
Nation’s Best Defensive Back
Jeremy Cash, Duke (RS Sr.)
Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida (Jr.)
Desmond King, Iowa (Jr.)
Doak Walker Award
Nation’s Premier Running Back
Leonard Fournette, LSU (So.)
Derrick Henry, Alabama (Jr.)
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Sr.)
*2014 award winner
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
