Cowboys’ Hill makes Maxwell Award watch list

The Maxwell Award has been given to the top College Player of the Year since 1937.

The Maxwell Award is awarded annually to the best college football player in the nation. The award is named in honor of former college player, official and sports columnist Robert Maxwell.

Dobbs and Hurd appear together on the Maxwell’s preseason watch list for the second consecutive year. His 10.5 sacks were the most for a Seminole defender since 2012 and tied for fifth in the ACC last season. Barkley’s 1,076 yards place him 16th on Penn State’s season rushing chart and 40th in program history in career rushing yards. That figure made the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native UT’s first-ever true sophomore to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. Gallman set a Clemson record for rushing yards in a season with 1527 and was a first-team All-ACC selection.

Likely led the Big Ten in punt return average (17.7 yards) and broke a 76-year-old Big Ten record with 233 punt return yards in the Terps’ season-opening win against Richmond. The Bednarik is presented to the country’s top defensive player.

Two Oklahoma Sooners – quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Samaje Perine – have been added to the list of players to watch for the Maxwell Award. The 6-2, 240-pounder from Hinesville, Ga., and Liberty County High School led the Buckeyes in tackles with 119, a total/average that ranked fourth in the conference.

Senior safety, Jordan Sterns, is the leader of the defense, and has evolved into one of the best tackling safeties in all of college football. In 31 career games, Conner has racked up 152 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss.

Wise has recorded 11 of his 13 career sacks against SEC opponents, including at least a half-sack in six of the last nine conference games he’s played in.

Chesson, meanwhile, also had his finest season as a college player previous year. Two of his four interceptions were returned for touchdowns.