Judkins Named to Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
Maxwell Award Given Annually to Most Outstanding Player in College Football
Credit: Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss football sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins has been named to the Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List, as announced by both the Maxwell Football Club and the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) on Monday.
Judkins is among 85 total student-athletes to make the preseason watch list, as well as one of 14 from the SEC. The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
This is the latest award in a long line for Judkins, who has also already been named both a first-team Preseason All-American and first-team Preseason All-SEC honoree by Walter Camp, Lindy’s, Athlon and Phil Steele in addition to being named first-team Preseason All-SEC by the media.
Judkins is coming off a historic freshman season in 2022, during which he was named CBS’ National Freshman of the Year, On3’s Offensive True Freshman of the Year, the SEC Newcomer and SEC Freshman of the Year, as well as a first-team Freshman All-American by three different publications. Last season, Judkins set the Ole Miss single-season records in both rushing yards (1,567) and rushing touchdowns (16), and ended the year ranked in the national top-10 in rushing yards (No. 7), rushing touchdowns (No. 10) and total touchdowns with 17 (No. 10).
Judkins put together one of the greatest seasons ever by an SEC freshman running back in 2022. His 1,567 yards ranks as the second-most ever by a freshman in SEC history, trailing only Georgia’s Herschel Walker, who ran for 1,616 yards in 1980. Judkins’ historic season also ended ranked No. 11 all-time among Power-5 freshmen and was the most since 2017.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 13, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled on Nov. 28. The winner of the 87th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 7. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates:
Mon., July 31: Maxwell Award
Tues., Aug. 1: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Thurs., Aug. 3: Paul Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 4: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Tues., Aug. 8: Davey O’Brien Award
Wed., Aug. 9: Doak Walker Award
Thurs., Aug. 10: Butkus Award/Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award
Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award
