For Immediate Release
WUERFFEL TROPHY UNVEILS WATCH LIST FOR 2018
106 players get consideration for award honoring college football’s top community servant
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – July 26, 2018 – The Wuerffel Trophy announced its Watch List today of 106 players from college football’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually at the All Sports Association’s Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
22 players return to the Watch List from 2017. They include: Brett Rypien (Boise State), Christian Wilkins (Clemson), Alec Eberle (Florida State), Marcus McMaryion (Fresno State), Noah Borden (Hawai’i), Joe Dineen, Jr. (Kansas), Dalton Risner (Kansas State), Matt Bahr (Kent State), James Gardner (Miami OH), Brent Stockstill (Middle Tennessee), Demetrius Jackson (Miami), Corey Fatony (Missouri), Andrew Wood (Navy), Max Scharping (NIU), A.J. Cole III (North Carolina State), Drue Tranquill (Notre Dame), Javon Patterson (Ole Miss), Trace McSorley (Penn State), Cody Thompson (Toledo), Willie Wright (Tulsa), Peyton Pelluer (Washington State) and Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan).
2018 WUERFFEL TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY BY UNIVERSITY)
Hale Henteges, Alabama, Senior, TE
MyQuon Stout, Appalachian State, Senior, DL
Malcolm Holland, Arizona, Junior, DB
Manny Wilkins, Arizona State, Senior, QB
Hjaite Froholdt, Arkansas, Senior, OL
Justin Clifton, Arkansas State, Senior, DB
Justice Hansen, Arkansas State, Junior, QB
Derrick Brown, Auburn, Junior, DL
Riley Neal, Ball State, Senior, QB
Brett Rypien, Boise State, Senior, QB
Zach Allen, Boston College, Senior, DL
Adam Pulsipher, BYU, Senior, LB
Patrick Laird, California, Senior, RB
Mitch Stanitzek, Central Michigan, Senior, DL
Juwan Foggie, Charlotte, Senior, LB
Garrett Campbell, Cincinnati, Senior, OL
Christian Wilkins, Clemson, Senior, DL
Nick Fisher, Colorado, Senior, DB
Adam Prentice, Colorado State, Sophomore, RB
Johnathan Lloyd, Duke, Senior, WR
Garrett McGhin, East Carolina, Senior, OL
Jeremy Hickey, Eastern Michigan, Senior, OL
Fred Johnson, Florida, Senior, OL
Gerald Hearns, Florida Atlantic, Senior, RB
Alec Eberle, Florida State, Senior, OL
Marcus McMaryion, Fresno State, Senior, QB
Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia, Junior, K
Wesley Fields, Georgia Southern, Senior, RB
Brad Stewart, Georgia Tech, Senior, WR
Noah Borden, Hawai’i, Senior, LS
Mulbah Car, Houston, Junior, RB
Nick Allegretti, Illinois, Senior, OL
Ricky Brookins, Indiana, Senior RB
Joe Dineen, Jr., Kansas, Senior, LB
Dalton Risner, Kansas State, Senior, OL
Matt Bahr, Kent State, Senior, LB
C.J. Conrad, Kentucky, Senior, TE
Deuce Wallace, Louisiana, Junior, DB
J’Mar Smith, Louisiana Tech, Junior, QB
Jonathan Greenard, Louisville, Junior, DL
Blake Ferguson, LSU, Junior, LS
Chase Hancock, Marshall, Senior, LB
Taivon Jacobs, Maryland, Senior, WR
Patrick Taylor, Memphis, Junior, RB
Demetrius Jackson, Miami (FL), Senior, DL
James Gardner, Miami (OH), Senior, WR
Khari Willis, Michigan State, Senior, DB
Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee, Senior, QB
Emmit Carpenter, Minnesota, Senior, K
Gerri Green, Mississippi State, Senior, LB
Corey Fatony, Missouri, Senior, P
Andrew Wood, Navy, Senior, OL
Ty Gangi, Nevada, Senior, QB
Jamin Smith, New Mexico State, Senior, OL
Max Scharping, NIU, Senior, OL
Kyle Murphy, North Carolina, Senior, LS
A.J. Cole III, North Carolina State, Senior, P
Quinn Shanbour, North Texas, Senior, QB
Tommy Doles, Northwestern, Senior, OL
Tyler Newsome, Notre Dame, Senior, P
Drue Tranquill, Notre Dame, Senior, LB
Nic Weisher, Notre Dame, Senior, TE
Caleb Kelley, Oklahoma, Junior, LB
Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion, Senior, DL
Javon Patterson, Ole Miss, Senior, OL
Justin Herbert, Oregon, Junior, QB
Trevon Bradford, Oregon State, Junior, WR
Trace McSorley, Penn State, Senior, QB
Darrin Hall, Pitt, Senior, RB
David Blough, Purdue, Senior, QB
Bryce Crawford, San Jose State, Senior, K
Jordan Wyatt, SMU, Senior, DB
Sean Grayer, South Alabama, Senior, DE
T.J. Brunson, South Carolina, Junior, LB
Picasso Nelson, Jr., Southern Miss, Senior, DB
Alameen Murphy, Stanford, Senior, DB
Kielan Whitner, Syracuse, Senior, LB
Ben Banogu, TCU, Senior, DL
Frank Nutile, Temple, Senior, QB
Kyle Phillips, Tennessee, Senior, DL
Collin Johnson, Texas, Junior, WR
Riley Garner, Texas A&M, Senior, LB
Tyler Watts, Texas State, Senior, WR
Cody Thompson, Toledo, Senior, WR
Damion Willis, Troy, Senior, WR
Willie Wright, Tulsa, Senior, OL
Craig Kanyangarara, UAB, Senior, LB
Matt Peart, UConn, Junior, OL
Andrew Ford, UMass, Senior, QB
Andy Isabella, UMass, Senior, WR
Darren Woods, Jr., UNLV, Junior, WR
Jake Olson, USC, Junior, LS
Jaymon Thomas, USF, Senior, DB
Chase Hansen, Utah, Senior, DB
Jacoby Wildman, Utah State, Junior, DL
Kalaii Griffin, UTEP, Senior, LB
Jalen Rhodes, UTSA, Senior, RB
Josiah Tauaefa, UTSA, Junior, LB
Ricky Walker, Virginia Tech, Senior, DL
Tevis Bartlett, Washington, Senior, LB
Peyton Pelluer, Washington State, Senior, LB
Will Grier, West Virginia, Senior, QB
Julien Lewis, Western Kentucky, Senior, DL
Jamauri Bogan, Western Michigan, Senior, RB
Justin Tranquill, Western Michigan, Junior, DB
D’Cota Dixon, Wisconsin, Senior, DB
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Department and will close on October 12. A current list of nominees can be found at www.wuerffeltrophy.org beginning on August 1. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 1 and finalists will be announced on November 19.
The formal announcement of the 2018 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation’s press conference in New York City on December 4. The presentation of the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 50th All Sports Association Awards Banquet on February 15, 2019 in Fort Walton Beach.
Past winners of the award are: Rudy Niswanger – LSU – 2005; Joel Penton – Ohio State – 2006; Paul Smith – Tulsa – 2008; Tim Tebow – Florida – 2008; Tim Hiller – Western Michigan – 2009; Sam Acho – Texas – 2010; Barrett Jones – Alabama – 2011; Matt Barkley – USC – 2012; Gabe Ikard – Oklahoma – 2013; Deterrian Shackelford – Ole Miss – 2014; Ty Darlington – Oklahoma – 2015; Trevor Knight – Texas A&M – 2016; Courtney Love – Kentucky – 2017.
The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 24 awards boast more than 800 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
The Wuerffel Trophy is supported by its corporate partners, Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a two-week period this month. Sixteen of the association’s 23 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2018 preseason watch list calendar:
Monday, July 16: Bednarik Award and Maxwell Award
Tuesday, July 17: Davey O’Brien Award
Wednesday, July 18: Doak Walker Award
Thursday, July 19: Biletnikoff Award
Friday, July 20: John Mackey Award and Rimington Award
Monday, July 23: Butkus Award and Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Tuesday, July 24: Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy
Wednesday, July 25: Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award
Thursday, July 26: Paul Hornung Award and Wuerffel Trophy
Friday, July 27: Walter Camp Award
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