With the 2017 Paul Hornung Award watch list reveal on Monday, who are the early favorites to win college football’s “most versatile” award?
The college football season is right around the corner and the most prestigious awards are releasing their preseason watch lists. On Monday, it was the Paul Hornung Award watch list that revealed some preseason candidates, and a few names stood out.
What is the Paul Hornung Award, you ask? It’s one of the newest honors, given annually to the nation’s most versatile player. Just last year, Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers won the award. He had the ability to play linebacker, safety, cornerback, wide receiver, running back and he returned punts and kicks. That’s the definition of versatile.
Unfortunately, there’s not a polarizing player in college football this year the caliber of Peppers, but there are plenty of talented threats to win the award.
One of my early favorites is somewhat of a surprise. He plays for a perennial bottom-dweller in Rutgers. Janarion Grant missed the entire 2016 season with an injury, but the talented receiver and kick returner will be back with a vengeance in 2017. He’s electric.
Other names to keep an eye on are Minkah Fitzpatrick of Alabama, Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson, Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk, Washington’s Dante Pettis, Clemson’s Christian Wilkins, Florida State’s Derwin James, Ohio State’s Parris Campbell, Florida’s Antonio Callaway, Tennessee’s Evan Berry, Miami’s Braxton Berrios, Arizona State’s Kalen Ballage and Louisville’s Jaire Alexander.
The list of potential winners is long and those are just some of the more exciting players who beg to be watched in 2017.
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The award has been around only since 2010 and a majority of the past winners — Christian McCaffrey, Shaq Thompson, Odell Beckham Jr. and Tavon Austin — have gone on to have successful careers.