BY TOM LATEK

Kentucky Today

Fifty-three players, representing all 10 conferences plus two of the independents that compete for the Football Bowl Series, have been selected for the Paul Hornung Award Pre-Season Watch List, it was announced on Thursday.

Now in its 14th season, the Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission, in memory of the late football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.

Kentucky’s Barion Brown and Louisville’s Jawhar Jordan were on the list.

The players represent 53 different schools and last season combined for more than 56,000 total yards of offense and over 1,700 points.  The vast majority of the players on the Watch List – 47 – play offensive skill positions and all but one are return specialists; six players are defensive backs and return specialists.

By conference, the ACC leads with nine players, followed by the Big 12 with eight, the Pac 12 with seven, and the Big 10 and CUSA with six each. The SEC and Mountain West each have five players on the list, the AAC has four, the MAC three and the Sun Belt two. Independent schools Notre Dame and UConn each have one player on the list.

The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son, and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players who often go unnoticed.

Last year’s winner was Jack Colletto of Oregon State.  He played fullback, quarterback and receiver on offense; linebacker and defensive back on defense; and was on all special teams.  Colletto scored six touchdowns rushing, completed two passes, made 28 tackles, caused a fumble and recovered a fumble.  He went undrafted but was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco 49ers.

The very first winner in 2010 was Owen Marecic of Stanford,  a two-way starter who averaged 110 snaps per game and earned first-team All-Pac-10 at fullback and honorable mention at linebacker.  He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and spent two seasons with them and one more with the 49ers.

The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner in Louisville in March 2024.

More information about theaAward can be found at paulhornungaward.com.

 

PAUL HORNUNG WATCH LIST

• Brian Battie, Auburn

• Trey Benson, FSU

• Jonathan Brady, New Mexico State

• Barion Brown, Kentucky

• Jermaine Brown Jr., UAB

• Phillip Brooks, Kansas State

• Shadrick Byrd, Charlotte

• Joshua Cephus, UTSA

• Ron Cook Jr., Buffalo

• Jacob Cowing, Arizona

• Cooper DeJean, Iowa

• MJ Devonshire, Pitt

• Chimere Dike, Wisconsin

• Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

• Trevor Etienne, Florida

• Malik Fleming, Houston

• Jaelen Gill, Fresno State

• Anthony Gould, Oregon State

• Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State

• Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech

• George Holani, Boise State

• Tory Horton, Colorado State

• Travis Hunter, Colorado

• Kris Hutson, Oregon

• Jha’Quan Jackson, Tulane

• Jawhar Jordan, Louisville

• Lexington Joseph, FIU

• Jeshaun Jones, Maryland

• Brant Kuithe, Utah

• Caullin Lacy, South Alabama

• Jaylin Lane, Virginia Tech

• Kenny Logan Jr., Kansas

• Jaylin Lucas, Indiana

• Jayden McGowan, Vanderbilt

• Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

• Ryan O’Keefe, Boston College

• Trebor Pena, Syracuse

• Ja’Shaun Poke, WVU

• Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State

• Victor Rosa, UConn

• Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois

• Will Shipley, Clemson

• Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

• Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State

• Jaylen Stinson, Duke

• Jacquez Stuart, Toledo

• Milan Tucker, Appalachian State

• Chris Tyree, Notre Dame

• Terrell Vaughn, Utah State

• Tahj Washington, USC

• LaJohntay Wester, FAU

• Xavier Worthy, Texas

• Luke Wysong, New Mexico