PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Eleven American Athletic Conference football players have earned preseason recognition on the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the national player of the year, and the Bednarik Award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive player.
The Maxwell Award lists Cincinnati running back Mike Boone and quarterback Gunner Kiel, Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr., USF running back Marlon Mack and Temple running back Jahad Thomas and quarterback P.J. Walker among the 90 players to watch in 2016.
The five American Athletic Conference players on the Bednarik Award watch list are UConn cornerback Jamar Summers, Houston linebacker Steven Taylor, USF cornerback Deatrick Nichols, Temple cornerback Sean Chandler and Tulane defensive tackle Tanzel Smart.
Boone rushed for 749 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns as part of a three-man rotation in Cincinnati’s backfield in 2015. Kiel, who led the Bearcats with 2,777 passing yards and 19 touchdown passes in 10 games, makes his second straight appearance on the Maxwell Award watch list.
Ward was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award last season after he averaged 281.1 yards of total offense per game to help Houston to a 13-1 record and the American Athletic Conference championship. Ward rushed for 1,108 yards and 21 touchdowns and threw for 2,628 yards and 17 TDs in 2015.
Mack also earned Maxwell Award preseason watch list accolades for the second straight year after he set USF’s single-season rushing record with 1,381 yards in 2015. Mack averaged 6.6 yards per carry and had eight touchdown runs last year.
Thomas was a standout in the backfield and on special teams for Temple as he averaged 119.8 all-purpose yards per game. He rushed for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns to help the Owls to the American Athletic Conference East Division title.
Walker enters his fourth year as Temple’s starting quarterback. He threw for 2,972 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, raking fifth in The American in passing.
Summers was named to the American Athletic Conference first team in 2015 after he led the conference with eight interceptions. He led a UConn unit that led The American in scoring defense (19.5 ppg) and was second in pass efficiency defense (112.70).
Taylor, who earned second-team all-conference honors in 2015, finished as the conference leader in sacks (10.0) and was second in The American in tackles for loss (18.5). He led a Houston defense that led the nation with 35 takeaways last season.
Nichols was a first-team all-conference pick for USF last season. He registered 62 tackles to go with four interceptions, two forced fumbles, 8.5 tackles for loss and nine passes defended to help the Bulls win seven of their last nine games in 2015.
Smart was named to the American Athletic Conference first team as the anchor of a Tulane defense that ranked 12th nationally in tackles for loss in 2015. Smart registered 15.0 tackles for loss from the interior line and finished as Tulane’s fifth-leading tackler with 62 stops.
Chandler earned second-team all-conference honors in 2015 after he finished as Temple’s third-leading tackler with 65 stops. He added four interceptions and had 14 passes defended and led The American in punt returns, averaging 12.1 yards per attempt.
The American Athletic Conference had eight players named to the Maxwell and Bednarik watch lists last season. Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich went on to win the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top offensive player.
| Maxwell Award Watch List (Player of the Year) |
| Mike Boone |
RB |
Cincinnati |
| Gunner Kiel |
QB |
Cincinnati |
| Greg Ward Jr. |
QB |
Houston |
| Marlon Mack |
RB |
USF |
| Jahad Thomas |
RB |
Temple |
| P.J. Walker |
QB |
Temple |
|
|
|
| Bednarik Award Watch List (Top Defensive Player) |
| Jamar Summers |
CB |
UConn |
| Steven Taylor |
LB |
Houston |
| Deatrick Nichols |
CB |
USF |
| Sean Chandler |
CB |
Temple |
| Tanzel Smart |
DT |
Tulane |