Sean Pollard named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The Wuerffel Trophy, presented by Chick-fil-A Foundation® announced its Watch List today of 91 players from college football’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented each February 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.
The SEC led all conferences with 14 players appearing on the 2019 watch list. Following the SEC is the PAC 12 with 12 players, the ACC with 10 and the Mountain West Conference with 10 players each and the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA with 9 players each. The MAC, Big Ten Conference and Big 12 Conference submitted 7 players for consideration, while the American Athletic Conference had 34players named to the list. All FBS Conferences are represented on the list, as were Independent representative Notre Dame and BYU (Army) with 1 nominee each.
10 players return to the Watch List from 2018. They are: Malcolm Holland (Arizona), Derrick Brown (Auburn), Sean Pollard (Clemson), Adam Prentice (Colorado State), Rodrigo Blankenship (Georgia), Matt Bahr (Kent State), Deuce Wallace (Louisiana), Blake Ferguson (LSU), Justin Herbert (Oregon) and Darren Woods, Jr. (UNLV).
2019 WUERFFEL TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
(LISTED ALPHABETICALLY BY UNIVERSITY)
Isaiah Sanders, Air Force, Senior, QB
Chris Owens, Alabama, Junior, OL
Darrynton Evans, App State, Junior, RB
Malcolm Holland, Arizona, Senior, DB
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State, Junior, RB
Kyle Williams, Arizona State, Senior, WR
T.J. Smith, Arkansas, Senior, DL
Tajhea Chambers, Arkansas State, Junior, LB
Derrick Brown, Auburn, Senior, DL
Kole Bailey, Boise State, Junior, OL
Gabe Skrobot, Bowling Green State, Junior, LS
Matt Otwinowski, Buffalo, Senior, LB
Uriah Leiataua, BYU, Junior, DL
Michael Saffell, Cal, Junior, OL
Tyriq Harris, Charlotte, Senior, DL
Sean Pollard, Clemson, Senior, OL
Silas Kelly, Coastal Carolina, Junior, LB
Adam Prentice, Colorado State, Junior, RB
Koby Quansah, Duke, Senior, LB
Brody Hoying, Eastern Michigan, Senior, DB
James Morgan, FIU, Senior, QB
Tyrie Cleveland, Florida, Senior, WR
DeCalon Brooks, Florida State, Sophomore, LB
Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia, Senior, K
Rashad Byrd, Georgia Southern, Senior, LB
Jahaziel Lee, Georgia Tech, Senior, DL
Kiamana Padello, Hawai’i, Senior, DL
Bobby Walker, Illinois, Senior, TE
Nick Westbrook, Indiana, Senior, WR
Ray Lima, Iowa State, Senior, DL
Denzel Goolsby, Kansas State, Senior, DB
Matt Bahr, Kent State, Senior, LB
Landon Young, Kentucky, Junior, OL
Deuce Wallace, Louisiana, Senior, BD
Blake Ferguson, LSU, Senior, LS
Brenden Knox, Marshall, Sophomore, RB
Noah Barnes, Maryland, Junior, TE
Zach McCloud, Miami, Senior, LB
Jack Sorenson, Miami (Ohio), Junior, WR
Cole Chewins, Michigan State, Senior, OL
Khalil Brooks, Middle Tennessee, Senior, LB
Winston DeLattiboudere, Minnesota, Senior, DL
Kobe Jones, Mississippi State, Junior, DL
Khalil Oliver, Missouri, Senior, DB
James Smith-Williams, N.C. State, Senior, DL
Lucas Weber, Nevada, Senior, LB
Teton Saites, New Mexico, Junior, OL
Josh Adkins, New Mexico State, Sophomore, QB
Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame, Senior, DB
Mufu Tiawo, Old Dominion, Senior, DL
Mac Brown, Ole Miss, Junior, P
Justin Herbert, Oregon, Senior, QB
Dallas Warmack, Oregon, Senior, OL
Andrzej Hughes-Murray, Oregon State, Senior, LB
Tre Tipton, Pittsburgh, Senior, WR
Nick Leverett, Rice, Senior, OL
Josh Love, San Jose State, Senior, QB
Tyler Page, SMU, Junior, WR
Brian Ankerson, South Alabama, Junior, OL
Spencer Eason-Riddle, South Carolina, Junior, LB
Treyjohn Butler, Stanford, Senior, DB
Andrew Armstrong, Syracuse, Senior, LB
Kellton Hollins, TCU, Junior, OL
Matt Hennessy, Temple, Junior, OL
Ryan Johnson, Tennessee, Junior, OL
Trey Smith, Tennessee, Junior, OL
Sam Ehlinger, Texas, Junior, QB
Hunter “Hutch” White, Texas State, Senor, WR/ST
Travis Bruffy, Texas Tech, Senior, OL
Bryce Harris, Toledo, Senior, OL
B.J. Smith, Troy, Senior, RB
Jordan Johnson, UCF, Senior, OL
Darren Woods, Jr., UNLV, Senior, WR
Michael Pittman, USC, Senior, WR
Britain Covey, Utah, Junior, WR
Dominik Eberle, Utah State, Senior, K
Derron Gatewood, UTEP, Senior, OL
Andrew Martel, UTSA, Senior, LB
Andre Mintze, Vanderbilt, Junior, LB
Bryce Hall, Virginia, Senior, DB
Cade Carney, Wake Forest, Senior, RB
Nick Harris, Washington, Senior, OL
Evan Staley, West Virginia, Junior, K
Tyler Witt, Western Kentucky, Junior, OL
Jon Wassink, Western Michigan, Senior, QB
Chris Orr, Wisconsin, Senior, LB
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Departments and will close on October 15. 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 5 and finalists will be announced on November 18.
The formal announcement of the 2019 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation’s festivities in New York City on December 10. The presentation of the 2019 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 51st All Sports Association Awards Banquet on February 14, 2020 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; Drue Tranquill – Notre Dame – 2018.