Is the Heisman Trophy heading to Southern California?
The signs seem to be pointing in that direction, as USC quarterback Caleb Williams was announced as the winner of the Maxwell Award on Thursday night.
The Maxwell is given annually to college football’s player of the year and tends to foreshadow the Heisman winner as well. Seven of the last eight Maxwell winners have also won the Heisman, with the lone exception in that stretch being 2018, when Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray (Heisman) and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Maxwell) split the awards.
Williams won the Maxwell over fellow finalists Hendon Hooker (QB, Tennessee) and C.J. Stroud (QB, Ohio State).
That’s not the only hardware Williams took home on Thursday, as the Trojans’ signal-caller was also named The Associated Press college football player of the year, becoming the school’s first winner of the award since 2005 with his stellar debut season for the Trojans.
Williams received 32 of the 46 first-place votes and 117 total points from AP Top 25 poll voters to win the award presented by Regions Bank. The Heisman Trophy favorite finished well ahead of TCU quarterback Max Duggan, who came in second with six first-place votes and 64 points.
Stroud was third, with Hooker in fourth and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett fifth.
Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., the first repeat SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was the only non-quarterback in this year’s top eight vote-getters, finishing sixth after coming in fourth last season.
[Heisman Trophy preview: Key questions around each finalist]
Williams, Stroud, Duggan and Bennett are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy, the winner of which will be crowned on Saturday.
Several other awards were handed out on Thursday evening. Here’s the latest:
Maxwell Award (player of the year)
Winner: Caleb Williams
Williams passed for 4,075 yards with an FBS-leading 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season, completing 66.1% of his passes while winning the Pac-12′s Offensive Player of the Year award. He also rushed for 372 yards and 10 touchdowns.
AP Player of the Year
Winner: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Walter Camp Player of the Year
Winner: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Bronko Nagurski Trophy (Defensive player of the year, judged by FWAA)
Winner: Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama
Anderson dominated the SEC in his junior season, racking up a conference-leading 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, despite facing frequent double-teams. He also notched his first career interception, which he returned 25 yards for a touchdown.
Lombardi Award (Outstanding college football lineman)
Winner: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
Chuck Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year, judged by Maxwell Club)
Winner: Will Anderson, Jr., LB. Alabama
Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback)
Winner: Max Duggan, TCU
Duggan wasn’t even TCU’s starter at the beginning of the season, yet he led the Horned Frogs to the CFP, passing for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns along the way. He’s the school’s first player to win the Davey O’Brien Award, which was named after the former TCU star.
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (Top upperclassman quarterback)
Winner: Max Duggan, TCU
Doak Walker Award (best running back)
Winner: Bijan Robinson, Texas
Robinson rushed for a career-high 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, ranking fifth and fourth in the nation, respectively, in those categories. He also caught 19 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns, a versatility that might have given him an edge over fellow finalists Blake Corum (Michigan) and Chase Brown (Illinois).
Belitnikoff Award (outstanding receiver)
Winner: Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Hyatt was a key to the Vols’ high-powered offense, catching 67 passes for 1,267 yards and an FBS-leading 15 touchdowns. He was also at his best on the biggest stage, going for 207 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Alabama.
John Mackey Award (outstanding tight end)
Winner: Brock Bowers, Georgia
The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder caught 52 passes for 726 yards and six touchdowns for the undefeated Bulldogs. He also ran the ball six times for 93 yards and three more scores.
Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)
Winner: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
The nephew of former TCU and NFL star running back LaDainian Tomlinson was a force at his cornerback position this season, notching 42 total tackles (including two tackles for loss), three interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
Butkus Award (Top linebacker)
Winner: Jack Campbell, Iowa
Campbell was everywhere for a dominant Hawkeyes defense this season, racking up 115 total tackles, 3.5. tackles for loss and two interceptions.
William V. Campbell Trophy (Academic Heisman)
Winner: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
Jack Campbell notches a safety
The Iowa Hawkeyes took a 5-3 lead over the South Dakota State earlier this season when Jack Campbell tackled the ball carrier in the end zone.
Rimington Trophy (outstanding center)
Winner: Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
Outland Trophy (most outstanding interior lineman)
Winner: Olusegun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
Paul Hornung Award (Most versatile player)
Winner: Jack Colletto, LB, Oregon State
Wuerffel Trophy (Community service award)
Winner: Dillan Gibbons, OL, Florida State
Ray Guy Award (punter of the year)
Winner: Adam Korsak, Rutgers
The Australian averaged 44.0 yards per punt this season, including one that sailed 77 yards.
Lou Groza Award (outstanding place-kicker)
Winner: Christopher Dunn, NC State
Dunn set ACC career marks with 93 field goals made and 479 total points scored.
The Home Depot Coach of the Year
Winner: Sonny Dykes, TCU
Dykes is the first head football coach in TCU and Big 12 history to start his first season 12-0.
Eddie Robinson (Coach of the Year, judged by FWAA)
Winner: John Stiegelmeier, South Dakota State
Broyles Award (Top assistant coach)
Winner: Garrett Riley, OC/QB coach, TCU
Burlsworth Trophy (Top former walk-on)
Winner: Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia
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