Louisville QB Lamar Jackson Headlines 2017 Walter Camp Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of forty “players to watch” for its 2017 Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade. 2016 Walter Camp Player of the Year, Louisville junior quarterback Lamar Jackson headlines the 2017 Watch List. Jackson accounted for more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in 2016 for the Cardinals.
2017 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List
Nine players on the 2017 watch list have previously earned Walter Camp All-America honors.
In all, 30 schools and 10 conferences are represented on the list with national runner-up Alabama having four players, and Ohio State having three.
“We are proud to continue the great work of Walter Camp and recognize the best college football players in the nation,” Foundation president Michael Madera said. “This watch list is a great start to what is shaping up to be another exciting year of college football.”
The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in mid-November. The 2017 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 130 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on Thursday, December 7. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s 51st annual national awards banquet on January 13, 2018 in New Haven.
Please note: Appearing on the preseason Watch List is not a requirement for a player to win the Walter Camp award or be named to the All-America team.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation (www.waltercamp.org; @WalterCampFF) – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.
The Walter Camp Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 23 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story. The members of the NCFAA unveiled their preseason watch lists over a two-week period (July 9-21). Sixteen of the association’s 23 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.
2017 Walter Camp Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming, Jr.
Jake Browning, QB, Washington, Jr.
JT Barrett, QB, Ohio State, Sr.
Sam Darnold, QB, USC, Soph.
Luke Falk, QB, Washington State, Sr.
Quinton Flowers, QB, USF, Sr.
Deondre Francois, QB, Florida State, Soph.
Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama, Soph.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville, Jr. # (2016 Walter Camp Player of Year)
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma, Sr. %
Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State, Sr.
Trace McSorley, QB, Penn State, Jr.
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA, Jr.
Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State, Jr.
Mike White, QB, Western Kentucky, Sr.
Running Backs
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State, Jr.
Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia, Sr.
Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama, Jr.
Jarvion Franklin, RB, Western Michigan, Sr.
Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon, Sr.
Derrius Guice, RB, LSU, Jr.
Justin Jackson, RB, Northwestern, Sr.
Jalin Moore, RB, Appalachian State, Jr.
Rashaad Penny, RB/KR, San Diego State, Sr.
Mark Walton, RB, Miami (Fla.), Jr.
Wide Receivers/Special Teams/Lineman
Daniel Carlson, PK, Auburn, Sr. #
Quadree Henderson, WR/KR, Pittsburgh, Jr. #
Billy Price, OL, Ohio State, Sr. *
Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama, Jr.
James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State, Sr.
Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah, Jr. #
Defense
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama, Jr. *
Rashan Gary, DT, Michigan, Soph.
Derwin James, DB, Florida State
Arden Key, LB, LSU, Sr.
Harold Landry, DE, Boston College, Sr. #
Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson, Soph.
Tyquan Lewis, DL, Ohio State, Sr.
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston, Soph.
Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson, Jr. *
# – 2016 Walter Camp First Team All-America selection
*- 2016 Walter Camp Second Team All-America selection
% – 2015 Walter Camp First Team All-America selection
