Walter Camp 2021 Player of Year Preseason Watch List

The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of 35 “players to watch” for its 2021 Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade. 

There are 25 offensive players (13 quarterbacks, eight running backs and four receivers/tight ends) on the preseason watch list along with 10 from the defensive side of the ball.  In all, 29 schools and 11 conferences (including independents) are represented on the list with Iowa State having four players on the list.  Defending national champion Alabama has two players on the watch list, along with Notre Dame and Clemson.

 “We are proud to continue the great work of Walter Camp and recognize the best college football players in the nation,” Foundation president Mario Coppola said. “This watch list is a great start to what is shaping up to be another exciting year of college football.”

Former Alabama and current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith was the 2020 Walter Camp Player of Year.

The 2021 watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in mid-November.  The 2021 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 live on ESPN on Thursday, December 9.  The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s 55th annual national awards banquet on January 15, 2022 in New Haven, Conn.

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.

2021 Walter Camp Player of Year Preseason Players to Watch   

Will Anderson, LB, Alabama

Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn

Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

Matt Corrall, QB, Ole Miss

Dustin Crum, QB, Kent State

Jayden Daniels, QB, Arizona State

JT Daniels, QB, Georgia

Dillon Gabriel, QB, UCF

Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State

Cade Hall, DE, San Jose State

Kyle Hamilton, DB, Notre Dame

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota

Brandon Joseph, DB, Northwestern

D’Eriq King, QB, Miami

Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State

DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina

John Metchie, WR, Alabama

Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA

Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

Michael Penix, Jr., QB, Indiana

Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State

Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma

Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

Mike Rose, LB, Iowa State

Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson

Kedon Slovis, QB, USC

Derek Stingley, DB, LSU

Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

Demetrius Taylor, DE, Appalachian State

Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

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 the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit www.ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.www.waltercamp.org