The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of 52 “players to watch” for its 2022 Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade.

There are 44 offensive players (22 quarterbacks, 12 running backs and 10 receivers/tight ends) on the preseason watch list along with eight from the defensive side of the ball. 

Players from 40 different schools representing 11 conferences (including independents) are represented on the preseason watch list.  Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State each have three players on the watch list, while four schools (Kentucky, USC, Texas, and Iowa State) have two.

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

Former Michigan State and current Seattle Seahawk rookie running back Kenneth Walker III was the  2021 Walter Camp Player of Year.

The 2022 watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in mid-November.  The 2022 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 ESPN’s College Football Awards Show (date TBD).

The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s 55th annual national awards banquet in New Haven, Conn in early 2023.

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.

2022 Walter Camp Player of Year Preseason Players to Watch  

Jordan Addison, WR, junior, USC

Rasheen Ali, RB, sophomore, Marshall

Braelon Allen, RB, sophomore, Wisconsin

Will Anderson, LB, junior, Alabama

Kayshon Boutte, WR, junior, LSU

Brock Bowers, TE, sophomore, Georgia

Andre Carter II, LB, junior, Army West Point

Jalen Carter, DT, junior, Georgia

Dante Cephas, WR, junior, Kent State

Sean Clifford, QB, senior, Penn State

Blake Corum, RB, junior, Michigan

Malik Cunningham, QB, senior, Louisville

JT Daniels, QB, junior, West Virginia

Josh Downs, WR, junior, North Carolina

Dillon Gabriel, QB, junior, Oklahoma

Brett Gabbert, QB, junior, Miami (Ohio)

Jake Haener, QB, senior, Fresno State

Jaren Hall, QB, junior, BYU

Frank Harris, QB, senior, UTSA

Sam Hartman, QB, senior, Wake Forest

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, sophomore, Ohio State

Xavier Hutchinson, WR, senior, Iowa State

Quentin Johnston, WR, junior, TCU

Phil Jurkovec, QB, senior, Boston College

Calijah Kancey, DT, junior, Pittsburgh

Devin Leary, QB, junior, North Carolina State

Will Levis, QB, senior, Kentucky

Grayson McCall, QB, senior, Coastal Carolina

Will McDonald IV, DE, senior, Iowa State

Michael Mayer, TE, junior Notre Dame

Tanner Mordecai, QB, senior, SMU

Lew Nicholls, RB, sophomore, Central Michigan

Aiden O’Connell, QB, senior, Purdue

Spencer Rattler, QB, junior, South Carolina

Eli Ricks, DB, junior, Alabama

Kelee Ringo, DB, sophomore, Georgia

Brad Roberts, RB, senior, Air Force

Bijan Robinson, RB, junior, Texas

Chris Rodriquez, RB, senior, Kentucky

Spencer Sanders, QB, senior, Oklahoma State

Noah Sewell, LB, junior, Oregon

Jaxson Smith-Njigba, WR, junior, Ohio State

C.J. Stroud, QB, sophomore, Ohio State

Tavion Thomas, RB, junior, Utah

Payton Thorne, QB, junior, Michigan State

Cedric Tillman, WR, senior, Tennessee

Sean Tucker, RB, sophomore, Syracuse

Tyler Van Dyke, QB, sophomore, Miami (Fla.)

Deuce Vaughn, RB, junior, Kansas State

Caleb Williams, QB, sophomore, USC

Xavier Worthy, WR, sophomore, Texas

Bryce Young, QB, junior, Alabama

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) – 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.