The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of fifty “players to watch” for its 2024 Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade, and presented by David McDermott Lexus of New Haven.

The 2024 watch list includes 41 offensive players (20 quarterbacks, 11 running backs, five receivers/tight ends and two offensive lineman) along with nine from the defensive side of the ball.

Players from 39 different schools representing 10 conferences (including independents) are represented on the preseason watch list.   Ohio State and Notre Dame each have three players on the watch list, while seven schools (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Ole Miss and Penn State) each have two.

LSU’s Jayden Daniels, now with the Washington Redskins, was the 2023 Walter Camp Player of Year.

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

Earlier in the summer, the Foundation announced its 2024 preseason All-American teams.  Walter Camp is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious collegiate football All-America team.

The 2024 Player of Year watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in early November and three finalists will be announced on November 26.  The 2024 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 133 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show on December 12.

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.

2024 Walter Camp Player of Year Preseason Players to Watch  

Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia

Zachariah Branch, WR/KR, Southern California

Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech

Antario Brown, RB, Northern Illinois

Byrum Brown, QB, South Florida

Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State

Howard Cross III, DT, Notre Dame

Jalon Daniels, QB, Kansas

Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona

TJ Finley, QB, Western Kentucky

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon

Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State

Garrett Greene, QB, West Virginia

Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech

Seth Henigan, QB, Memphis

Will Howard, QB, Ohio State

Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State

Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado, WR/DB

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State

Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame

Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

Grayson McCall, QB, North Carolina State

Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse

Jordan McCloud, QB, Texas State

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

Malachi Moore, DB, Alabama

Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee

Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU

Cameron Rising, QB, Utah

Kaidon Salter, QB, Liberty

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia

Terion Stewart, RB, Bowling Green

Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma

D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Florida State

Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Xavier Watts, DB, Notre Dame

Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M

Ricky White, WR, UNLV

 

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. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.

Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a 15-day period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2024 preseason watch list calendar:

Tue., Aug. 6: Doak Walker Award

Wed., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award

Thu., Aug. 8: Davey O’Brien Award

Fri., Aug. 9: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy

Mon., Aug. 12: Bednarik Award

Tue., Aug. 13: Butkus Award

 

About McDermott Lexus of New Haven

David McDermott Lexus of New Haven is located at 655 Main Street in East Haven, CT, convenient from anywhere in the North East directly off of I-95. Visit them at https://www.mcdermottlexusofnewhaven.com/

About Lexus

Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With seven models incorporating LexusHybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers eight F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.

Recently retired University of Iowa associate athletic director of athletic communications Steve Roe will be honored by the Walter Camp Football Foundation at its 57^th annual National Awards Dinner on March 16.

The Walter Camp Sports Communicator award is named in memory of Bill Keish, who was a longtime Foundation member and chairman of the public relations committee. The award originated as the Foundation’s “Media Appreciation” award. It was awarded to local sports media professionals in recognition of their contributions on behalf of the WCFF. It has recently been expanded to a broader scope, recognizing contributions to sports communications.    Roe joins former USC sports communicator Tim Tessalone as recipients of the award.

Roe retired last July after 33-plus years of service at Iowa. He joined the Iowa staff as an assistant SID in September of 1990 and assumed the department’s top position in 2011 after roles as assistant and associate sports information director.

During that time, Roe helped promote a litany of Walter Camp All-Americans, including 15 First Team selections and 11 Second Team honorees.

Last summer, Roe was inducted into the College Sports Communicators’ Hall of Fame.

Prior to Iowa, Roe worked at Drake University as SID (1985-88) and at Northwestern State (La.) as head SID (1980-85).

Former St. Joseph High School and Monmouth University running back Jaden Shirden (West Haven, CT) has been selected as Walter Camp’s 2023 Football Championship Subdivision Player of the Year.  This is the first year the Walter Camp Foundation has given this award.

Shirden, the two-time Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year, finished the 2023 regular season as the nation’s leading rusher for the second consecutive season.  Entering the year at seventh on Monmouth’s all-time rushing yardage list, Shirden’s 1,478 yards on the ground in 2023 saw him rise to third, and his 10 touchdowns on the season brought him into the program’s top-10.  The junior notched seven 100+ rushing yard games including two games eclipsing the 250 mark.

Shirden’s biggest game came at home on October 14 against Hampton where he ran for 276 yards and scored a career-best four touchdowns – including a 63-yard score and 72-yard score – on 16 carries. Two weeks later at nationally-ranked William & Mary, Shirden ran for two touchdowns while notching 251 yards on 21 carries.

Shirden, who finished third in the Walter Payton Award voting, announced he was declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft in December.

Shirden played scholastically for head coach Joe DellaVecchia at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull.   Shirden was a two-time Walter Camp All-Connecticut honoree and led the Cadets to the 2019 Class L state title.

Shirden will be honored, along with the members of the 2023 Walter Camp All-America Team, Player of Year Jayden Daniels (LSU), Coach of Year Kalen DeBoer (Washington… now at Alabama) and Connecticut Players of the Year Tyler Van Dyke and Justin Barron at the Foundation’s 57th National Awards Gala on Saturday, March 16 in New Haven.   National Awards Gala tickets are $350 and available at https://waltercamp.org/product/awards-dinner/

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 – 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.