Indiana’s Curt Cignetti Selected Walter Camp’s 2024 Football Bowl Subdivision Coach of the Year
Curt Cignetti, first-year head coach of the Indiana University Hoosiers, is the Walter Camp 2024 Football Bowl Subdivision Coach of the Year. The Walter Camp Coach of the Year is selected by the nation’s 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.
Cignetti is the second coach from Indiana (John Pont, 1967) to earn the award. Cignetti is the first Big Ten coach to be recognized since 2005 (Penn State’s Joe Paterno).
Under Cignetti’s leadership, Indiana has reached the College Football Playoff for the first time. The #10 Hoosiers will take on #7 Notre Dame in the First Round on Friday, Dec. 20 at Notre Dame Stadium
Picked to finish 16th in the Big Ten preseason media poll, the Hoosiers set a record with 11 wins for the first time in program history. An Indiana team had never eclipsed nine wins in a season before 2024. Cignetti guided the team to its first 8–0 start since 1967, then to a 9–0 record, marking a program milestone, and finally to a 10–0 start, the best in Indiana’s football history. The Hoosiers achieved their first-ever 11-win season, highlighted by a victory over defending national champion Michigan, earning the team national recognition, a top-five ranking, and a resulting College Football Playoff berth.
BLOOMINGTON, IN – October 26, 2024 – Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Curt Cignetti during the game between the Washington Huskies and the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. Photo By Trent Barnhart/Indiana Athletics
Cignetti was named head football coach at Indiana University on November 30, 2023. He previously held head coaching positions Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2011-16), Elon (2017-2018) and James Madison (2019-2023). His current career record stands at 130–36 (.783).
In 2024, Cignetti was named the Hayes-Schembechler Big Ten Coach of the Year (as selected by his fellow conference coaches) and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year (by the media that covers the Big Ten). The honors from the Big Ten mark the fourth time in his career that he earned coach of the year accolades from a conference office, doing so once at each of his previous stops. He was the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2012 (at IUP), the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year in 2017 (at Elon) and Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2023 (at James Madison).
After graduating from West Virginia, Cignetti began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pitt in 1983 under Foge Fazio. He has also coached at Davidson College, Rice University, Temple University, a return to Pitt and then stints at North Carolina State and the University of Alabama.
Cignetti and his wife, Manette, have three children, Curt Jr., Carly Ann, and Natalie Elise. Cignetti’s father, Frank Cignetti Sr., won 199 games as a head coach at West Virginia University and IUP and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
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 Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s website, www.ncfaa.org
Walter Camp Coaches of the Year
2024 – Curt Cignetti, Indiana
2023 – Kalen DeBoer, Washington
2022 – Sonny Dykes, TCU
2021 – Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
2020 – Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina
2019 – Ed Orgeron, LSU
2018 – Nick Saban, Alabama
2017 – Mark Richt, Miami
2016 – Mike MacIntyre, Colorado
2015 – Dabo Swinney, Clemson
2014 – Gary Patterson, TCU
2013 – David Cutcliffe, Duke
2012 – Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
2011 – Les Miles, LSU
2010 – Chip Kelly, Oregon
2009 – Gary Patterson, TCU
2008 – Nick Saban, Alabama
2007 – Mark Mangino, Kansas
2006 – Greg Schiano, Rutgers
2005 – Joe Paterno, Penn State
2004 – Tommy Tuberville, Auburn
2003 – Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
2002 – Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
2001 – Ralph Friedgen, Maryland
2000 – Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
1999 – Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
1998 – Bill Synder, Kansas State
1997 – Lloyd Carr, Michigan
1996 – Bruce Snyder, Arizona State
1995 – Gary Barnett, Northwestern
1994 – Joe Paterno, Penn State
1993 – Terry Bowden, Auburn
1992 – Gene Stallings, Alabama
1991 – Bobby Bowden, Florida State
1990 – Bobby Ross, Georgia Tech
1989 – Bill McCartney, Colorado
1988 – Don Nehlen, West Virginia
1987 – Dick MacPherson, Syracuse
1986 – Jimmy Johnson, Miami
1985 – Fisher DeBerry, Air Force
1984 – Joe Morrison, South Carolina
1983 – Mike White, Illinois
1982 – Jerry Stovall, Louisiana State
1981 – Jackie Sherrill, Pittsburgh
1980 – Vince Dooley, Georgia
1979 – John Mackovic, Wake Forest
1978 – Warren Powers, Missouri
1977 – Lou Holtz, Arkansas
1976 – Frank R. Burns, Rutgers
1975 – Frank Kush, Arizona State
1974 – Barry Switzer, Oklahoma
1973 – Johnny Majors, Pittsburgh
1972 – Joe Paterno, Penn State
1971 – Bob Devaney, Nebraska
1970 – Bob Blackman, Dartmouth
1969 – Bo Schembechler, Michigan
1968 – Woody Hayes, Ohio State
1967 – John Pont, Indiana
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Congratulations to Colorado’s Travis Hunter – the 2024 Walter Camp Player of the Year – Photos and Videos of a trip to Boulder, CO
The award was announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN. The Walter Camp Player of Year is voted on by the nation’s 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.
On December 11, Walter Camp president John Barbarotta and president-elect Mike Madera traveled to Boulder, Colorado to surprise Travis and tell him about this prestigious honor.
Hunter is the 58th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, and the second player from Colorado to earn the honor (Rashaan Salaam, 1994).
A special thank you to the Colorado sports information department as well as the Buffaloes’ football staff for their hospitality and coordination of the visit.
Videos
Here is video of Travis entering the room to find out the big news
Walter Camp president John Barbarotta with the formal presentation of the award
Photo Gallery
135th annual Walter Camp All-America First and Second Teams
2024 Walter Camp All-America Teams
It is the 135th edition of the nation’s oldest college football All-America team
Click here for a PDF of the new release
A Little History
This is the 135th edition of the Walter Camp All-America team, the nation’s oldest college football All-America team. Twenty-five players were selected to the first team by the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. In addition, 25 players were selected to the Second Team. The team was certified by the New Haven-based accounting firm CBIZ.
- From 1889 to 1964, eleven players were selected.
- In 1965, both offensive and defensive teams were picked.
- In 1972, the first punter (Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi) was honored.
- In 1975, the first placekicker (Chris Bahr, Penn State) was selected.
- In 1998, the first-ever Second Team All-America team was recognized.
- In 2001, the first kick returner (Herb Haygood, Michigan State) was picked.
- In 2024, the first player (Travis Hunter, Colorado) earned First Team honors on both offense and defense.
Conference Info
In all, 39 different schools from nine conferences (including independents) were represented on the All-America First and Second Teams (a total of 50 players selected).
Overall, the Southeastern Conference has the most honorees (13; 4 first teamers and 9 second teamers), followed by the Big Ten Conference (12; 6 first teamers and 6 second teamers). Ohio State (2 first team, 1 second team) and Texas (1 first team, 2 second team) each have three selections, while Iowa and Colorado each have two first team honorees.
Good to See You Again
Five players on the 2024 Walter Camp All-America teams are repeat selections. First Team selection Xavier Watts (Notre Dame) was a First Team honoree in 2023. 2024 First Team selections Jay Higgins (Iowa) and Danny Stutsman (Oklahoma) were Second Team honorees a year ago. Second Team running back Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) and Malaki Starks (Georgia) were First Team honorees last season.
Two Way Player
Travis Hunter (Colorado) earned First Team All-America honors on both offense (WR) and defense (DB). It is the first time a player has earned First Team All-America honors on both sides of the ball. In addition, Hunter is the first Colorado wide receiver since Michael Westbrook (1994) to earn All-America honors, and the first defensive back since 1992 (Deon Figures) to be honored. Hunter was also selected as the 2024 Walter Camp Player of the Year.
Then and Now
Twenty-two different schools are represented on the 2024 Walter Camp All-America First Team. Of the 22 schools, Michigan has the most storied tradition of placing members on the team. The Wolverines had their first selection in 1903, halfback William Heston. This year, Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham is a First Team selection. Since 1903, Michigan has had 85 Walter Camp All-Americans.
Other historical selections:
Ohio State – first selection 1916 – Charles “Chic” Harley, running back
Penn State – first selection 1919 – Robert Higgins, end
West Virginia – first selection 1919 – Ira E. Rodgers, quarterback
Notre Dame – first selection 1920 – George Gipp, running back
First Team Tidbits
- There are 22 different schools represented on the All-America First Team. The Big Ten has the most First Teamers (6), followed by the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 (4 each).
- The Mid-American Conference has three First Team All-Americans with first-time selections from Bowling Green (TE Harold Fannin, Jr.), Buffalo (DB Shaun Dolac) and Western Michigan (OL Addison West).
- WR Nick Nash is the first-ever First Team recipient from San Jose State University.
- Iowa has the current longest streak of having a First Team All-American (2019 to present). Linebacker Jay Higgins and running back Kaleb Johnson are First Team selections. It is the second straight year the Hawkeyes have two first-team honorees.
- Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts is a repeat First Team honoree, and the first Fighting Irish two-time All-American since 1993 (OL Aaron Taylor, 1992 and 1993). The Fighting Irish have had eight First Team selections in the last five seasons.
- LSU’s Will Campbell is the first Tiger offensive lineman to earn Walter Camp First Team All-America honors since Alan Faneca (1997).
- Miami’s Cam Ward is the first Hurricane quarterback to be recognized since Ken Dorsey in 2002.
- Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was a two-time All-America defensive back (for Florida State) back in 1987 and 1988.
Class Distinction
Of the 25 First Team selections, 10 are seniors, 10 are juniors, while three are graduate students and two are sophomores. On the Second Team (25 total selections), there are 10 seniors, 10 juniors and four sophomores. There is also one freshman (Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith).
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
WR Travis Hunter, Colorado 6-1 185 Junior Suwanee, GA
WR Nick Nash, San Jose State 6-3 195 Senior Irvine, CA
TE Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green 6-4 230 Junior Canton, OH
OL Will Campbell, LSU 6-6 323 Junior Monroe, LA
OL Wyatt Milum, West Virginia 6-6 317 Senior Kenova, WV
OL Kelvin Banks, Jr, Texas 6-4 320 Junior Humble, TX
OL Addison West, Western Michigan 6-3 305 Senior Cary, IL
C Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State 6-4 305 Grad Buford, GA
QB Cam Ward, Miami 6-2 223 Senior West Columbia, TX
RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State 5-9 215 Junior Jacksonville, FL
RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa 6-0 225 Junior Hamilton, OH
PK Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana 6-2 252 Senior Clute, TX
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
DL Kyle Kennard, South Carolina 6-5 254 Senior Atlanta, GA
DL Mason Graham, Michigan 6-3 320 Junior Mission Viejo, CA
DL Mike Green, Marshall 6-4 248 Soph. Williamsburg, VA
DL Abdul Carter, Penn State 6-3 252 Junior Philadelphia, PA
LB Jay Higgins, Iowa # 6-2 232 Senior Indianapolis, IN
LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma # 6-4 243 Senior Windermere, FL
LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo 6-1 225 Grad West Seneca, NY
DB Nohl Williams, California 6-1 200 Senior Oxnard, CA
DB Travis Hunter, Colorado 6-1 185 Junior Suwanee, GA
DB Xavier Watts, Notre Dame* 6-0 203 Grad Omaha, NE
DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State 6-0 205 Soph. Hoschton, GA
P Alex Mastromanno, Florida State 6-1 241 Senior Melbourne, Australia
KR Keelan Marion, BYU 6-0 195 Junior Atlanta, GA
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona 6-5 212 Junior Waimanalo, HI
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State 6-3 215 Fresh. Miami Gardens, FL
TE Tyler Warren, Penn State 6-6 261 Senior Mechanicsville, VA
OL Spencer Fano, Utah 6-5 304 Soph. Spanish Fork, UT
OL Willie Lampkin, North Carolina 5-11 290 Senior Lakeland, FL
OL Tyler Booker, Alabama 6-5 325 Junior New Haven, CT
OL Kage Casey, Boise State 6-5 316 Soph. Happy Valley, OR
C Leif Fautanu, Arizona State 6-2 315 Senior Honolulu, HI
QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon 6-0 200 Senior Mililani, HI
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina * 6-0 220 Junior Clayton, NC
RB Dylan Sampson, Tennessee 5-11 201 Junior Geismar, LA
PK Alex Raynor, Kentucky 6-0 185 Senior Kennesaw, GA
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
DL Nic Scourton, Texas A&M 6-4 285 Junior Bryan, TX
DL Walter Nolen, Ole Miss 6-3 305 Junior Powell, TN
DL Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College 6-2 247 Senior Williamstown, NJ
DL Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Viginia Tech 6-3 252 Senior Portsmouth, VA
LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA 6-2 225 Junior Moorpark, CA
LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas 6-3 235 Soph. Denton, TX
LB Jalon Walker, Georgia 6-2 245 Junior Salisbury, NC
DB Ra’Mello Dotson, Kansas 6-1 190 Senior Daytona Beach, FL
DB Malaki Starks, Georgia * 6-1 205 Junior Jefferson, GA
DB Will Johnson, Michigan 6-2 202 Junior Detroit, MI
DB Jahdae Barron, Texas 5-11 200 Senior Austin, TX
P Eddie Czaplicki, USC 6-1 207 Senior Charlotte, NC
KR Rayshawn Pleasant, Tulane 6-0 185 Soph. West Monroe, LA
* – 2023 First Team Walter Camp All-America selection
# – 2023 Second Team Walter Camp All-America selection
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.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients.
Colorado junior WR/DB Travis Hunter is the 2024 Walter Camp Player of the Year, presented by Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
Colorado junior wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter (Suwanee, GA) has been selected as the 2024 Walter Camp Player of Year, presented by Crabtree Lexus of New Haven.
The award was announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN.
Walter Camp president John Barbarotta and president-elect Mike Madera were able to present Hunter the award on Wednesday in a surprise ceremony on the Boulder campus.
The Walter Camp Player of Year is voted on by the nation’s 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.
The 58th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of Year award, Hunter is the second Colorado player to win the prestigious honor, joining the former Buffalo running back Rashaan Salaam (1994).
The 2024 Big 12 Defensive Player of Year, Hunter has led 13th-ranked Colorado to a 9-3 record and a berth in the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl against BYU on December 28 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Hunter was a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection at defensive back. On the offensive side of the ball, Hunter was named All-Big 12 First Team as a wide receiver and was an Honorable Mention for Offensive Player of the Year.
For the season, Hunter registered 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, which tied for first in the Big 12, four interceptions (tied for second in the Big 12), 15 passes defended (first in the Big 12 and fifth in FBS), and a game-winning forced fumble on defense. Hunter’s 90.9 coverage grade ranked third among all cornerbacks in the nation. His 42.0 passer rating allowed is ninth among Power Four cornerbacks, while his four interceptions tied for fourth in that same group.
Offensively, Hunter recorded 92 receptions and ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth in the NCAA, with 1,152 receiving yards which is second in the Big 12 and fifth in the country. Hunter’s 14 receiving touchdowns led the conference and ranks second in the NCAA. A big-play threat, Hunter had 21 receiving plays of 20 yards or more, which led FBS. He twice had three touchdown receptions in a game, had 10 or more catches in a game three times and had 100 or more receiving yards in a game seven times.
Hunter was selected as a 2024 First Team Walter Camp All-American on both offense and defense. In the 135 years that Walter Camp has named an All-America team (the nation’s oldest All-America team), it is the first time a player has been named on both sides of the ball. Hunter now shares the same recognition as his head coach, Deion Sanders, who was a two-time Walter Camp All-America defensive back (at Florida State in 1987 and 1988).
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.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients.\
About Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
Crabtree Lexus of New Haven is located at 655 Main Street in East Haven, CT, convenient from anywhere in the Northeast directly off of I-95. Visit them at https://www.CrabtreeLexus.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 eight models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers nine 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.
Walter Camp Players of the Year, presented by Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
2024 – Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado
2023 – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
2022 – Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2021 – Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
2020 – DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
2019 – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
2018 – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
2017 – Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2016 – Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2015 – Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
2014 – Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
2013 – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2012 – Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame
2011 – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2010 – Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
2009 – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
2008 – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
2007 – Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
2006 – Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
2005 – Reggie Bush, RB, USC
2004 – Matt Leinart, QB, USC
2003 – Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh
2002 – Larry Johnson, RB, Penn State
2001 – Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska
2000 – Josh Heupel, QB, Oklahoma
1999 – Ron Dayne, RB, Wisconsin
1998 – Ricky Williams, RB, Texas
1997 – Charles Woodson, DB, Michigan
1996 – Danny Wuerffel, QB, Florida
1995 – Eddie George, RB, Ohio State
1994 – Rashaan Salaam, RB, Colorado
1993 – Charlie Ward, QB, Florida State
1992 – Gino Torretta, QB, Miami
1991 – Desmond Howard, WR, Michigan
1990 – Raghib Ismail, WR, Notre Dame
1989 – Anthony Thompson, RB, Indiana
1988 – Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma State
1987 – Tim Brown, WR, Notre Dame
1986 – Vinny Testaverde, QB, Miami
1985 – Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn
1984 – Doug Flutie, QB, Boston College
1983 – Mike Rozier, RB, Nebraska
1982 – Herschel Walker, RB, Georgia
1981 – Marcus Allen, RB, USC
1980 – Hugh Green, DE, Pittsburgh
1979 – Charles White, RB, USC
1978 – Billy Sims, RB, Oklahoma
1977 – Ken MacAfee, TE, Notre Dame
1976 – Tony Dorsett, RB, Pittsburgh
1975 – Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State
1974 – Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State
1973 – John Cappelletti, RB, Penn State
1972 – Johnny Rodgers, RB, Nebraska
1971 – Pat Sullivan, QB, Auburn
1970 – Jim Plunkett, QB, Stanford
1969 – Steve Owens, RB, Oklahoma
1968 – O.J. Simpson, RB, USC
1967 – O.J. Simpson, RB, USC
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty and Notre Dame S Xavier Watts named Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week, presented by The Heights Group at Morgan Stanley
– The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending November 30, presented by The Heights Group at Morgan Stanley.
About the Award: This is the 21st year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. It is the nation’s longest running Player of Week award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ASHTON JEANTY, BOISE STATE
Junior, Running Back, Jacksonville, FL
Ashton Jeanty rushed for 226 yards and one touchdown on a career-high 37 carries as the Broncos defeated Oregon State, 34-18. Jeanty had 100+ yards in both halves (106 in first, 120 in second) as Boise State improved to 11-1 on the season and will play in the Mountain West Conference championship game this week.
Notes: It is the third time since 2004 that a Boise State player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honor (Sept. 10, 2006, Ian Johnson, RB; Sept. 21, 2008 – Kellen Moore, QB).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
XAVIER WATTS, NOTRE DAME
Graduate, Safety, Omaha, NE
Xavier Watts was a key part of Notre Dame’s 49-35 win at USC. He led the team in tackles with nine, but his play of the game came on a victory-sealing 100-yard pick six in the final minutes. It was his team-leading fifth interception of the season. He also added one quarterback hurry.
Notes: It is the second time Watts has earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors (Oct. 1, 2023). It is the 15th time a Notre Dame player has been recognized since 2004.
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 Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). 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. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Global Sports & Entertainment is a dedicated division of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management that focuses exclusively on the complex financial needs of professional athletes and entertainers. Our division grew out of an understanding that every sports and entertainment profession has its own unique characteristics, earnings profile and career span. Our clients need the support of advisors who understand how their money flows from their work to their wallet and can help them craft innovative financial strategies that match their lifestyle and career trajectory.
The Heights Group is led by brothers Ryan Heald and Brooke Heald, both of whom are former collegiate student-athletes and have earned the rare distinction of Morgan Stanley Global Sports and Entertainment Director, a designation earned by fewer than 1% of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors. Ryan is a NFLPA Registered Institutional Player Financial Advisor with more than 20 years of experience working with top performers in sports and entertainment. The Heights Group started working with many talented clients and their families before they signed their first pro contracts, helping them understand, and prepare for, the complex financial challenges they would face as their careers progressed. The Heights Group at Morgan Stanley serves as their go-to advisors, always ready to help them sort through any financial issue and make informed decisions while pursuing their most important life goals.
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Hunter, Jeanty and Ward are the 2024 Walter Camp Player of Year Finalists, presented by McDermott Lexus of New Haven by
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the three finalists for its 2024 Player of the Year award, the fourth-oldest college football award in the nation.
Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter, Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty, and Miami senior quarterback Cam Ward are the three finalists.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year award is presented by McDermott Lexus of New Haven.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year is voted on by the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, and will be announced on the ESPN College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 12
2024 Walter Camp Player of Year FINALISTS
TRAVIS HUNTER, Junior, WR/DB, COLORADO
Exciting two-way player has totaled 82 receptions for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns for the 8-3 Buffaloes. Has totaled 30 tackles, three interceptions and one forced fumble on the defensive side of the ball.
ASHTON JEANTY, Junior, RB, BOISE STATE
The nation’s leading rusher with 2,062 yards and has scored 27 touchdowns for the 10-1 Broncos. Has 18 receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown. Has rushed for 200 or more yards in a game four times this season.
Has completed 67.2 percent (268-of-399) of his passes for 3,774 yards and 34 touchdowns for the 10-1 Hurricanes. Has passed for 300 or more yards nine times this season, including three 400+ yard efforts. Has also scored four rushing touchdowns.
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 Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). 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 NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
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.
