The semifinalist lists for each of the prestigious individual awards continue to come out. On Wednesday, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, presented by Crabtree Nexus of New Haven (no relation), dropped its 20-man semifinalist list. Included were five from the Big Ten, while the SEC led the way with seven. Three from the ACC, two independents, two from the American, and one from the Big 12 were honored.
Texas Tech and Ohio State were the only programs with multiple semifinalists, but the Buckeyes led the way with three.
Five Big Ten Stars Headline Walter Camp Award Semifinalist Cut
Caleb Downs, SAF, Ohio State
Last year, Caleb Downs came up just short of a handful of awards. Despite that, he was one of the few unanimous first-team All-Americans and was up for a host of individual awards.
This year, Downs leads the nation’s top defense with 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and two interceptions.
His impact on the field goes beyond the statsheet. Many NFL Draft experts consider Downs the top overall prospect due to his exceptional athleticism, as well as his high football IQ and reaction speed. For example, last week, he keyed in on a wide-open receiver to break up the pass, sending it straight into the waiting arms of his teammate.
In addition to making the semifinalist list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Downs is a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, and Thorpe Award (so far).
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Fresh off a come-from-behind win featuring what could be the play of the year, Fernando Mendoza retook the lead in the Last Word on College Football Heisman poll. Considering how well he’s played for the 10-0 Indiana Hoosiers, it only makes sense.
Mendoza has thrown for 2,342 yards in 10 games while completing 71.3% of his passes. The most impressive part is the fact that he currently leads the nation with 26 touchdowns.
Mendoza is the only Big Ten quarterback on the Johnny Unitas Award semifinalist list. At the same time, he’s racking up other honors like being a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Award. A trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony is likely in his future as well.
Mendoza can become just the second Indiana Hoosier to win the award, joining Anthony Thompson in 1989.
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
One of the most highly-touted recruits, Dante Moore, flamed out at UCLA. As a result, he transferred to Oregon to learn for a year before taking over. Finally, Moore has begun to play as expected.
In nine games, the Oregon quarterback has completed 70.5% of his passes for 1,884 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s shown flashes of greatness as well as inexperience. He ranked ninth nationally in completion percentage and is seventh with a 164.72 passer rating. In five of his games, Moore has thrown for at least three touchdowns.
In addition to the Walter Camp Award, Moore is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award as well as the Davey O’Brien Award.
Only one other Duck has won the award. If Moore wins the Walter Camp Award, he would join Marcus Mariota from his Heisman season in 2014.
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
Sitting with the best odds to take home the Heisman, despite what our personal polling suggests, Julian Sayin is taking the nation by storm in his first season as the Ohio State quarterback. As the quarterback of the reigning 9-0 champions, Sayin is in prime territory to start stocking up on awards.
As a redshirt freshman, Sayin had to get used to the speed of college football. Now that he’s acclimated, the training wheels are off, and Sayin has begun to show what he can do. His pinpoint accuracy and deep ball abilities have led the Buckeyes and have been a key factor in how Ohio State has been able to shorten games.
Sayin has thrown for 2,491 yards and 24 touchdowns in nine games. His 80.9% completion percentage is on pace to break the all-time single-season mark.
Sayin was also named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, Maxwell Award, and Davey O’Brien Award.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
The other Heisman Trophy candidate on the Ohio State offense, Jeremiah Smith, has not had a sophomore slump after taking the country by storm last year. After leading the Big Ten in yards and touchdowns, Smith is headed for uncharted territory.
This year, Smith has hauled in 65 passes for 862 yards and 10 scores. He leads the way in the conference in catches and touchdowns.
For reference, if Smith keeps up his current pace and the Buckeyes get to play 16 games, he will finish with 180 receptions for 2,787 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career. The current records for Ohio State are 205 catches, 2,868 yards, and 35 touchdowns. Those holding those records played much more than Smith has, and he has a legitimate shot to own those career records before he even kicks off his junior season.
As the only wide receiver up for the Walter Camp Award, Smith is also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award to this point.
Smith, Sayin, and Downs are working to become the fifth Buckeye to take home the award and first since Troy Smith in 2006.
The Rest of the Field
- Rueben Bain, Jr., DT, Miami (FL)
- Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
- Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri
- Blake Horvath, QB, Navy
- Cashius Howell, DE, Texas A&M
- Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech
- Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
- Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas
- Ahmaad Moses, DB, SMU
- Bryun Parham, LB, Connecticut
- Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt
- Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M
- Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
- Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
- Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia
More Big Ten Awards Coverage
- OSU’s Downs Headlines Four Big Ten Thorpe Awards Semifinalists
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Big Ten Boasts Five Lombardi Award Semifinalists -
Five Big Ten Linebackers Named Butkus Award Semifinalists -
Three Big Ten Newcomers Named Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Semifinalists - Two Big Ten Safeties Honored as Lott IMPACT Trophy Semifinalists
- Big Ten Leads The Way With Six Maxwell Award Semifinalists
- Three Big Ten Defenders Named Bednarik Award Semifinalists
- The Big Ten’s Two Up For The Burlsworth Trophy
Main Photo: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
