Winners from Thursday's College Football Awards
The Heisman Trophy ceremony may not be until Saturday night, but there was plenty of hardware handed out Thursday at the Home Depot College Football Awards.
Here's who took home top honors in Atlanta:
Maxwell Award (Player of the year)
Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
The Maxwell Award was Burrow’s second trophy of the night after he was named the best quarterback in the nation (more details below). The senior established a new SEC record for passing touchdowns (48), leading the top-ranked team in the country to its first conference title since 2011. The Tigers' offense averaged 47.8 points and 386.8 passing yards per game.
Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
Biletnikoff Award (Best receiver)
Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
Chase was not only LSU’s most productive target, but he was one of the most dangerous pass-catchers in college football this season. He led the nation in receiving yards (1,498) and touchdowns (18), with 73 catches through 12 games. The sophomore scored in all but two of his appearances this year, including five multi-touchdown performances. He’s the second Tiger to claim the honor (Josh Reed, 2001).
CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
Michael Pittman Jr., USC
Ray Guy Award (Punter of the year)
Max Duffy, Kentucky
The SEC is home to the best punter in the nation for the second straight year, as Kentucky’s Max Duffy crowned his excellent 2019 campaign with the Ray Guy Award. The Australian recorded a season-high 48.6 yards per punt, with only nine of his 47 punts returned, and 24 of them landing inside the 20-yard line.
Dane Roy, Houston
Sterling Hofrichter, Syracuse
Bednarik Award (Best defensive player)
Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
Young set career highs in sacks (16.5), tackles for a loss (21), and forced fumbles (seven) in 11 games in 2019, as the key piece of college football's leading defense. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder's outstanding campaign made him a Heisman Trophy finalist and the first Buckeye to ever be named the best defensive player in the nation.
Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
Lou Groza Award (Best kicker)
Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
Blankenship is the first Bulldog to be named the best kicker in the nation, and the first SEC player to claim the honor since Texas A&M’s Randy Bullock in 2011. The Bulldogs’ placekicker converted 25 of 31 field goals (80.6%) and didn’t miss any extra-point attempts (44-of-44) this season.
Keith Duncan, Iowa
Blake Mazza, Washington State
Jim Thorpe Award (Best defensive back)
Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Delpit became the third defensive back from LSU to win the award, joining Patrick Peterson (2010) and Morris Claiborne (2011). The junior amassed 56 total tackles, one sack, and two interceptions through 12 games in 2019. With the potential first-round Tigers’ safety claiming the honor, the SEC extends its streak to three straight Jim Thorpe winners.
Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
J.R. Reed, S, Georgia
Doak Walker Award (Best running back)
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Taylor was named the best running back in the nation for the second straight year. The junior was outstanding in 2019, amassing 1,909 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Overall, he topped 2,000 scrimmage yards for the third straight season, setting a new career high with 26 touchdowns overall. He’s the first player to win the award in back-to-back years since Arkansas’ Darren McFadden claimed the honor in 2006 and 2007.
J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
Outland Trophy (Best interior lineman)
Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
The Ducks had one of the best offensive lines in college football this season, allowing 23 sacks in 13 games, and Sewell was a huge piece of the unit. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder received PFF’s highest overall grade among offensive linemen in the nation (95.9). His 95.5 run-block grade also topped the country, while his 92.2 pass-blocking grade ranked second.
Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin
Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
Davey O'Brien Award (Best quarterback)
Joe Burrow, LSU
Burrow claimed the first of, what is likely to be, many individual awards for his historical 2019 campaign. He was named the best quarterback in college football this season after completing 77.9% of his passes and amassing 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns, against only six interceptions. The senior became the first LSU signal-caller to ever win the award.
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma