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SEC leads country with 21 players on Maxwell Award watch list

Wade Payne / USA TODAY Sports

The SEC likes to brand itself as the best conference in the country, and that idea certainly holds true in the Maxwell Award watch list that was released on Monday.

The Award honors the best all-around player in the country and is voted on by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, head coaches, and the membership of the Maxwell football club.

The SEC leads the way with 21 players on the list, nine more than the Big 12, who comes second with 12. The remainder of the Power 5 conferences each have 11 names on the list, while the AAC and Conference USA top the Group of 5 conferences with four players.

Conference # of Players
SEC 21
Big 12 12
ACC 11
Big Ten 11
Pac-12 11
AAC 4
Conference USA 4
MWC 3
Sun Belt 3
Independent 3
MAC 2

Louisville's Lamar Jackson captured the award last season and has the opportunity to join rarefied air in becoming a two-time winner in 2017. Only Johnny Lattner (1952, 1953) and Tim Tebow (2007, 2008) have taken home the trophy twice, but Jackson has to be considered one of the favorites heading into his junior campaign.

The 85-man watch list will be narrowed to semifinalists on Oct. 30th, before the final three players are named on Nov. 20th. The winner will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 7th.

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