The Deseret News is tracking the release of this year’s college football preseason watch lists. Come back for updates on what Utah ties make the lists for the sport’s top awards.
Maxwell Award
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Jaxson Dart, senior QB, Ole Miss: Dart, the former Roy High and Corner Canyon High quarterback, had his best college season in 2023. He finished the year completing 65.1% of his passes for 3,364 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. Dart has thrown for 7,691 yards in his college career and could pass the 10,000-yard mark this season.
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Cameron Rising, senior QB, Utah: Rising missed all of the 2023 season due to injury, but he returns for his seventh year of college ball with high expectations. That’s because Rising helped lead Utah to back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022 — over those two seasons, he threw for 5,527 yards and 46 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions while also rushing for 964 yards and 12 touchdowns.
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Jalen Royals, senior WR, Utah State: Royals, in his second season in Logan after transferring from junior college, had a breakout season in 2023. He finished with 71 receptions for 1,080 yards and a school-record 15 touchdown catches. That included four games with 100-plus receiving yards and four games with multiple touchdown receptions.
2023 Maxwell Award winner: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Previous local winners (first awarded in 1937): Ty Detmer, BYU, 1990
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