PHILADELPHIA (July 31, 2023) – Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward was named to the 2023 Maxwell Award Watch List for the second straight season, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.
 
The Maxwell Football Club announced its watch list for the 87^th Maxwell Award presented annually to the outstanding player in college football. The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
 
Last season, in his first season with the Cougars, Ward was named All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention after starting all 13 games, leading WSU to its seventh straight bowl game and throwing for 3,231 yards and 23 touchdowns. The junior from West Columbia, Texas recorded four 300-yard games, rushed for five touchdowns, had five games with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown and was named a semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, given to the top offensive player from Texas. Last season, Ward completed 320 passes, the eighth-most in WSU single-season history while his 64.4 completion percentage was ninth-best in WSU single-season history. Cougar quarterback Gardner Minshew II was a Maxwell Award semifinalist in 2018.
 
The Maxwell Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, led by Caleb Williams (USC) who was the 2022 winner. Williams is joined by 7 additional returning semifinalists, Brock Bowers – Georgia, Drake Maye – North Carolina, Marvin Harrison Jr. – Ohio State, Bo Nix – Oregon, Cameron Rising – Utah, Michael Penix Jr. – Washington and Blake Corum – Michigan. The full list consists of 85 players with 16 schools having two players represented.
 
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.