CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – A total of 48 players representing nine conferences plus one independent school that compete for the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) have been selected for the 2024 Paul Hornung Award Pre-Season Watch List, it was announced on Thursday, August 1.
Now in its 15th season, the Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission in memory of the late football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2025.
The ACC had the second-most players of any conference named to the preseason watch list in junior wide receiver Jayden McGowan of Boston College, junior running back Jaydn Ott of Cal, redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes of Georgia Tech, senior wide receiver Caullin Lacy of Louisville, graduate student defensive back Alijah Huzzie of North Carolina, sophomore wide receiver Kenny Johnson of Pitt, redshirt junior wide receiver Trebor Pena of Syracuse and senior running back Bhayshul Tuten of Virginia Tech.
The Paul Hornung Award has created an impressive legacy in 14 years including seven winners who were first-round NFL draft picks – Tavon Austin, Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., Christian McCaffrey, Jabrill Peppers, DeVonta Smith and Shaq Thompson.
Hornung, who passed away in his hometown at age 84 in November 2020, played every position in the offensive backfield during his career with Notre Dame in the 1950s and also played defensive safety, punted, placekicked and returned kickoffs. He was named All-America at quarterback as a senior and won the Heisman Trophy in 1956 before being the first player selected in the NFL draft, going to Green Bay. He earned NFL MVP honors for the Packers in 1961 as a triple-threat halfback and placekicker by setting a single-season NFL scoring record that stood for 46 years. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames, and Vince Lombardi once called him, “The most versatile man ever to play the game.”
The 2024 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of statistics, career performance, SID recommendations and expectations heading into the 2024 season. In addition to…
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