C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr. named finalists for top college football awards

Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
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Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. are up for some of college football’s top individual awards.

It was announced Tuesday that Stroud is a finalist for the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards, the former given out to the player of the year in the sport and the latter to the nation’s best quarterback.

Harrison is also one of the three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver.

The winners are to be announced on Dec. 8 at the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

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The biggest challenge for Stroud will be the presence of Caleb Williams, the dynamic quarterback at Southern California who is also a finalist for both awards and considered the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. Williams has led a resurgence at USC after the Trojans suffered their worst season in three decades last fall.

Stroud threw for 3,340 yards, 37 touchdowns and just six interceptions during the regular season, while Williams has strung together 3,712 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and three interceptions, along with rushing for 10 touchdowns.

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is the other finalist for the Maxwell Award, while Texas Christian quarterback Max Duggan joins Stroud and Williams as finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award.

Nov 12, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Nov 12, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

While Stroud was widely viewed as one of the best players in the sport leading into this season, Harrison broke out as a sophomore, making a splash for the Buckeyes as they were without Jaxon Smith-Njigba for most of the fall.

Combining his precise route running with an ability to complete acrobatic catches, Harrison hauled in 72 passes for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns. Only Houston's Nathaniel Dell and Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt have had more touchdown receptions than Harrison. Hyatt is one of the three finalists, as well as Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson.

When was the last time an Ohio State football player won an award?

It’s been more than a decade since an Ohio State player took home any of the awards.

Former quarterback Troy Smith was the Buckeyes’ last winner of the Davey O'Brien in 2006 when he also won the Heisman Trophy, while receiver Terry Glenn won the Biletnikoff in 1995, along with Eddie George picking up the Maxwell that same year.

Stroud was also a finalist for the Davey O’Brien last fall, as was former defensive end Chase Young for the Maxwell in 2019.

But it's been much longer since anyone from Ohio State was selected as a finalist for the Biletnikoff. The last was Glenn in 1995 when he won the award.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr. finalists for top individual awards

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