It’s hard to believe that it’s already that time of year when the college football award watch lists are annoucing, but it is. That means we’re a little more than a month away from college football season!

Over the next two weeks, sixteen different awards will announce their watch lists for the 2021 college football season. Today, we begin with watch lists for the Bednarik Award and the Maxwell Award.

The Bednarik Award is presented to the most outstanding college football defensive player each year by the Maxwell Football Club. UCLA did not have anyone make the Bednarik Award watch list this year.

The Maxwell Football Club also presents the Maxwell Award to the most outstanding college football player each year.

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been named to watch list for the 85th annual Maxwell Award for the second year in a row.

Maxwell Football @MaxwellFootball

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 📄 Powered by Mammoth Tech Congratulations to the 80 athletes who have been named to the list. Award is given annually to the college football player of the year. #MaxwellAward #MaxwellFootball

July 19th 2021

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Thompson-Robinson is coming off a season in which he posted a pass efficiency rating of 156.29. That’s the highest by a Bruin starting quarterback since 2005. He became the first Bruin to rush for at least 100 yards and pass for at least 300 yards in the same game when the Bruins played Colorado. He completed 30 of his 36 passing attempts against USC last season for an .833 completion percentage which was the highest mark ever by any Bruin quarterback in a game with at least 30 passing attempts. Thompson-Robinson also threw for a season-high four touchdowns in games against both Colorado and USC. He rushed for 306 yards on the season with an season average of 5.6 yards per attempt. He was named to the All-Pac-12 second team last season.

Thompson-Robinson will be looking to become only the second Bruin to win the Maxwell Award. Bruin legend Gary Beban became UCLA’s only Maxwell Award winner in 1967.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on November 1 and three finalists will be named on November 22.

The Maxwell Award, named in honor of Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell, has been given to America’s College Football Player of the Year since 1937. Maxwell’s contributions to the game of football were extensive, including time as a player at Swarthmore College, a renowned sportswriter and a football official.

The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. All of the NCFAA awards will be announced during the College Football Awards Show on ESPN on December 9, 2021. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 11, 2022.


Go Bruins!!!

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