Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2019 Player of the Year Preseason Watch List

The Walter Camp Football Foundation announced today that Clemson running back Travis Etienne, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and defensive end Xavier Thomas have been named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

New Haven, CT - The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of forty “players to watch” for its 2019 Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade.

Ten players on the 2019 watch list, including the 2018 Player of the Year Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) have previously earned Walter Camp All-America honors. Tagovailoa was a First Team All-American last season along with his teammate, wide receiver Jordy Jeudy, and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor. Defensive back Grant Delpit (LSU) was also a First Team All-America honoree last season.

There are 30 offensive players (16 quarterbacks, seven running backs and seven receivers/tight ends) on the preseason watch list along with 10 from the defensive side of the ball.

In all, 35 schools and 11 conferences (including independents) are represented on the list with Alabama having four players on the list. Defending national champion Clemson has three players on the watch list, while Oregon has two.

“We are proud to continue the great work of Walter Camp and recognize the best college football players in the nation,” Foundation president Mario Coppola said. “This watch list is a great start to what is shaping up to be another exciting year of college football.”

The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in mid-November. The 2019 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 130 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on ESPN on Thursday, December 12. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s 53rd annual national awards banquet on January 18, 2020 in New Haven, Conn.

Please note: Appearing on the preseason Watch List is not a requirement for a player to win the Walter Camp award or be named to the All-America team.

2019 Walter Camp Player of Year Preseason Players to Watch

Eno Benjamin, RB, Junior, Arizona State

Ian Book, QB, Senior, Notre Dame

Matt Bushman, TE, Junior, BYU

Andre Cisco, DB, Sophomore, Syracuse * 2018 Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American

Grant Delpit, DB, Junior, LSU # 2018 Walter Camp 1st Team All-American

AJ Dillon, RB, Junior, Boston College

Sam Ehlinger, QB, Junior, Texas

Travis Etienne, Junior, Clemson * 2018 Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American

Mason Fine, QB, Senior, North Texas

Paddy Fisher, LB, Junior, Northwestern

Jake Fromm, QB, Junior, Georgia

Jonathan Garvin, DE, Junior, Miami Fla.

Richie Grant, S, Junior, UCF

Bryce Hall, DB, Senior, Virginia * 2018 Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American

Najee Harris, RB, Junior, Alabama

Justin Herbert, QB, Senior, Oregon

Lavert Hill, DB, Senior, Michigan

Kelvin Hopkins, QB, Senior, Army

Jalen Hurts, QB, Senior, Oklahoma

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Junior, Alabama # 2018 Walter Camp 1st Team All-American

D’Eriq King, QB, Senior, Houston

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Sophomore, Clemson

Jordan Love, QB, Junior, Utah State

Adrian Martinez, QB, Sophomore, Nebraska

Kellen Mond, QB, Junior, Texas A&M

Rondale Moore, WR, Sophomore, Purdue

Dylan Moses, LB, Junior, Alabama * 2018 Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American

Zach Moss, RB, Senior, Utah

Jared Pinkney, TE, Senior, Vanderbilt

Jalen Reagor, WR, Junior, TCU

Nathan Rourke, QB, Senior, Ohio

Laviska Shenault, WR, Junior, Colorado

Nate Stanley, QB, Senior, Iowa

D’Andre Swift, RB, Junior, Georgia

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Junior, Alabama # 2018 Walter Camp 1st Team All-American

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Junior, Wisconsin # 2018 Walter Camp 1st Team All-American

Xavier Thomas, DE, Sophomore, Clemson

Zac Thomas, QB, Junior, Appalachian State

Tylan Wallace, WR, Junior, Oklahoma State * 2018 Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American

Kenny Willekes, DL, Senior, Michigan State * 2018 Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation (www.waltercamp.org; @WalterCampFF) – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

The Walter Camp Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit www.ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.