Inside The Panthers

Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Named to Maxwell Award Watchlist

The Pitt Panthers' star tailback is gaining more national recognition.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Named to Maxwell Award Watchlist
Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Named to Maxwell Award Watchlist /
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PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda broke onto the national scene for the first time last week, when he gashed Virginia Tech to the tune fo 320 yards and six touchdowns. Abanikanda gained recognition for that singular outstanding performance but now the college football world is beginning to notice that he is putting together an outstanding season - not just four good quarters. 

Abanikanda was not on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, given annually by the Maxwell football club to the most outstanding player in college football, but they are unable to ignore his production through the first half of the regular season. They named him to their midseason watch list this week. 

Abanikanda climbed up Pitt's single-game record books last week while also racing to the top of national leaderboards in the process. Abanikanda currently leads the country in all-purpose yards, touchdowns and points scored. He is second in rushing yards and trails the national leader, Illinois' Chase Brown, by just forty yards despite carrying the ball 21 fewer times. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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