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Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen named to the 2022 Maxwell Award Watch List

Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen is one of 85 candidates for the 2022 Maxwell Award, given annually to the top offensive player in college football.

Matt Belz

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Each year the Maxwell Football Club hands out The Maxwell Award, given to the top player in all of college football.

The prestigious award dates back to 1937 and gets its name from Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a Swarthmore College football player, coach, and sportswriter.

On Monday, the club announced the 85 pre-season candidates for the 2022 award, and Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen was notably on the list.

Originally from Fond du Lac, Allen was a four-star recruit out of high school, and he joined the team as a 17-year-old, skipping his senior season.

As a true freshman a season ago, Allen burst onto the scene with 1,268 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns despite starting the season as the No. 4 running back on the depth chart. His 6.8 yards-per-carry average helped him become a Freshman All-American, and he finished the year as a second-team All-Big Ten selection.

After the first four games, Allen emerged as the top offensive player for Wisconsin, recording eight 100-yard games and combining for 401 rushing yards and six touchdowns in back-to-back contests against Northwestern and Nebraska during Big Ten play.

Braelon Allen's blend of strength and speed make him one of the best running backs entering the 2022 season, and he is already on the Heisman Trophy shortlist too. The Badgers also bring back Chez Mellusi, and the two are widely considered one of the best running back tandems in the nation.

Wisconsin has not had a Maxwell Award winner since Ron Dayne won it in 1999, but Allen is one of 12 Big Ten candidates up for the honor and one of only 16 sophomores in contention.

Other Big Ten candidates:

  • Chase Brown (RB) - Illinois
  • Blake Corum (RB) - Michigan
  • Payton Thorne (QB) - Michigan State
  • Jayden Reed (WR) - Michigan State
  • Mo Ibrahim (RB) - Minnesota
  • Evan Hull (RB) - Northwestern
  • C.J. Stroud (QB) - Ohio State
  • Jaxson Smith-Njigba (WR) - Ohio State
  • TreVeyon Henderson (RB) - Ohio State
  • Sean Clifford (QB) - Penn State
  • Aidan O'Connell (QB) - Purdue

With watch list season upon us, Allen is sure to be in contention for more pre-season awards. 

You can see the entire 85-person list below. 

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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