Owen Allen named to The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
8/26/2026 8:47:00 AM | Football
The fourteenth annual Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List was announced today.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: Played football at and graduated from a Texas High School and/or currently playing at Texas D1 four-year college.
Allen was second on the team in rushing with 750 yards and five touchdowns. He was fourth in the Mountain West in yards per carry (5.68), fifth in rushing yards (750) and fifth in rushing yards per game (62.5). Allen tied for the team lead with five 100-yard rushing games, all coming in the last seven games. He rushed for a career-high 192 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries at UNLV.
The Watch List announced today will be narrowed to up to 16 semifinalists in November and then up to 5 finalists in December. They will be selected by broadcasters, commentators, journalists, fans, and previous winners. The winner will be announced in December and celebrated at The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet scheduled for January 27, 2027 in Tyler, Texas.
This year's Watch List (complete list attached) includes:
THE EARL CAMPBELL TYLER ROSE AWARD
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was announced in 2012 by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and SPORTyler.
"We are fortunate to have a celebrity who exhibits the impeccable virtues that define this award," Cindy Smoak, Executive Director SPORTyler said. In addition to being a well-known sports figure, Earl also earned a college degree, married his high school sweetheart, raised two successful sons and still supports the community where he grew up."
Earl Campbell graduated from John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas before joining the Texas Longhorns under legendary Coach Darrell K. Royal. In his senior year, he led the nation with 1,744 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns, going on to win the Longhorns' first Heisman Trophy.
He was subsequently drafted by the Houston Oilers where he won Rookie of the Year honors in 1978 and went on to lead the NFL in rushing 3 times. Campbell earned NFL MVP in 1979 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. He now resides in Austin.
"All my life, all I wanted to do was be an athlete," Campbell said. "I kept God in my life and surrounded myself with good people. I am humbled by this award named in my honor."
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: Played football at and graduated from a Texas High School and/or currently playing at Texas D1 four-year college.
Allen was second on the team in rushing with 750 yards and five touchdowns. He was fourth in the Mountain West in yards per carry (5.68), fifth in rushing yards (750) and fifth in rushing yards per game (62.5). Allen tied for the team lead with five 100-yard rushing games, all coming in the last seven games. He rushed for a career-high 192 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries at UNLV.
The Watch List announced today will be narrowed to up to 16 semifinalists in November and then up to 5 finalists in December. They will be selected by broadcasters, commentators, journalists, fans, and previous winners. The winner will be announced in December and celebrated at The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet scheduled for January 27, 2027 in Tyler, Texas.
This year's Watch List (complete list attached) includes:
- 107 players from 9 conferences and 2 independents (American, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac-12, SEC, and Sun Belt)
- Players representing Universities from 34 different states and 72 schools.
- Wide Receivers lead the nominations with 36, followed by Running backs (28), Offensive Linemen (16), Quarterbacks (15), Tight ends (10), Fullbacks (1), and Miner back (1).
THE EARL CAMPBELL TYLER ROSE AWARD
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was announced in 2012 by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and SPORTyler.
"We are fortunate to have a celebrity who exhibits the impeccable virtues that define this award," Cindy Smoak, Executive Director SPORTyler said. In addition to being a well-known sports figure, Earl also earned a college degree, married his high school sweetheart, raised two successful sons and still supports the community where he grew up."
Earl Campbell graduated from John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas before joining the Texas Longhorns under legendary Coach Darrell K. Royal. In his senior year, he led the nation with 1,744 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns, going on to win the Longhorns' first Heisman Trophy.
He was subsequently drafted by the Houston Oilers where he won Rookie of the Year honors in 1978 and went on to lead the NFL in rushing 3 times. Campbell earned NFL MVP in 1979 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. He now resides in Austin.
"All my life, all I wanted to do was be an athlete," Campbell said. "I kept God in my life and surrounded myself with good people. I am humbled by this award named in my honor."
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