Liam Szarka named to Maxwell Award watch list
8/3/2026 9:49:00 AM | Football
Award goes to the outstanding player in college football
The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch list for the 90th Maxwell Award presented annually to the outstanding player in college football. The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official. Air Force junior quarterback Liam Szarka was named to the list.
The Maxwell Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, led by four returning semifinalists, Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) and Dante Moore (Oregon). The full list consists of 81 players with Miami and Ohio State leading the way with three candidates each and an additional 14 schools having two players represented. The Big Ten boasts 17 candidates followed by the SEC with 16 and the Big 12 and ACC having 15 players each.
Fernando Mendoza from Indiana University was the 2025 Maxwell Award winner and was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first overall pick of the NFL draft.
Szarka was an honorable mention all-Mountain West selection last season after leading the team in rushing (190 carries, 922 yards, 13 touchdowns), passing (75-120-5-1,294-9) and total offense (310 plays, 2.216 yards, 221.6 avg). He became the first Falcon with 2,000-plus yards of total offense since 2105 and his 1.294 passing yards are the most by a Falcon since 2019. Szarka became the first player in Mountain West history to record three straight games of 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, accomplishing vs. Boise State, Hawaii and Navy. He is one of just six quarterbacks nationally since 1996 to do it and first since Lamar Jackson of Louisville from 2015-16.
Candidates are led alphabetically by school with position and class year noted.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine in the game.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 10, 2026, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 24, 2026. The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 10, 2026. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Saturday March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, NFL Foundation, College Sports Communicators, SRA Inc, Vertical Raise, Quinco Inc, the ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.
Mon., Aug. 3: Maxwell Award
Tue., Aug. 4: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 5: Mackey Award
Thu., Aug. 6: Rimington Trophy
Fri., Aug. 7: Lou Groza Award
Mon., Aug. 10: Paul Hornung Award
Tue., Aug. 11: Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Wed., Aug. 12: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Thu., Aug. 13: Butkus Award
Fri., Aug. 14: Ray Guy Award
Mon., Aug. 17: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 18: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 19: Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 20: Davey O'Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 21: Bednarik Award
For more information about the NCFAA and its college football awards, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter @NCFAA.
The Maxwell Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, led by four returning semifinalists, Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) and Dante Moore (Oregon). The full list consists of 81 players with Miami and Ohio State leading the way with three candidates each and an additional 14 schools having two players represented. The Big Ten boasts 17 candidates followed by the SEC with 16 and the Big 12 and ACC having 15 players each.
Fernando Mendoza from Indiana University was the 2025 Maxwell Award winner and was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first overall pick of the NFL draft.
Szarka was an honorable mention all-Mountain West selection last season after leading the team in rushing (190 carries, 922 yards, 13 touchdowns), passing (75-120-5-1,294-9) and total offense (310 plays, 2.216 yards, 221.6 avg). He became the first Falcon with 2,000-plus yards of total offense since 2105 and his 1.294 passing yards are the most by a Falcon since 2019. Szarka became the first player in Mountain West history to record three straight games of 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, accomplishing vs. Boise State, Hawaii and Navy. He is one of just six quarterbacks nationally since 1996 to do it and first since Lamar Jackson of Louisville from 2015-16.
Candidates are led alphabetically by school with position and class year noted.
| First | Last | Position | Class | School |
| Liam | Szarka | QB | Junior | Air Force |
| Jordan | Gant | RB | Senior | Akron |
| Ryan | Coleman-Williams | WR | Junior | Alabama |
| Noah | Fifita | QB | Senior | Arizona |
| Cale | Hellums | QB | Senior | Army |
| Byrum | Brown | QB | Senior | Auburn |
| Jeremiah | Cobb | RB | Senior | Auburn |
| DJ | Lagway | QB | Junior | Baylor |
| Maddux | Madsen | QB | Senior | Boise State |
| Dylan | Riley | RB | Junior | Boise State |
| Bear | Bachmeier | QB | Sophomore | BYU |
| LJ | Martin | RB | Senior | BYU |
| Jaron-Keawe | Sagapolutele | QB | Sophomore | Cal |
| Julian | Lewis | QB | R-Freshman | Colorado |
| Nick | Minicucci | QB | Junior | Delaware |
| Nate | Sheppard | RB | Sophomore | Duke |
| Jadan | Baugh | RB | Junior | Florida |
| Caden | Veltkamp | QB | Senior | Florida Atlantic |
| Duce | Robinson | WR | Senior | Florida State |
| Gunner | Stockton | QB | Senior | Georgia |
| Nate | Frazier | RB | Junior | Georgia |
| Justice | Haynes | RB | Senior | Georgia Tech |
| Micah | Alejado | QB | Sophomore | Hawaii |
| Conner | Weigman | QB | Senior | Houston |
| Josh | Hoover | QB | Senior | Indiana |
| Caden | Creel | QB | Junior | Jacksonville State |
| Avery | Johnson | QB | Senior | Kansas State |
| Joe | Jackson | RB | Junior | Kansas State |
| Isaac | Brown | RB | Junior | Louisville |
| Sam | Leavitt | QB | Junior | LSU |
| Carlos | Del Rio-Wilson | QB | Senior | Marshall |
| Darian | Mensah | QB | Junior | Miami |
| Malachi | Toney | WR | Sophomore | Miami |
| Mark | Fletcher | RB | Senior | Miami |
| Jordan | Marshall | RB | Junior | Michigan |
| Bryce | Underwood | QB | Sophomore | Michigan |
| Cam | Edwards | RB | Senior | Michigan State |
| Darius | Taylor | RB | Junior | Minnesota |
| Ahmad | Hardy | RB | Junior | Missouri |
| Braxton | Woodson | QB | Senior | Navy |
| CJ | Bailey | QB | Junior | NC State |
| Anthony | Colandrea | QB | Senior | Nebraska |
| DJ | Scott | RB | Junior | North Dakota State |
| Caleb | Komolafe | RB | Junior | Northwestern |
| CJ | Carr | QB | Sophomore | Notre Dame |
| Bo | Jackson | RB | Sophomore | Ohio State |
| Jeremiah | Smith | WR | Junior | Ohio State |
| Julian | Sayin | QB | Sophomore | Ohio State |
| John | Mateer | QB | Senior | Oklahoma |
| Caleb | Hawkins | RB | Sophomore | Oklahoma State |
| Drew | Mestemaker | QB | Sophomore | Oklahoma State |
| Kewan | Lacy | RB | Junior | Ole Miss |
| Trinidad | Chambliss | QB | Senior | Ole Miss |
| Dante | Moore | QB | Senior | Oregon |
| Rocco | Becht | QB | Senior | Penn State |
| Mason | Heintschel | QB | Sophomore | Pittsburgh |
| Antwan | Raymond | RB | Junior | Rutgers |
| Lucky | Sutton | RB | Senior | San Diego State |
| Kevin | Jennings | QB | Senior | SMU |
| LaNorris | Sellers | QB | Junior | South Carolina |
| DeSean | Bishop | RB | Junior | Tennessee |
| Arch | Manning | QB | Sophomore | Texas |
| Cam | Coleman | WR | Junior | Texas |
| Marcel | Reed | QB | Junior | Texas A&M |
| Mario | Craver | WR | Junior | Texas A&M |
| Brad | Jackson | QB | Sophomore | Texas State |
| Cameron | Dickey | RB | Junior | Texas Tech |
| Alonza | Barnett | QB | Senior | UCF |
| Nico | Iamaleava | QB | Junior | UCLA |
| Jackson | Arnold | QB | Senior | UNLV |
| Jai'Den | Thomas | RB | Junior | UNLV |
| Jayden | Maiava | QB | Senior | USC |
| Waymond | Jordan | RB | Senior | USC |
| Devon | Dampier | QB | Senior | Utah |
| Wayshawn | Parker | RB | Junior | Utah |
| Owen | McCown | QB | Senior | UTSA |
| Demond | Williams | QB | Junior | Washington |
| Cam | Cook | RB | Senior | West Virginia |
| Broc | Lowery | QB | Junior | Western Michigan |
| Jalen | Buckley | RB | Senior | Western Michigan |
| Samuel | Harris | RB | Sophomore | Wyoming |
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine in the game.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 10, 2026, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 24, 2026. The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 10, 2026. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Saturday March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, NFL Foundation, College Sports Communicators, SRA Inc, Vertical Raise, Quinco Inc, the ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.
Mon., Aug. 3: Maxwell Award
Tue., Aug. 4: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 5: Mackey Award
Thu., Aug. 6: Rimington Trophy
Fri., Aug. 7: Lou Groza Award
Mon., Aug. 10: Paul Hornung Award
Tue., Aug. 11: Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Wed., Aug. 12: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Thu., Aug. 13: Butkus Award
Fri., Aug. 14: Ray Guy Award
Mon., Aug. 17: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 18: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 19: Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 20: Davey O'Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 21: Bednarik Award
For more information about the NCFAA and its college football awards, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter @NCFAA.
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