We are getting down to the short path to college football’s post-season awards. In the last 24 hours, the finalists have been named for several awards and they are full of ACC talent.
Walter Camp Award
The fourth oldest award in college football goes to the committee’s national player of the year. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is one of the three finalists for the award. The transfer from Washington State, who started his career at Incarnate Word, has thrown for 3,774 yards this season. He also has 34 passing touchdowns. The touchdown totals lead the country. The passing yards are currently second.
The other finalists are Ashton Jeanty of Boise State and Travis Hunter of Colorado.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year is voted on by the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors and will be announced on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 12.
Lou Groza Award
The award for the best placekicker in the country has Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald as a finalist. Fitzgerald is currently 12 for 12 on field goals and a perfect 14 for 14 on PATs. Among his field goals, he is five for five from 50 yards or more.
Alex Raynor of Kentucky and Kenneth Almendares of Louisiana are the other two finalists for the award. Fitzgerald is the only one of the three who has a perfect kicking record this season.
The award is sponsored by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. These finalists will be honored on December 9 in Palm Beach County. The same panel will then select the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12. Editor’s note: the article’s author is a voter for the Groza Award.
Ray Guy Award
Fitzgerald’s teammate, Alex Mastromanno, is a finalist for the award for the nation’s best punter. Mastromanno leads the country with a 49.1 yards per punt average. He has punted 50 times so far this season. Mastromanno put 30% of them inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. He also has 28 punts of 50 yards or more.
Eddie Czaplicki of USC and Brett Thorson of Georgia are the other finalists.
The award is sponsored by the Augusta Sports Council. The voters for the award are comprised of FBS sports information directors, national media, and previous Ray Guy Award winners. The winner will be announced live on Thursday, December 12, during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
Doak Walker Award
North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton is one of the finalists for the award that goes to the best running back in the country. At one point during the season, Hampton had eight consecutive 100-yard rushing games.
Hampton was also a semifinalist for the award last year. He currently leads the ACC and is third nationally in total rushing yards with 1,475. Hampton is averaging 134.1 yards per game. He also leads the ACC in rushing touchdowns with 14. He is the only FBS player to rush for 1,450+ yards and 14+ touchdowns in each of the last two seasons.
Kaleb Johnson of Iowa and Ashton Jeanty of Boise State are the other finalists. The winner will be announced live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12.
Davey O’Brien Award
We end where we began, with Miami’s Cam Ward. The award for the nation’s best quarterback also has Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado as finalists.
Ward’s bona fides are listed above in the Walter Camp section.
The winner will be announced live on Thursday, December 12, at The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
