A pair of Ole Miss football offensive stars are members of the watch list for the 85th annual Maxwell Award, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club Monday.
Quarterback Matt Corral and running back Jerrion Ealy were two of 80 players on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.
Ole Miss is one of 14 programs to have two players represented on the list.
Corral, a preseason All-America selection, returns after completing over 70 percent of his passes for 3,337 yards and 29 touchdowns last year in a 10-game season.
The Ventura, California, native became just the fourth SEC player ever to finish as NCAA leader in total offense per game (384.9) last season, joining Pat Sullivan (1970), Rex Grossman (2001) and Johnny Manziel (2012).
Corral, a preseason All-America selection, finished No. 5 in passing yards per game (333.7), No. 7 in passing TDs (29), No. 9 in passing efficiency (177.6) and No. 11 in passing yards per completion (14.5).
The junior signal-caller is the returning SEC leader in eight separate categories. He also led the SEC with eight completions of 40 yards or more.
Ealy led the Rebels in all rushing categories in 2020 with 147 carries for 745 yards and nine touchdowns. Ealy has also hauled in 15 catches for 155 yards and one touchdown.
The Walnut Grove native ranked No. 25 in the FBS last season with 132.1 all-purpose yards per game. His 11 total touchdowns ranked No. 26. Ealy recently earned first-team preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele as an all-purpose player.
Ealy has tallied one kick return touchdown each of the last two seasons. He returned a second-quarter kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown last year vs. LSU in Baton Rouge. It was the sixth 100-yard touchdown return in school history and the longest since 2012. Ealy has averaged 26.3 yards per return over the course of his career, a mark that is top 20 amongst active leaders.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.
The Maxwell Football Club, founded in 1935, is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is the oldest football club in the United States.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
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