TYLER, Texas — The five finalists for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award were announced Wednesday.
Named after the Tyler Rose himself, NFL running back Earl Campbell, the award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who overcomes adversity to reach their goals. The winner must also show the characteristics that define Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity.
Players must be either born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year Division I Texas college.
This year's finalist include:
- Bryson Daily, quarterback for the United States Military Academy (Army), senior from Abernathy and attended Abernathy High School
- Ashton Jeanty, running back for Boise State University, junior from Jacksonville, Florida who attended Frisco Lone Star High School in Frisco
- Kevin Jennings, quarterback for Southern Methodist University, sophomore from Oak Cliff who attended South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas
- Shedeur Sanders, quarterback at University of Colorado, senior from Dallas who attended Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill
- Cam Ward, quarterback for the University of Miami, senior from West Columbia who attended Columbia High School in West Columbia
The winner will be announced on Jan. 22 at an award banquet in Tyler. All finalists will be invited and Brian Jones, college football studio analyst for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, will serve as emcee. Tickets/open seating will be available on Eventbrite.
Bryson Daily
Daily set the single-season record for touchdowns responsible for in a season, rushing touchdowns in a season, and rushing touchdowns in a single game as well as the record for most rushing touchdowns in AAC single-season history. He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting, which is the highest since Pete Dawkins won the award in 1958. Daily's 29 rushing touchdowns tied for the most in the country with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty has won several national honors during his college football career, including the Doak Walker Award (top running back) and Maxwell Award (top player in college football). He was recognized as a first team All-American by 10 different organizations: AFCA, AP, CBS Sports, FWAA, PFF, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, USA Today and Walter Camp. Jeanty was also named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous selection for All-Mountain West First Team. He was also a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award in 2023.
Kevin Jennings
Jennings has been in all 13 games for SMU this season and started in the last 10, winning nine of those games as a starter this season. He passed for 3,050 yards and 22 touchdowns, added 379 yards on the ground with five scores, ranks 10th in the nation in yards per pass attempt and 13th in passing efficiency.
Shedeur Sanders
Sanders earned the Johnny Unitas Award as the nation’s top quarterback. He also owns over 90 school records and coming into the Buffs Alamo Bowl appearance against BYU, he has completed 337-of-454 passes for 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a QB rating of 168.8. He was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and has earned the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the Week twice. He was born in Tyler and is the son of former NFL cornerback and current Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders.
Cam Ward
Ward led one of the most dominant seasons in Miami Hurricanes history. He is the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award winner, becoming the third Hurricane to garner the country’s oldest and most prestigious quarterback trophy. He leads the nation in passing touchdowns and quarterback rating, and he ranks second in passing yards, points responsible for and total offense.
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