Can IU football have a repeat winner of the Maxwell Award?
Quarterback Josh Hoover is on the preseason watch list for the honor, which goes to college football’s best player.
Hoover is college football’s leading returning passer with 9,629 yards and is second in touchdown passes with 71. He has 16 career 300-yard games and three with more than 400 yards.
Fernando Mendoza won the Maxwell in 2025. He was Indiana’s second winner after running back Anthony Thompson in 1989.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 10, while the three finalists will be announced on Nov. 24. A winner will be unveiled on Dec. 10.
The Maxwell Award has been awarded to the most outstanding player in college football annually since 1937. It is named in honor of Robert Maxwell, a former player at Swarthmore College, who later became a sportswriter and football official.
Meanwhile, new IU long snapper Drew Clausen is on the Mannelly Award Watch list. He transferred in from Iowa State, where he played 26 games over the last two years.
The Patrick Mannelly Award, named after former NFL long snapper Patrick Mannelly, will be presented again this season to the player judged by a panel of national experts to be the best FBS long snapper.
IU PLAYERS ON 2026 PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
- Good Works Team – Charlie Becker
- Dodd Trophy — Curt Cignetti
- Lott Trophy — Tyrique Tucker and Jamari Sharpe
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