2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List Adds 10 New Players
College Sports Information Directors of America
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- www.Comeback-Player.com: Nominate football student-athletes
- Follow on X @ComebackPlayrFB
NEW YORK, NY – The College Sports Communicators, in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization, today released a “Watch List” featuring 58 college football student-athletes from 53 different schools currently under consideration for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award. The updated list includes 48 players who were on the preseason watch list, as well as 10 new players who are off to strong starts this season.
The new players on the list are: Walker Parks (OL, Clemson), Rahmin Johnson (RB, Nebraska), Lathan Ransom (S, Ohio State), Smith Vilbert (DL, Penn State), Caleb Douglass (WR, Texas Tech), Pierce Oppong (DL, Northern Illinois), Keegan Holles (RB, Colorado State), Ike Larsen (DB, Utah State), Davion Ross (DB, Memphis) and Devin Voisin (WR, South Alabama).
Since 2018, the Comeback Player of the Year Award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
College athletic communications professionals working with football programs are encouraged to nominate deserving candidates at www.Comeback-Player.com. You can also follow on social media via Instagram at @Comeback_Player_CFB and X/Twitter at @ComebackPlayrFB. Here’s a look at the updated 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Watch List. (*indicates addition since Pre-Season Watch List).
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zuberi Mobley | FAU | AAC | RB |
| Blake Horvath | Navy | AAC | QB |
| Jason Vaughn | USF | AAC | DE |
| Cole Turner | Clemson | ACC | WR |
| Walker Parks* | Clemson | ACC | OL |
| Eli Pancol | Duke | ACC | WR |
| Sylvain Yondjouen | Georgia Tech | ACC | DL |
| Tyler Shough | Louisville | ACC | QB |
| Grayson McCall | NC State | ACC | QB |
| Oronde Gadsen II | Syracuse | ACC | TE |
| Trebor Pena | Syracuse | ACC | WR |
| Kobe Paysour | UNC | ACC | WR |
| Kam Butler | Virginia | ACC | DE |
| Donavon Greene | Wake Forest | ACC | WR |
| Josh McCray | Illinois | Big Ten | RB |
| Zakhari Franklin | Illinois | Big Ten | WR |
| Cade McNamara | Iowa | Big Ten | QB |
| Rahmir Johnson* | Nebraska | Big Ten | RB |
| Lathan Ransom* | Ohio State | Big Ten | S |
| Noah Whittington | Oregon | Big Ten | RB |
| Smith Vilbert* | Penn State | Big Ten | DL |
| Max Klare | Purdue | Big Ten | TE |
| Tyreem Powell | Rutgers | Big Ten | LB |
| Ale Kaho | UCLA | Big Ten | LB |
| Cameron Davis | Washington | Big Ten | RB |
| Hal Presley | Baylor | Big 12 | WR |
| Hinckley Ropati | BYU | Big 12 | RB |
| Jalon Daniels | Kansas | Big 12 | QB |
| De’Zhaun Stribling | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | WR |
| Johnny Hodges | TCU | Big 12 | LB |
| Caleb Douglass* | Texas Tech | Big 12 | WR |
| Brant Kuithe | Utah | Big 12 | TE |
| Cam Rising | Utah | Big 12 | QB |
| Trey Lathan | West Virginia | Big 12 | LB |
| Tyson Mobley | Liberty | Conference USA | WR |
| Lexington Joseph | FIU | Conference USA | RB |
| Marquis Crosby | Louisiana Tech | Conference USA | RB |
| Riley Leonard | Notre Dame | Independent | QB |
| Joe Fagnano | UConn | Independent | QB |
| Brett Gabbert | Miami OH | MAC | QB |
| Pierce Oppong* | Northern Illinois | MAC | DE |
| Keegan Holles* | Colorado State | Mountain West | RB |
| Patrick Garwo III | Nevada | Mountain West | RB |
| Luke Wysong | New Mexico | Mountain West | WR |
| Justin Lockhart | San Jose State | Mountain West | WR |
| Latrell Caples | Boise State | Mountain West | WR |
| Cam Lockridge | Fresno State | Mountain West | DB |
| Ike Larsen* | Utah State | Mountain West | DB |
| Spencer Petras | Utah State | Mountain West | QB |
| Luke Hasz | Arkansas | SEC | TE |
| Shemar James | Florida | SEC | LB |
| Branson Robinson | Georgia | SEC | RB |
| Jamon "Pop" Dumas-Johnson | Kentucky | SEC | LB |
| Davion Ross* | Memphis | SEC | DB |
| Raheim Sanders | South Carolina | SEC | RB |
| Bru McCoy | Tennessee | SEC | WR |
| Devin Voisin* | South Alabama | Sun Belt | WR |
| Lincoln Pare | Texas State | Sun Belt | RB |
Previous winners of the Comeback Player of the Year Award include: 2023 – Blake Corum (Michigan); Jacob Dobbs (Holy Cross); Mike Hollins (Virginia); 2022 - Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota); Laiatu Latu (UCLA); Michael Penix Jr. (Washington); 2021 – Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan); McKenzie Milton (Florida State); J.J. Weaver (Kentucky); 2020 – Jarek Broussard (Colorado); Kenneth Horsey (Kentucky); Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina); 2019 – Jake Luton (Oregon State); Drew Wilson (Georgia Southern); Octavion Wilson (Salisbury); 2018 - Antwan Dixon (Kent State), Seth Simmer (Dartmouth); Antonio Wimbush (Carson-Newman). For a complete list of past honorees, visit www.Comeback-Player.com.
About College Sports Communicators: The second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics, College Sports Communicators was founded in 1957 and rebranded in August 2022. The organization, now in its 67th year as an organization, was previously known as College Sports Information Directors of America, or CoSIDA. Today, College Sports Communicators is a vibrant 4,200-plus member international association, composed of the athletic communications, media relations, digital and creative professionals throughout all levels of intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. CSC’s signature program is the Academic All-America® program, honoring thousands of outstanding scholar-athletes annually. To learn more, visit collegesportscommunicators.com.
Media Contact: Doug Drotman (doug@drotman-pr.com or 631-462-1198)
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