Kenjon Barner and De'Athony Thomas are two of 65 of the nation’s best football players named to the watch list for the 76th annual Maxwell Award, while seniors John Boyett and Dion Jordan are pre-season nominees for the 18th annual Bednarik Award as released Monday by the Maxwell Football Club.

 The Maxwell Award has been given to America's outstanding collegiate football player since 1937, and is named in honor of sportswriter Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell. The Bednarik Award has been presented to the nation's top defensive player since 1995.

Recipients of both awards will be determined by a vote of members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA sports information directors, head coaches and selected national media.

Barner rushed for 939 yards and totaled 14 touchdowns as a junior last season, and accumulated 1,232 all-purpose yards. He enters 2012 ninth on the school’s all-time all-purpose yards list (3,825) and stands 18 points shy of breaking onto Oregon’s top-10 career scoring chart (162).

Thomas evolved into one of the Ducks’ most electrifying  standouts a year ago as a freshman, with the Pac-12 Conference’s co-most outstanding freshman-of-the-year recipient finishing second on Oregon’s single-season all-purpose yards ledger (2,235) while setting the school’s freshman scoring record (110).

Boyett has drawn All-America acclaim each of his last two years while pacing the Ducks in tackles twice in the past three seasons. The three-year starting free safety ranked fourth in the league in tackles a year ago with 108 stops (8.31 avg.), including a career-high 17 tackles in the 2012 Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin.

Jordan earned first-team all-conference honors last season after rating fifth in the Pac-12 in quarterback sacks (7.5) and seventh in tackles for loss (13).
 
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 29, and the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 19. The winners of the 2011 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on December 6. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 1, 2013. The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's selection committee, evaluating past performance and future potential.

-- goducks.com --