Will Levis, Chris Rodriguez named to Walter Camp Award Watchlist

Ahead of what could be a special season, two Kentucky Wildcats are in the running for national player of the year. Quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez are among the 52 “players to watch” for the Walter Camp Award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade. Kentucky is one of four schools with two nominees (Kentucky, USC, Texas, and Iowa State). Levis and Rodriguez are also both on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award, also given to college football’s most outstanding player.

In his first season after transferring to Kentucky from Penn State, Levis threw for 2,827 yards and 24 scores, while rushing for 376 yards and nine touchdowns. His 24 touchdown passes were the most since Andre’ Woodson had 40 in 2007. Levis totaled 3,202 yards of total offense, the seventh player in school history to reach 3,000 yards of total offense in a season. Entering his senior season, he is a trendy top-ten pick in several major mock drafts and also on the watchlist for the Davey O’Brien Award.

Rodriguez is the SEC’s leading returning rusher. Last season, he rushed for 1,379 yards (106.1 per game), which ranks fifth on Kentucky’s single-season list. He had nine 100-yard rushing games last season, a school record. He also had 13 receptions for 61 yards and three touchdowns. For his career, Rodriguez has 2,740 career rushing yards (sixth on UK’s career list), 26 career TDs (tied for second on UK’s career list), and 15 100-yard games (third in school history).

2022 Walter Camp Award Preseason Watchlist

• Jordan Addison, WR, junior, USC
• Rasheen Ali, RB, sophomore, Marshall
• Braelon Allen, RB, sophomore, Wisconsin
• Will Anderson, LB, junior, Alabama
• Kayshon Boutte, WR, junior, LSU
• Brock Bowers, TE, sophomore, Georgia
• Andre Carter II, LB, junior, Army West Point
• Jalen Carter, DT, junior, Georgia
• Dante Cephas, WR, junior, Kent State
• Sean Clifford, QB, senior, Penn State
• Blake Corum, RB, junior, Michigan
• Malik Cunningham, QB, senior, Louisville
• JT Daniels, QB, junior, West Virginia
• Josh Downs, WR, junior, North Carolina
• Dillon Gabriel, QB, junior, Oklahoma
• Brett Gabbert, QB, junior, Miami (Ohio)
• Jake Haener, QB, senior, Fresno State
• Jaren Hall, QB, junior, BYU
• Frank Harris, QB, senior, UTSA
• Sam Hartman, QB, senior, Wake Forest
• TreVeyon Henderson, RB, sophomore, Ohio State
• Xavier Hutchinson, WR, senior, Iowa State
• Quentin Johnston, WR, junior, TCU
• Phil Jurkovec, QB, senior, Boston College
• Calijah Kancey, DT, junior, Pittsburgh
• Devin Leary, QB, junior, North Carolina State
• Will Levis, QB, senior, Kentucky
• Grayson McCall, QB, senior, Coastal Carolina
• Will McDonald IV, DE, senior, Iowa State
• Michael Mayer, TE, junior Notre Dame
• Tanner Mordecai, QB, senior, SMU
• Lew Nicholls, RB, sophomore, Central Michigan
• Aiden O’Connell, QB, senior, Purdue
• Spencer Rattler, QB, junior, South Carolina
• Eli Ricks, DB, junior, Alabama
• Kelee Ringo, DB, sophomore, Georgia
• Brad Roberts, RB, senior, Air Force
• Bijan Robinson, RB, junior, Texas
• Chris Rodriquez, RB, senior, Kentucky
• Spencer Sanders, QB, senior, Oklahoma State
• Noah Sewell, LB, junior, Oregon
• Jaxson Smith-Njigba, WR, junior, Ohio State
• C.J. Stroud, QB, sophomore, Ohio State
• Tavion Thomas, RB, junior, Utah
• Payton Thorne, QB, junior, Michigan State
• Cedric Tillman, WR, senior, Tennessee
• Sean Tucker, RB, sophomore, Syracuse
• Tyler Van Dyke, QB, sophomore, Miami (Fla.)
• Deuce Vaughn, RB, junior, Kansas State
• Caleb Williams, QB, sophomore, USC
• Xavier Worthy, WR, sophomore, Texas
• Bryce Young, QB, junior, Alabama

The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The 2022 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 130 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show (date TBD). The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s 55th annual national awards banquet in New Haven, Connecticut in early 2023.