WKU football quarterback Maverick McIvor was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List in late July, joining offensive lineman Marshall Jackson and punter Cole Maynard as Hilltopper preseason award winners.
McIvor was awarded a spot on the Maxwell Award Watch List, announced by the Maxwell Football Club.
The Maxwell Award has been granted to the College Player of the Year since the 1937 season, named in honor of Robert Maxwell, a former player at Swarthmore College. The current watchlist includes over 80 athletes from FBS programs. McIvor is one of just two players from Conference USA.
McIvor transferred to the Hilltoppers after three seasons at Abilene Christian, throwing for 8,012 yards and 63 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. Year three was his best statistical season, throwing for 3,828 yards and 30 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
The three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on Nov. 25, with the winner being revealed on the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 11.
The Ray Guy Award honors the top punters in college football at the FBS level. Maynard joins 15 others as watch list nominees, but is just one of five players to play for a non-power five program.
Maynard was also named to the Conference USA preseason watch list due to his 2024 season performance, starting in all 14 games at WKU. The redshirt junior averaged 42.7 yards per punt, while totaling 2,350 yards in the air.
Maynard was named the Conference USA special teams player of the week on Sept. 23.
FBS and media information directors, along with previous winners of the award, will decide the three finalists to be announced in late November. The winner will be announced on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 12, airing on ESPN.
Offensive lineman Marshall Jackson was named to the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, the Wuerffel Foundation announced Thursday.
The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy is regarded as college football’s premier award for community service. Marshall joins a record 116 players honored this season.
Jackson has made an effort to give back to local communities in Kentucky, recording 27 hours of community service through several organizations, including Dream Big Camp, Housing Authority, and Dance Big Red.
The redshirt junior has been a starter on the offensive line for the past two seasons, earning an All-Conference USA Second Team Offense selection, and anchoring an offensive line that only gave up fourteen sacks all season.
The Wuerffel Trophy will be selected by a voting committee along with a fan vote, setting the stage for an announcement of the winner on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
The Hilltoppers open the season against Sam Houston State at home on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m.
