BOULDER – University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, athlete Travis Hunter, and wide receiver Xavier Weaver have begun to receive recognition from multiple end-of-season national awards as the season winds down.
Junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been named to the Davy O’Brien Award Class of 2023. Three
finalists for the award will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 28. The winner will then be unveiled on
Friday, Dec. 8 as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN. Sanders would be the
first winner from Colorado.
Sanders is currently No. 3 in the country in passing yards with 2,637 and No. 4 in passing touchdowns
with 22 through eight games.
The Davy O’Brien Foundation has announced the 35 quarterbacks named to the O’Brien Class of 2023.
Each member of the group in now an official candidate to win the 2023 Davy O’Brien National
Quarterback Award. The Davy O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the best
college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.
Sanders has also been recognized on the Manning Award Mid-Season Watchlist. The Manning Award
has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to collegiate quarterback as judged by the
Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the country. It is the only quarterback award that includes each
candidate’s postseason bowl performance in its balloting.
Sophomore athlete Travis Hunter, currently No. 1 in the Pac-12 in interceptions and a Sporting News
Midseason All-American, has been named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
The prestigious Jim Thorpe Award is given annually to the best defensive back in college football based
on performance on the field, athletic ability, and character.
Three finalists for the award will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 28. The winner will then be unveiled
on Friday, Dec. 8 as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN. Sanders would be
the third winner from Colorado, joining Deion Figures in 1992 and Chris Hudson in 1994.
Hunter has also been named a quarterfinalist for the Lott Impact Award. The IMPACT award is awarded
annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of athletics and recognizes college
football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity,
Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
The Maxwell Football Club added Hunter to the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, which is presented
to the outstanding defensive player in college football. Semifinalists will be announced on Monday
November 13 and voting will commence on November 14.
Xavier Weaver has joined the Bilitnikoff Award Watchlist. The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the season’s outstanding college football receiver regardless of position (the award defines receiver as any player who catches a pass hence, tight ends, slot receivers and backs, inside receivers, wide receivers, split ends, and running backs are eligible) by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., (TQCF). The semifinalist will be announced on November 20.
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Story by Aidan Tank, Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.