The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award is given to the best freshman in college football. Since being renamed for the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide rusher in 2018, the winners of the award have gone on to tremendous collegiate and NFL careers.
This year, we’ve seen an incredible crop of freshmen make massive impacts across the sport’s landscape. On Wednesday, the Maxwell Football Club revealed 14 semifinalists for the award. Four SEC players made the list:
- Damon Ferguson – Pittsburgh
- Trent Mosley – USC
- Cardae Mack – Arizona State
- Luke Wafle – USC
- Somad Eaddy – Wake Forest
- Deuce Geralds – LSU
- Jonaz Walton – Notre Dame
- Jay Timmons – Ohio State
- Jesse Legree – Oregon State
- Keelon Russell – Alabama
- JJ Dunnigan – Miami (FL)
- Mason Lewis – Vanderbilt
- Legend Glasker – BYU
- Kenny Darby – Kentucky
If an SEC player wins the award in 2026, the conference will have captured the honor five times since it was renamed. Will Anderson Jr. (2020), Brock Bowers (2021), Caleb Downs (2023) and Colin Simmons (2024) were the SEC’s first four honorees. Fellow award winners include Trevor Lawrence, Kenneth Gainwell, Drake Maye and Julian Sayin.
Keelon Russell and Deuce Geralds get an opportunity to make a statement for the distinction against one another this weekend when the Crimson Tide and Tigers get together in Baton Rouge. Alabama and LSU kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday (ABC).
