2024 College Football Awards Finalists

Here are some of the finalists in contention for the 2024 College Football Awards and winners.

The Eddie Robinson coach of the year:
Shane Beamer of South Carolina, Curt Cignetti of Indiana, Spencer Danielson of Boise State, Kenny Dillingham of Arizona State, Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame, Dan Lanning of Oregon, Rhett Lashlee of SMU, Jeff Monken of Army and Kirby Smart of Georgia. 

The 2024 recipient will be announced on December 18th. The official presentation will be at a reception on Saturday, January, 18, 2025, in Atlanta, the site of the College Football Playoff National Championship.

South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard was named the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player from the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Kennard, one of the FBS’ top sack leaders, was honored tonight with the award here in Charlotte, N.C., at a gala banquet.

Miami's Cam Ward - Heisman finalist

Cam Ward – courtesy ACC / Miami Hurricanes

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami quarterback Cam Ward were named finalists for the 90th annual Heisman Memorial Trophy. The announcement was on December 9th by 1989 Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner will be announced during the televised Heisman Trophy Ceremony airing Saturday December 14th at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Three of the Heisman finalists are also on the short list for the 88th Maxwell Award. Jeanty, Gabriel, and Hunter are nominated for the award given to the 2024 Collegiate Player of the Year, while Hunter joins Caleb Downs of Ohio State and Abdul Carter of Penn State as finalists for the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award as Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year.

Hunter is the consensus favorite to win the Heisman and be the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s entire membership, selected South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard as the winner of the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top defensive player. The honor is part of the 2024 FWAA All-America Team to be released on December 17th. Kennard gives the Southeastern Conference a Nagurski Trophy winner for the third time in four seasons and the fifth time since 2016.

Three finalists for the 2024 Outland Trophy are offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas, and defensive tackles Mason Graham of Michigan and Walter Nolen of Ole Miss. The 2024 Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s best college interior lineman on offense or defense. The All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected the semifinalists.

More college football awards finalists