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Jacas Named Semifinalist for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award

bucshon
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Fighting Illini freshman outside linebacker Gabe Jacas was named Thursday by the Maxwell Football Club as one of 14 semifinalists - including one of three from the Big Ten - in contention for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.

SHAUN ALEXANDER FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD​

The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. Past winners of the award include: Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018); Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis (2019); Will Anderson Jr., Alabama (2020); and Brock Bowers, Georgia (2021).

GABE JACAS | SHAUN ALEXANDER FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALIST​

  • 247Sports Midseason True Freshman All-American
  • The Athletic Midseason Freshman All-American
  • On3 Midseason True Freshman All-American
  • 4.0 sacks are tied for the most in the country by a true freshman, and are tied for second on the team
  • 2.0 sacks vs. Virginia, becoming the first Illini true freshman with 2.0 sacks in a game since Bobby Roundtree vs. Western Kentucky in 2017
  • First LB/OLB to start for the Illini as a freshman since 2017 (James Knight), and the 17th true freshman LB/OLB to start a game in Illinois history

SHAUN ALEXANDER FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS​

» Terrion Arnold, DB, Alabama
» Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
» Richard Reese, RB, Baylor
» Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia
» Gabe Jacas, LB, Illinois
» Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky
» Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
» Will Campbell, OL, LSU
» Jaishawn Barham, LB, Maryland
» Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
» Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss
» Abdul Carter, LB, Penn State
» Nick Emmanwori, DB, South Carolina
» Kelvin Banks Jr., OL, Texas

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It's November and...

C
Illinois football is relevant. Usually about this time, almost no one cares and all the talk is about basketball.

It's nice to be talked about consistently on BTN along with the OSU, Michigan, and Penn State. It's nice to lock up a bowl appearance before November and have a reason to watch this month.

And all the possibilities that could potentially happen. Chase Brown being mentioned for Heisman. Illini winning the B1G West. Being ranked in the CFP polls and the remote possibility to be in the playoffs.

I love my basketball too but I hope that from now on, that program will share the hype in November with the football program.

I also hope that many Illini fans who care only about basketball will get on board and follow football too.
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Three Illini Named National Player of the Year Semifinalists

bucshon
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – A trio of Fighting Illini standouts – RB Chase Brown, DB Devon Witherspoon, and DL Jer'Zhan Newton – were named among the top offensive and defensive players in the nation on Tuesday when the Maxwell Football Club released the 2022 semifinalists for the 86th Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year and the 28th Chuck Bednarik Award for the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year.

Brown, the nation's leading rusher, is one of 20 offensive players, representing 17 programs, on the Maxwell semifinalist list; Witherspoon and Newton – anchors of the Illini's top-ranked defense - are two of 20 players from 18 programs, on the Bednarik semifinalist list.

Illinois is one of seven programs with representatives on both lists, and the Illini's three honorees are tied with Ohio State for the most in the Big Ten and second nationally only to Alabama's four. Illinois and Alabama are the only two programs with multiple representatives on the Bednarik list.

CHASE BROWN | MAXWELL AWARD SEMIFINALIST​

  • Nation's leading rusher with 1,208 yards
  • Only the fourth Power-5 running back since 2000 to rush for 100+ yards in his first eight games while leading his team to a 7-1 record or better (Ezekiel Elliott, 2015 Ohio State; Adrian Peterson, 2004 Oklahoma; JJ Arrington, 2004 Cal)
  • Leads in the nation in rushes of 10+ yards (36) and 100-yard games (8)
  • Second in the nation in all-purpose yards (1,328) without having return duties
  • Second in the nation in yards after contact (707) and forced missed tackles (60), according to PFF
  • Ranks fifth in the nation with 57 first down runs, according to PFF
  • Leads the nation in rushing attempts per game (28.0)
  • Has rushed for 100+ yards in an Illinois record nine straight games
  • The only player in the nation to rush for 100+ in his last nine team games
  • Ranks fifth on Illinois career rushing list with 2,771 yards
  • No. 8 on the NCAA's active career leaders rushing list with 3,123 yards (including 352 as a freshman at Western Michigan)

DEVON WITHERSPOON | BEDNARIK AWARD SEMIFINALIST​

  • Midseason All-American by PFF (1st Team) and The Athletic (2nd Team)
  • Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist
  • Highest graded cornerback in the nation by PFF (89.5)
  • Has the best coverage grade in the country according to PFF (90.8)
  • Ranks tied for first nationally in forced incompletions by PFF (13)
  • Has a 31 percent reception percentage against, the No. 3 mark in the country and best in the Big Ten among cornerbacks
  • Ranks second in the nation in passes defended per game (1.8)

JER'ZHAN NEWTON | BEDNARIK AWARD SEMIFINALIST​

  • Midseason All-American by the Associated Press and The Athletic
  • Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
  • No. 4-graded interior defensive lineman in the nation by PFF (min. 250 snaps)
  • Leads the Illini in tackles (39.0) and sacks (5.0), and is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (9.0)
  • First in the nation in QB hits with 15 and is second in the nation in QB pressures with 39, according to PFF (min. 250 snaps)

MAXWELL & BEDNARIK AWARD SEMIFINALIST​

Maxwell

  • Bryce Young – Alabama, QB
  • Jahmyr Gibbs – Alabama, RB
  • Brock Bowers – Georgia, TE
  • Chase Brown – Illinois, RB
  • Blake Corum – Michigan, RB
  • Drake Maye – North Carolina, QB
  • Michael Mayer – Notre Dame, TE
  • CJ Stroud – Ohio State, QB
  • Marvin Harrison Jr. – Ohio State, WR
  • Bo Nix – Oregon, QB
  • Israel Abanikanda – Pittsburgh, RB
  • Max Duggan – TCU, QB
  • Hendon Hooker – Tennessee, QB
  • Jalin Hyatt – Tennessee, WR
  • Bijan Robinson – Texas, RB
  • DeWayne McBride – UAB, RB
  • Zach Charbonnet – UCLA, RB
  • Caleb Williams – USC, QB
  • Cam Rising – Utah, QB
  • Michael Penix Jr. – Washington QB
Bednarik

  • Will Anderson Jr. – Alabama, LB
  • Kool-Aid McKinstry – Alabama, CB
  • Drew Sanders – Arkansas, LB
  • Ivan Pace Jr. – Cincinnati, LB
  • Tyler Davis – Clemson, DT
  • Christopher Smith – Georgia, S
  • Jer'Zhan Newton – Illinois, DT
  • Devon Witherspoon – Illinois, CB
  • Jack Campbell – Iowa, LB
  • Felix Anudike-Uzomah – Kansas State, DE
  • Mike Morris – Michigan, DE
  • Emmanuel Forbes – Mississippi State, CB
  • Tommy Eichenberg – Ohio State, LB
  • Jason Henderson – Old Dominion, LB
  • Joey Porter Jr. – Penn State, CB
  • Calijah Kancey – Pitt, DT
  • Tyree Wilson – Texas Tech, LB
  • Tuli Tuipulotu – USC, DT
  • Clark Phillips III – Utah, CB
  • John Torchio – Wisconsin, S
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Chase Brown Front Page ESPN NCAA FB

T
TD Pose versus Wyoming

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NCAA on ESPN - College Football Scores, Stats and Highlights

Visit ESPN for NCAA live scores, video highlights and latest news. Stream exclusive college football games on ESPN+ and play College Pick'em.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

5th on Heisman Ballot for one person (1st RB)

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McGee's midseason awards: From Chase Brown to Mike Leach to John Daly

College football's midway point has come and gone this season so it's time to look back at the good, the bad and the unfortunate from the first half of the year.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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