Winners from the 2021 College Football Awards
The Heisman Trophy will be awarded Saturday night, but there was plenty of other hardware to hand out in the meantime. Here are the winners from the 2021 Home Depot College Football Awards show:
Davey O'Brien Award (Best quarterback)
Bryce Young, Alabama
Young starred in his first season as the Alabama starter, leading the Crimson Tide to yet another berth in the College Football Playoff. The sophomore ranked fourth in the FBS with 4,322 passing yards and threw 43 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Despite a down year for Alabama's offensive line, Young kept the Crimson Tide offense rolling throughout the campaign. He led the program to a dramatic comeback win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl with star wideout Jameson Williams sidelined. Young then torched Georgia's vaunted defense to the tune of 421 yards and three touchdowns in the SEC title game despite losing favorite target John Metchie to injury.
Other finalists: Kenny Pickett (Pitt), C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)
Bednarik Award (Best defensive player)
Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
The centerpiece of the nation's top-scoring defense, Davis dominated opponents from the interior of the Bulldogs' defensive line. He finished the season with only two sacks, but he caused opposing backfields havoc in both the run game and pass game. The senior is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Other finalists: Will Anderson (LB, Alabama), Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE, Oregon), Kyle Hamilton (S, Notre Dame)
Doak Walker Award (Best running back)
Kenneth Walker, Michigan State
A former Wake Forest transfer, Walker ran for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first year at Michigan State. His rushing total ranked second in the country, and he fumbled just once on 263 carries. The junior shined on the national stage, rumbling for 197 yards and five touchdowns against Michigan, and helped restore the Spartans to national prominence with his brilliant campaign.
Other finalists: Breece Hall (Iowa State), Tyler Badie (Missouri)
Biletnikoff Award (Best receiver)
Jordan Addison, Pitt
After flashing promise as a freshman, Addison took off with 1,479 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore. He had seven games with 100 yards or more and topped out with a 202-yard, four-touchdown performance against Virginia. Addison's development helped Pitt become ACC champions for the first time, and he'll be back for more as a junior in 2022.
Other finalists: David Bell (Purdue), Jameson Williams (Alabama)
Outland Trophy (Best interior lineman)
Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
Davis claimed the Outland Trophy after already banking the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player. He's also the first player from Georgia to win the Outland Trophy since Bill Stanfill in 1968. Three of the previous five winners had been from Alabama (Cam Robinson, 2016; Quinnen Williams, 2018; Alex Leatherwood, 2020).
Other finalists: Tyler Linderbaum (C, Iowa), Ikem Ekwonu (OL, NC State)
Groza Award (Best kicker)
Jake Moody, Michigan
The Wolverines never hesitated to call Moody's number throughout the season, as he converted nearly 92% of his field-goal attempts. Moody nailed all 18 tries inside of 40 yards to become the first Michigan kicker to capture the Groza Award.
Other finalists: Gabe Brkic (Oklahoma), Noah Ruggles (Ohio State)
Ray Guy Award (Best punter)
Matt Araiza, San Diego State
Araiza led the FBS in both punts inside the 20-yard line and punt yards with 39 and 3,904, respectively. He booted several other long ones throughout the campaign for San Diego State, but Araiza's signature moment came when he bashed a 90-yard punt against Hawaii.
Other finalists: Adam Korsak (Rutgers), Jordan Stout (Penn State)
Thorpe Award (Best defensive back)
Coby Bryant, Cincinnati
The first AAC player to win the Thorpe Award, Bryant broke up 11 passes and snagged three interceptions for Cincinnati's opportunistic secondary. Bryant's been elite in man coverage over the last two years, emerging as one of coach Luke Fickell's most valuable players on either side of the ball. The Cleveland native figures to shadow Alabama star Jameson Williams in the national semifinals.
Other finalists: Verone McKinley III (Oregon), Jalen Pitre (Baylor)
Maxwell Award (Player of the year)
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
In what could very well be a precursor to the Heisman Trophy, Young claimed the Maxwell Award after already winning the O'Brien Award as the nation's top signal-caller. Young is the fourth Crimson Tide player to earn the Maxwell Award over the last decade, following in the footsteps of A.J. McCarron (2013), Derrick Henry (2015), Tua Tagovailoa (2018), and DeVonta Smith (2020).
Other finalists: Kenneth Walker (RB, Michigan State), Kenny Pickett (QB, Pitt)