Four Alabama Football Players Named Finalists for National Awards
The Alabama football quartet of wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, offensive lineman Jonah Williams and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams have been selected as finalists for five different national awards, it was announced on Monday.
Jeudy is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top receiver. The sophomore is 13th nationally with an average of 19.6 yards per reception and is tied for 10th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 10 touchdown catches this season. Jeudy is third in the country in yards per route run at 3.5 and fifth in yards after catch average at 8.1, according to Pro Football Focus. He has a team-leading 1,002 yards on 51 receptions in 2018, which ranks No. 6 on the UA single-season receiving yards list and is Alabama’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Calvin Ridley in 2015 (1,045 yards on 89 receptions).
Tagovailoa is among the finalists for the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell awards. The O’Brien is presented to the nation’s top quarterback while the Maxwell recognizes the national player of the year in college football. The sophomore signal-caller is the highest rated passer in the nation. He leads all quarterbacks in ESPN’s Total QBR metric at 94.6 (out of 100) and his 145.8 NFL passer rating ranks first among all FBS quarterbacks with at least 230 attempts. Tagovailoa leads the nation in collegiate passer efficiency at 212.2. He has thrown for 2,865 yards on 164-of-237 passing (69.2 percent) with a school-record 31 touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing 41 times for 185 yards and four scores.
A finalist for the Outland Trophy, Jonah Williams is a veteran presence on the Crimson Tide offensive line who has started all 40 games during his UA career and blocked for 20 100-yard rushing performances over his three standout seasons at the Capstone. Williams anchors the offensive front for an Alabama offense that is averaging 48.7 points and 541.5 yards per game in 2018. The junior earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors for his performance in the Tide’s 29-0 win at LSU and was selected as the Outland Trophy Player of the Month in September.
Redshirt sophomore Quinnen Williams joins Jonah Williams as an Outland finalist and is also among the finalists for the Bednarik Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top defender. Williams is in the midst of a breakout season in his first year as a starter for the Tide. He leads all Tide defensive linemen with 55 tackles and paces the squad in tackles for loss with 15.0 (-60 yards). He has also added 6.0 sacks (-35 yards) and a pass breakup and ranks second on the squad with nine quarterback hurries.
Winners of all five awards will be revealed at the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 6 in Atlanta, Ga.