Rutgers Running Back Becomes The Best Canadian Player In College Football In 2025
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Rutgers sophomore running back Antwan Raymond has been named the 2025 Jon Cornish Trophy winner, recognizing him as the top Canadian player in college football. The Montreal native becomes the first Scarlet Knight, and the first Quebec-born athlete, to claim the trophy, joining a group of past stars who are now in the NFL.
Antwan Raymonds Bags The Cornish Trophy 2025
Raymond delivered a breakout campaign, rushing for 1,241 yards on 244 carries (5.1 average) with 13 touchdowns. He added 18 receptions for 225 yards and two more scores. His totals ranked eighth in Rutgers single-season history for rushing yards and third in the Big Ten this year.
Raymond scored at least one touchdown in every 10 games, showcasing the consistency that most of his teammates lacked.
Congratulations @antwanraymond8 we, your fans, R so pRoUd of U https://t.co/VsMdU74CzN
— Rutgers Touchdown Club (@RU_TDClub) December 18, 2025
His most significant performance came against Maryland, where he made 41 carries for 240 yards and a touchdown, earning the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week. That effort made him one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, which is an honour given to the nation’s premier running back.
Hubbard (2019 winner, now in the Carolina Panthers) and Brown (2022 winner, Cincinnati Bengals) are the only previous running backs to be awarded the trophy. Raymond is the third Big Ten recipient and the third running back overall to win the honours, since the award’s inception in 2017.
What Is The Jon Cornish Trophy?
The Jon Cornish Trophy honors the top Canadian in NCAA football, named after Jon Cornish, a British Columbia native, Kansas star, and Canadian Football Hall of Famer (inducted 2019). Cornish won three CFL Most Outstanding Canadian awards, the 2013 Most Outstanding Player, and two Grey Cups with Calgary.
Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor (Ottawa) finished runner-up for the award this year. Finalists included Boise State safety Ty Benefield (Vancouver), Wake Forest defensive lineman Nuer Gatkuoth (Edmonton), and Rutgers safety Jett Elad (Mississauga, Ont.).
Raymond topped a highly talented class of Canadian athletes at Rutgers, like Elad, linebacker Dariel Djabome, and defensive linemen Djibril Abdou-Rahman and Farell Gnagno.
Raymond’s award is another testament to individual achievements in a team struggling throughout the season. His production powered three straight 1,000-yard rushing campaigns at Rutgers, following Kyle Monangai’s back-to-back efforts.
As the first Quebec winner and Rutgers’ inaugural recipient, Raymond etches his name in program and national records, proving that Canadian talent also thrives on the Banks.
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Rituraj Halder is a football junkie. He covers everything from clutch game-day moments to the stories that offer a glimpse into the locker room. Over the years, he’s written for outlets like Pro Sports and Football Network, Esports on Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, and EssentiallySports, carving out a voice that blends sharp analysis with genuine passion. Whether it’s breaking down a Big Ten rivalry, highlighting rising stars, or capturing the emotion that fuels the game, Rituraj writes football the way fans feel it: loud, proud, and all in.