All Bruins

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Zach Charbonnet on Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List

The pair of UCLA playmakers are officially in the running for college football's national player of the year honor.
Sam Connon|
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Zach Charbonnet on Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Zach Charbonnet on Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List

In this story:

UCLA Bruins

Preseason watch list season has begun, and the Bruins have put forth some early contenders.

The Maxwell Football Club released its watch list for the 86th Maxwell Award on Monday, setting 85 student-athletes up for a pursuit of the national player of the year honor. UCLA football quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and running back Zach Charbonnet were both included on the list, giving the Bruins two challengers for the trophy.

This marks the third year in a row that Thompson-Robinson has made the preseason watch list, whereas Charbonnet is a first-time member.

Thompson-Robinson has passed for 7,541 yards, 61 touchdowns and 26 interceptions on 60.7% passing for a 140.8 passer rating across the first four years of his collegiate career. The dual-threat passer has also picked up 1,183 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.

In 2021 alone, Thompson-Robinson went for 2,409 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, a 153.4 passer rating, 611 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.

Thompson-Robinson is within reach of breaking a few of UCLA's all-time passing records, considering he is just 15 touchdowns away from surpassing Brett Hundley and 3,168 yards away from surpassing Cade McNown.

Forty-one other quarterbacks were named to the Maxwell Award watch list, while Charbonnet was one of 25 running backs to make the cut.

Charbonnet excelled in his first year as a Bruin in 2021, racking up 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry while also picking up 197 yards on 24 receptions. The former Michigan transfer posted seven 100-yard performances, and after scoring seven touchdowns in the first four weeks of the season, he scored six more in the final four.

Arizona receiver Jacob Cowing, Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee, USC quarterback Caleb Williams, USC receiver Jordan Addison, Utah quarterback Cameron Rising, Utah running back Tavion Thomas are the other Pac-12 representatives on the watch list.

The Maxwell Award will be announced on ESPN in December as part of the annual College Football Awards Show.

Gary Beban, who won the Maxwell Award in 1967, is the only Bruin to ever earn the honor.

Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube

Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated

Published
Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon was the Publisher and Managing Editor at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s All Bruins from 2021 to 2023. He is now a staff writer at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s Fastball. He previously covered UCLA football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country and golf for The Daily Bruin from 2017 to 2021, serving as the paper's Sports Editor from 2019 to 2020. Connon has also been a contributor for 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' BruinBlitz, Dash Sports TV, SuperWestSports, Prime Time Sports Talk, The Sports Life Blog and Patriots Country, Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s New England Patriots site. His work as a sports columnist has been awarded by the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon graduated from UCLA in June 2021 and is originally from Winchester, Massachusetts.

Share on XFollow SamConnon
Home/Football