The college football regular season is over. Bowling season awaits, including the long-awaited (albeit controversial) College Football Playoff.
But now, it’s awards season.
The grand prize will be handed out on Saturday, when LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., or Oregon State’s Bo Nix will receive the Heisman Trophy. But plenty of other hardware was given away Friday night during ESPN’s College Football Awards.
Here’s a look at who took home the major individual awards for the 2023 college football season:
Maxwell Award (Best Player)
winner: Michael Penix Jr., midfielder, Washington
Penix led the Pac-12 champions to a 13-0 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff with his accurate passing. He threw for a nation-leading 4,218 yards and added 33 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He completed 65.9% of his passes.
Walter Camp Player of the Year
winner: Jayden Daniels, midfielder, LSU
Daniels tied with Bo Nix for the nation’s lead in touchdown passes, with 40 (and had just four interceptions), and was third behind Nix and Pinix Jr. in passing yards (3,812). The dual-threat QB added another 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Davey O’Brien Award (Best Midfielder)
winner: Jayden Daniels, LSU
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (Best Division I QB)
winner: Jayden Daniels, LSU
Biletnikoff Award (best recipient)
winner: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
The son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer is considered one of the top picks in next year’s NFL Draft, and it’s easy to see why. Harrison earned top receiver honors after hauling in 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Doc Walker Award (Best Comeback)
winner: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Gordon led the nation with 1,614 rushing yards, and his 20 rushing touchdowns were second behind Michigan’s Blake Corum.
John Mackey Award (Best Tight End)
winner: Brooke Powers, Georgia
Another player who will likely hear his name loud in the 2024 NFL Draft, Bowers earned the Mackey Award for the second straight season. Powers has struggled with injury this season, which cost him some games, but he still finished with 56 catches for 714 yards and six touchdowns.
External Trophy (Best Interior Lineman)
winner: (T Funder Suite, Texas).
The 6-foot-4, 362-pound Race was a defensive standout for the Longhorns. Texas allowed just 80 yards per game, third-best in the country.
Bronko Nagurski Award (Best Defensive Player)
winner: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish safety led the nation with seven interceptions.
Chuck Bednarek Award (Defensive Player of the Year)
winner: (Payton Wilson in North Carolina).
Wilson has stuffed the stat sheet for the Wolfpack this season. He ranked fifth in total tackles (138) and tied for sixth in tackles for loss. He added six sacks and made three interceptions.
Butkus Award (Best Fullback)
winner: (Payton Wilson in North Carolina).
Lombardi Award (Best Calligrapher)
winner: Laiato Lato, University of California
Latu tallied a nation-leading 21.5 tackles for loss and is tied for fourth with 13 sacks. The Bruins have allowed the fewest rushing yards in the country this season.
Ted Hendricks Award (Best Defensive End)
winner: Laiato Lato, University of California
Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back)
winner: Trey Taylor, Air Force
Taylor caught three passes, took one home, and made 71 passes.
Paul Hornung Award (Most Versatile Player)
winner: Travis Hunter, Colorado
The former recruit followed coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Boulder, and he did it all for the Buffaloes. Hunter played both ways, finishing with 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver and three interceptions as a defensive back in nine games.
Rimington Trophy (best place)
winner: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Powers-Johnson was the man in the middle in the nation’s No. 2 offense.
Lou Groza Award (Most Valuable Player)
winner: Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)
Nicholson has been nearly perfect this season, making 26 of his 27 field goals (and 35 of his 36 extra-point attempts).
Ray Jay Award (Best Gambler)
winner: Tori Taylor, Iowa
Taylor excelled this season, which was good for Iowa State considering the Hawkeyes’ awful offense gave him plenty of opportunities. He has bet 11 times more than the nearest punter and is on the verge of setting an NCAA record with 4,119 receiving yards. His average of 47.9 yards per punt was third best in the country.
Burlsworth Trophy (Best Player to Start His Football Career)
winner: Cody Schrader, Missouri
The Tigers running back rushed for 1,499 yards, third-best in the country, and 13 touchdowns. He transferred to Mizzou in 2022 after playing at the Division II level.
William V. Cup. Campbell (Best Scholar Athlete)
winner: Beau Nix, Oregon
The Ducks’ quarterback shined on and off the field, finishing with 4,145 yards and 40 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He completed 77.2% of his passes.
Wuerffel Cup (community service)
winner: Ladd McConkey, Georgia
McConkey, an underrated member of Georgia’s back-to-back title teams, has 29 points this season in eight games. He finished with 456 yards and two touchdowns.
Home Depot Trainer of the Year
winner: Kalin DeBoer, Washington
The Huskies’ second-year coach led his team to a perfect regular season and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Broyles Award (Best Assistant Coach)
winner: Phil Parker, Iowa
The Hawkeyes’ defensive coordinator did a yeoman’s job directing his top-five unit, helping Iowa State win 10 games despite fielding the worst offense in the country.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football awards: Players honored for 2023 season