Published Jul 24, 2020
Hubbard, Wallace named to Maxwell Award watch list
OSU Media Relations
Release

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard and wide receiver Tylan Wallace have been named to the preseason watch list for the 84th Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Friday.

The duo makes Oklahoma State the only Big 12 school to have multiple players included on the list for the award, presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football. They also make up two of the conference’s eight total representatives on the list, which includes 90 players from across the country.

Hubbard is one of six returning 2019 Maxwell semifinalists on the watch list, joined by Shane Buechele (SMU), Charlie Brewer (Baylor), Travis Etienne (Clemson), Justin Fields (Ohio State) and Sam Ehlinger (Texas).

With the recognition, Oklahoma State has now had players listed on 10 of the 14 watch lists this year that have been announced from within the National College Football Awards Association. Hubbard has already been included on the Doak Walker Award and Wuerffel Trophy lists, while Wallace was on the Biletnikoff Award list.

A Heisman candidate out of Canada, Hubbard adds the preseason recognition to his already long list of accolades, including being named a Doak Walker Award finalist last season, as well as a unanimous All-American, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He finished eighth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, which marks the third best finish for a Canadian player, and was named the Cornish Trophy winner, which is given to the best Canadian player in NCAA football.

The Sherwood Park, Alberta, native ended the 2019 season as the FBS leader in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, 200-yard rushing games and all-purpose yards per game. He ranked first among all players from Power Five conferences in rushing touchdowns and led the Big 12 in both points scored and total touchdowns.

Hubbard's season total of 2,094 rushing yards ranks 16th in FBS history and third in Big 12 Conference history. It marked the second-best single-season total in school history, trailing only Barry Sanders' 1988 Heisman season.

Additionally, Hubbard rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his last 11 games, which was the longest active streak in the nation, and led the country with 15 rushes of 30 yards or longer, nine rushes of 40 yards or longer, seven rushes of 50 yards or longer, five rushes of 60 yards or longer, three rushes of 70 yards or longer, two rushes of 80 yards or longer and one rush of 90 yards or longer.

Top performances from the 2019 season included the largest single-game rushing total for any Power Five Conference player all year with 296 yards against Kansas State, a 256 rushing yard day against Tulsa for the sixth-highest single-game output in the FBS this season and a 223 rushing yard day against TCU that marked the first time a running back has gone over 200 yards in a game against the Horned Frogs in Gary Patterson's 19 years as head coach.

Wallace was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award and a first team All-American in 2018. The senior out of Fort Worth, Texas, has rightfully earned a spot among the best and most feared receivers in college football. He enters 2020 ranked third among active FBS players with 2,512 career receiving yards and is second with 20 career receiving touchdowns. He also has 11 games with 100 or more receiving yards in the past two seasons.

As a junior in 2019, Wallace earned Midseason All-America honors from The Athletic and earned second-team All-Big 12 status despite missing half of the conference season to injury. At the time he was hurt, Wallace averaged 112.9 receiving yards per game to rank fourth in the FBS and first among all receivers from Power Five conferences. His 903 yards through eight games led the Big 12 and his eight receiving touchdowns ranked second. At the time of his injury, he was also leading the nation in catches of 60 yards or longer, catches of 70 yards or longer and catches of 90 yards or longer.

Wallace also made one of the plays of the year in college football against Iowa State when he caught a short bubble screen, barreled through a would-be defender at the line of scrimmage to break free down the sideline, then delivered a punishing stiff-arm to a second defender in open space on his way to a 71-yard touchdown.

That year was predicated by a 2018 sophomore season that saw Wallace become one of three national finalists for the Biletnikoff Award and a first team All-American.

Wallace wrapped up his sophomore campaign by leading the nation with 63 receptions of 10 yards or longer and tying for second in the FBS with 25 receptions of 20 yards or longer. His 17.33 yards per reception led the FBS among players with a minimum of 80 catches and he ranked second nationally with 1,491 total receiving yards. His 66 first-down receptions also led all Power Five conference players and he became the first player in school history to post two 200-yard receiving games against ranked opponents in the same season.

Wallace’s season receiving total in 2018 marked the second-highest total for an underclassman in school history, trailing only the 1,782 yards by Justin Blackmon in his Biletnikoff Award-winning season of 2010.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.

Semifinalists for the award will be announced November 3, while the three finalists will be unveiled November 23. The winner will be announced December 10 as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 12, 2021