LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Thirty-nine players representing schools from nine Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences have been selected for the 2026 Paul Hornung Award Pre-Season Watch List.
Leading the way are 2025 Paul Hornung Award Finalists J’Koby Williams of Texas Tech and Wayne Knight of UCLA (a transfer from James Madison), along with nine players who earned a spot on the weekly Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll at least once in 2025: David Amador II (UTSA), Anthony Evans III (Mississippi State), Martel Hight (Vanderbilt), Quinton Jackson (Rice), Rayshon Luke (Fresno State), Koi Perich (Oregon), Cameron Pettaway (Iowa State), Rayshawn Pleasant (Auburn) and Sutton Smith (Arkansas). (See full list of Watch List players below.)
The SEC leads all conferences with 10 players on the Watch List, followed by the ACC, Big 12 and AAC with six each; the Big Ten with five; the Mountain West and Pac-12 with two each and the MAC and Sun Belt with one player each on the list.
Now in its 17th season, the Paul Hornung Award is presented annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football in memory of the late football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner in Louisville in March 2027.
More information about the Award can be found at www.paulhornungaward.com.
2026 Watch List Selections
David Amador II, UTSA
Cam Barfield, Hawai’i
Jacory Barney Jr., Nebraska
Jadan Baugh, Florida
Solomon Beebe, Virginia
Jackson Bennee, Utah
JoJo Bermudez, Temple
Nahree Biggins, Central Michigan
Vernell Brown III, Florida
Miles Coleman, Oklahoma St.
DJ Epps, West Virginia
Anthony Evans III, Mississippi St.
Martel Hight, Vanderbilt
Brandon Inniss, Ohio State
Alvon Issac, USF
Quinton Jackson, Rice
Kenny Johnson, Texas Tech
Wayne Knight, UCLA
Rayshon Luke, Fresno St.
Andrew Marsh, Michigan
Easton Messer, FAU
Adam Mohammed, Cat
Ryan Niblett, Texas
Koi Perich, Oregon
Cameron Pettaway, Iowa St.
Rayshawn Pleasant, Auburn
Keith Reynolds, Miami (OH)
Tre Richardson, Louisville
Devin Roche, Old Dominion
Demetres Samuel Jr., Syracuse
Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma
Jayden “Duke” Scott, NC State
Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt
Sutton Smith, Arkansas
Beau Sparks, Texas State
Vicari Swain, South Carolina
Malachi Toney, Miami
James Tyre, North Texas
Jackson Williams, NDSU
J’Koby Williams, Texas Tech
Last season, players on the Watch List combined for more than 38,000 all-purpose yards and 201 total touchdowns rushing, receiving and on kick, punt and interception returns and averaged 11.5 yards per catch, 5.6 yards per carry, 13.4 yards per punt return, 25 yards per kickoff return and 24.3 yards per interception return. The majority of the players on the Watch List play offensive skill positions and are return specialists; four players are defensive backs and return specialists; and four play both offense and defense.
In 2025, Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion earned the Paul Hornung Award as an elusive threat at wide receiver and as one of the nation’s leaders in explosive plays, scoring touchdowns receiving (9), rushing (1), and returning punts (2). Concepcion ranked among the nation’s top 10 in six skill-position statistical categories, including 40 receptions of 10 yards or more, nine touchdown receptions, an average of 15.5 yards per catch, a 20-yard average per punt return and two punt returns of more than 70 yards. The Cleveland Browns selected him with the 24th overall pick in the NFL draft.
The Paul Hornung Award has built an impressive legacy over its first 16 seasons, with nine winners becoming first-round NFL Draft picks – KC Concepcion, Tavon Austin, Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., Travis Hunter, Christian McCaffrey, Jabrill Peppers, DeVonta Smith and Shaq Thompson.
Hornung, who passed away in his hometown at age 84 in November 2020, played every position in the offensive backfield during his career with the Irish in the 1950s. He also played defensive safety, punted, placekicked and returned kickoffs. Hornung was named an All-American quarterback as a senior and won the Heisman Trophy in 1956, before becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He earned NFL MVP honors in 1961 for the Packers as a triple-threat halfback and placekicker by setting a single-season NFL scoring record that stood for 46 years. Hornung is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and legendary coach Vince Lombardi once called him “The most versatile man ever to play the game.”
The 2026 Pre-Season Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of statistics, career performance, SID recommendations and expectations heading into the 2026 season. Throughout the regular season, the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll will recognize players whose performances meet the Award’s criteria. Players named to the Watch List and the Weekly Honor Roll are eligible to win the Award.
All votes for the Paul Hornung Award finalists and winner will be independently tabulated by Jones, Nale & Mattingly, one of Kentucky’s premier CPA and advisory firms.
The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son while recognizing outstanding performances by versatile college football players whose contributions often go unnoticed.
Texas Roadhouse became the Award’s presenting sponsor in 2011 and will again partner with the Louisville Sports Commission to power fan voting during the 2026 season. College football fans nationwide will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite player during the regular season and again during the bowl season. Fan voting will open in late September and factor into the selection of the finalists and winner.
