The Shaun Alexander Award Hopefuls

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One of the Maxwell Football Club’s most prestigious awards is presented to the best freshman player in college football, the Shaun Alexander Award. Originally named the College Football Freshman Player of the Year Award, it received its fitting name change due to Alexander’s tremendous freshman season for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Established in 2019, the inaugural recipient was Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He received the award after his Tigers upset Alexander’s alma mater in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship.

As the college football season approaches, the following are four true freshmen who are quickly making a name for themselves. These young athletes are not only adjusting to the demands of college football but also standing out as potential game-changers. Among them, one could even be in the running for the Alexander Award.

Jeremiah Smith, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

Committed to "Wide Receiver U" back in December 2022, Jeremiah Smith is expected to make an immediate impact to kick off the 2024 season. Smith has received immense praise from not only the coaching staff but also teammates CB Denzel Burke and WR Emeka Egbuka.

“This might be a big statement, but just the way he handles himself and the way he moves and the potential he has, I feel like he might be the next best receiver to come through here,” Burke said.

Egbuka said “the sky’s the limit” for Smith, claiming he is doing all the right things to give himself a chance at playing in a key role for the Buckeyes.

Dylan Raiola, Quarterback, Nebraska

The biggest addition to Matt Rhule’s offense and the crown jewel of the 2024 recruiting class, Dylan Raiola will contend for the QB1 position for the Cornhuskers. Raiola has shown immediate impact since his first spring practice leaving Rhule speechless.

“We get out to the first practice and he comes out, and we’re sliding to the field and there’s a will free blitz and he’s like, ‘Hey, flipper flipper.’ I had a tear running down my eye,” Rhule said during the Big Ten Conference Media Days.

Although Rhule has not mentioned a starter as of yet, Raiola is definitely living up to the hype surrounding him and the Huskers. Center Ben Scott has even mentioned how Raiola has been the first one in the building and the last one to leave since arriving in Lincoln.

KJ Bolden, Safety, Georgia

Georgia is not all that deep at the safety position, opening the door of opportunity for Bolden to step in. Named as an impactful contributor for the Bulldogs by Kirby Smart, Bolden is off in the right direction to make an impact.

“I think KJ Bolden has a chance to really help us out. He’s athletic, he’s intelligent. He comes from a really good high school program. He got 15 practices in the spring and he approaches every practice like a veteran,” Smart said. "Where he is right now is ahead of, probably, where [defensive back] Malaki [Starks] was at that time. Malaki was able to play as a freshman. I’m excited about what KJ has done.”

Jordan Marshall, Running Back, Michigan

Although he is unlikely to see the field as much as the other prospects mentioned prior, Marshall has all the talent and abilities to be an effective RB2 alongside Donovan Edwards. According to Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore and former coach Mike Hart, Marshall has been drawing comparison to Wolverine legend Blake Corum.

“Marshall—he has a little bit of the Blake Corum mentality and skillset in him, so I’m super excited about him,” Moore said. “I just think overall he can do everything, just like Blake from the standpoint of he can play on third down, he can catch the ball, he can block. He’s the whole package. First and second down, he can run through people, he can run around people, he can do everything he needs to do to be successful.”

As the season progresses, their performances will be closely watched, especially with the possibility of the Alexander Award in sight for one of these promising young talents. The future is bright for these rising stars, and they are poised to leave a lasting impact.