Michigan State University Athletics
Cam Edwards Named to Maxwell Award Player of the Year Watch List
8/3/2026 1:18:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State fifth-year senior running back Cam Edwards has been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, presented annually to the outstanding player in college football.
Administered by the Maxwell Football Club, the Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
The full preseason watch list consists of 81 players in the FBS.
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza was the 2025 Maxwell Award winner and was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first overall pick of the NFL draft.
Edwards, who played the last four seasons (2022-25) at UConn, posted career highs for rushing yards (1,240), rushing touchdowns (15), carries (210), receptions (19) and receiving yards (187) for the Huskies in 2025. He finished last year ranked among the FBS Top 25 leaders in six categories (tied for ninth in total TDs with 16; 13th in rushing TDs with 15; 15th in rushing yards with 1,240; 17th in rushing yards per game with 95.4 ypg; 22nd in all-purpose yards with 1,427; 23rd in yards per carry at 5.9).
The Norwalk, Connecticut, native concluded his UConn career ranked among the school's all-time leaders in rushing yards per carry (tied for first at 5.6), rushing yards (fifth with 2,690), rushing touchdowns (fifth with 27) and carries (ninth with 467) in 36 career games, including 23 starts. The 5-11, 206-pound Edwards, a third-team Group of Five All-American in 2025, led UConn in rushing three years in a row and has nine career 100-yard rushing performances. He transferred to Michigan State in January and competed for the Spartans in spring practice.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 10, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 24. The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, NFL Foundation, College Sports Communicators, SRA Inc, Vertical Raise, Quinco Inc, the ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more, visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.
Administered by the Maxwell Football Club, the Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
The full preseason watch list consists of 81 players in the FBS.
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza was the 2025 Maxwell Award winner and was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first overall pick of the NFL draft.
Edwards, who played the last four seasons (2022-25) at UConn, posted career highs for rushing yards (1,240), rushing touchdowns (15), carries (210), receptions (19) and receiving yards (187) for the Huskies in 2025. He finished last year ranked among the FBS Top 25 leaders in six categories (tied for ninth in total TDs with 16; 13th in rushing TDs with 15; 15th in rushing yards with 1,240; 17th in rushing yards per game with 95.4 ypg; 22nd in all-purpose yards with 1,427; 23rd in yards per carry at 5.9).
The Norwalk, Connecticut, native concluded his UConn career ranked among the school's all-time leaders in rushing yards per carry (tied for first at 5.6), rushing yards (fifth with 2,690), rushing touchdowns (fifth with 27) and carries (ninth with 467) in 36 career games, including 23 starts. The 5-11, 206-pound Edwards, a third-team Group of Five All-American in 2025, led UConn in rushing three years in a row and has nine career 100-yard rushing performances. He transferred to Michigan State in January and competed for the Spartans in spring practice.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 10, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 24. The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, NFL Foundation, College Sports Communicators, SRA Inc, Vertical Raise, Quinco Inc, the ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more, visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.
Players Mentioned
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