Harrell and Crabtree on Maxwell Watch List

College football’s top pass-receive tandem from 2007 has been named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, announced Monday by Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski. Red Raider quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receiver Michael Crabtree connected 134 times for 22 touchdowns and 1,962 yards, all NCAA freshman records for Crabtree.

Harrell completed one of the most notable seasons in NCAA history, becoming only the sixth person to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season. His 5,705 yards rank second all-time behind former Tech quarterback B.J.Symons’ NCAA season mark of 5,833 yards in 2003. Harrell also is tied 11^th on the NCAA career touchdown passes list with 89 and ranks fourth on the single-season list with 48 in 2007. Additionally, Harrell set six NCAA records last year, including throwing for 400 yards in 11 games, breaking the old mark of nine games set by Houston’s David Klingler (1990), Symons (2003) and Hawaii’s Colt Brennan (2006).

Crabtree shattered the NCAA record book for freshmen receivers and turned in one of the most dynamic seasons in college football history. One of eight players nationally recognized as a unanimous consensus All-American in 2007, Crabtree earned the accolades as a redshirt freshman in his first season of collegiate football. He posted five games with three or more touchdowns and two others with two. He enters the season as a strong Heisman Trophy candidate and listed on several preseason All-America teams, including the prestigious Playboy All-America Team.

Crabtree is one of four players among the 75 listed that was named to the Associated Press and/or Walter Camp All-America teams last season – Travis Beckum, Wisconsin; Jeremy Maclin, Missouri; and Tim Tebow, Florida., last year’s Maxwell recipient.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced in early November and three finalists will be announced November 25^th. The winner of the 2008 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment Atlantic City on March 6, 2009. 

The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club’s Selection Committee and the Maxwell Club reserves the right to make additions and subtractions to these lists as the 2008 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA Sports Information Directors, Head Coaches and selected national media are eligible to vote for these awards.