CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference had three standout football student-athletes – Cade Klubnik of Clemson, Cam Ward of Miami and Omarion Hampton of North Carolina – named as semifinalists for the 88th Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year.
The list includes a field of 16 candidates for the Maxwell Award.
Klubnik has had a strong season, leading Clemson to a 7-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in ACC play. Named in the Top 10 for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Klubnik ranks in the top 10 in all of FBS with 24 passing touchdowns (third), 168 points responsible for (fifth), and an average of 18.7 points responsible for per game (seventh). He also ranks 17th nationally in total offense (286.1 yards per game), 24th in completion percentage (63.1 percent) and 26th in passing yards per game (252.8). Klubnik also ranks 15th nationally in Total QBR at 78.5.
Also in the top 10 for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Ward has captained the Miami Hurricanes to a 9-1 overall record with the nation’s No. 1 offense. The signal-caller leads the country with 32 touchdowns, 3,494 passing yards, 222 points responsible for and a Total QBR of 89.6. He ranks second nationally in total offense (367.6 yards per game), passing yards per game (349.4) and points responsible for per game (22.2), and is fourth in all of FBS in passing efficiency (174.0). The 2024 ACC Preseason Player of the Year’s 32 touchdown passes are a new Miami single-season record.
Hampton has been consistently good for the North Carolina offense this season, recording seven consecutive 100-yard rushing games, which officially tied the all-time school record. His seven straight games of 100 rushing yards or more is tied for the fifth-longest streak in ACC history, along with Steve Atkins (Maryland - 1978), David Wilson (Virginia Tech - 2011), Lamar Jackson (Louisville - 2017) and Sean Tucker (Syracuse - 2021). The running back leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally in both rushing yards (1,178) and rushing yards per game (130.9), and also ranks 10th nationally in rushing touchdowns (13) and total touchdowns (14). Hampton also leads the ACC and ranks third in all of FBS with an average of 160.33 all-purpose yards per game.
Semifinalist voting for the Maxwell Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Tuesday, November 12, and will close on Saturday, November 23. Three finalists for each award will be announced on Tuesday, November 26, and a finalist round of voting will take place at that time.
Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors and selected national media.
The winner of the 88th Maxwell Award and the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the
ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show, which will be broadcast live on ESPN on Thursday, December 12. The formal presentation of the Maxwell and Chuck Bednarik Awards will take place at the 88th Maxwell Awards Gala, which will be held on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed statistical and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, and several senior PFF analysts have been added to the selection committee and have participated in the process. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete football reference in the country.