CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings and Miami quarterback Cam Ward were announced as two of the five finalists for The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award on Wednesday, December 18.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, announced in 2012 by the Tyler Chamber and SPORTyler, recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals.
In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: played football and graduated from a Texas High School and/or playing at a four-year Division I Texas college.
Jennings has appeared in all 13 games for the Mustangs this season, starting in each of the last 10. He has thrown for 3,050 passing yards and 22 touchdowns while adding 379 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Jennings threw for more than 300 yards in three games including a career-high 323 passing yards with two touchdowns on the road against Virginia. He threw for a career-high three touchdowns during SMU’s ACC debut against Florida State (Sept. 28). He matched the three passing touchdowns while adding 322 passing yards in the Mustangs’ win over Stanford (Oct. 19).
Throughout the season, Jennings was twice named a Manning Award Star of the Week, while also earning Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week honors on October 8. He is a member of the Davey O’Brien Class of 2024, a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award and two-time Davey O’Brien Great 8 List selection. Jennings was also named to the All-ACC Third Team and a Dave Campbell’s Texas Football First Team All-Texas selection.
Ward, the ACC Player and Offensive Player of the Year and All-ACC First-Team selection, leads the nation in passing touchdowns (36) and Total QBR (88.0) and ranks second in all FBS in passing yards (4,123), passing yards per game (343.6), total offense per game (359.9), points responsible for (254) and points responsible for per game (21.2). He also ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency (171.1) and yards per pass attempt (9.48), all of which rank in the top two in the ACC.
On Thursday, December 12, Ward was named the winner of the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. The Hurricanes’ standout was also selected as a finalist for the 2024 Heisman Memorial Trophy, the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards, in addition to being a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award.