CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Continuing to showcase its national prominence and depth of talent, the Atlantic Coast Conference had a nation-leading 17 football student-athletes named to the preseason watch list for the 89th Maxwell Award, presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.
The ACC’s 17 selections tie the SEC for the most among all conferences, with the league’s 11 quarterbacks leading all conferences at the position, highlighting the ACC’s strong tradition of dynamic quarterback play heading into the 2025 season.
Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Pitt and Virginia Tech each had two players recognized, while Duke, Florida State, Miami, NC State, SMU, Virginia and Wake Forest each had one honoree.
First awarded in 1937, the Maxwell Award honors the College Player of the Year and is named in memory of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a standout at Swarthmore College who went on to become a respected sportswriter and football official.
ACC Players Named to the Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
Name, School, Class, Position
Cade Klubnik, Clemson, Senior, QB
Antonio Williams, Clemson, Junior, WR
Darian Mensah, Duke, Sophomore, QB
Tommy Castellanos, Florida State, Senior, QB
Haynes King, Georgia Tech, Senior, QB
Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech, Senior, RB
Miller Moss, Louisville, Senior, QB
Isaac Brown, Louisville, Sophomore, RB
Carson Beck, Miami, Senior, QB
CJ Bailey, NC State, Sophomore, QB
Eli Holstein, Pitt, Sophomore, QB
Desmond Reid, Pitt, Senior, RB
Kevin Jennings, SMU, Junior, QB
Chandler Morris, Virginia, Senior, QB
Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech, Senior, QB
Terion Stewart, Virginia Tech, Senior, RB
Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest, Senior, RB
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to the selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts who are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on November 11, 2025, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled on November 25, 2025. The winner of the 89th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 11, 2025. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
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.