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Baker Mayfield, Dede Westbrook Named Maxwell Award Semifinalists
Baker Mayfield and Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma are among the 18 semifinalists who are still in the running for the 2016 Maxwell Award.
Oct 29, 2016; Norman, OK, USAOklahoma Sooners wide receiver Dede Westbrook (11) eludes a tackle attempt by Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Brandon Stewart (8) during the second quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mayfield and Westbrook join Patrick Mahomes of Texas Tech as the only Big 12 players to be named semifinalists for this year’s Maxwell Award. This is the 80th year for the award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the college football player of the year.
The Maxwell Award preseason watch list included 90 college players from FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams and 11 candidates from Big 12 teams. Samaje Perine was on the preseason watch list.
Mayfield was a semifinalist for the 2015 Maxwell Award. The redshirt-junior quarterback for the Sooners currently leads the nation in pass efficiency rating (195.9) and yards per pass attempt (10.9) and is second in yards per pass completion (15.4), fifth in passing touchdowns (27) and completion percentage (70.9). Fifteen of his 27 touchdown passes this season have come in the last three games, an OU school record.
In his past five games, Westbrook has been nothing short of phenomenal. In Oklahoma’s five Big 12 games, the senior wide receiver has produced a stat line that looks like this: 40 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 881 yards and 11 touchdowns are the most ever by an Oklahoma player in a five-game stretch.
Westbrook also has a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown, which came Saturday in a 56-3 win over Kansas.
So far this season, Westbrook leads Big 12 receivers in receiving yards (176.2 per game), receptions (8.0 per game), points (14.8 per game) and all-purpose yards (210.4 per game.
At this point in the season, Mayfield and Westbrook would also have to be strong considerations for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Mayfield won that award a year ago.
Three Maxwell Award finalists will be named on Nov. 22 and the winner will be announced on Dec. 8.
Former Oklahoma players Tommy McDonald (1956) and Jason White (2004) were previous Maxwell Award winners.
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