Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List Adds 10 New Players

The College Sports Communicators, in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization, released a revised “Watch List” on October 8, 2024 featuring 58 college football student-athletes from 53 different schools currently under consideration for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award. 

The updated list includes 48 players who were on the preseason watch list, as well as 10 new players who are off to strong starts this season. They include: Walker Parks (OL, Clemson), Rahmin Johnson (RB, Nebraska), Lathan Ransom (S, Ohio State), Smith Vilbert (DL, Penn State), Caleb Douglass (WR, Texas Tech), Pierce Oppong (DL, Northern Illinois), Keegan Holles (RB, Colorado State), Ike Larsen (DB, Utah State), Davion Ross (DB, Memphis) and Devin Voisin (WR, South Alabama).

Here’s a look at the updated 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Watch List. (*Bold indicates added on 9/8/24 since Pre-Season Watch List of 8/7/24).

PLAYER

SCHOOL

CONFERENCE

POSITION

Zuberi Mobley

FAU

AAC

RB

Blake Horvath

Navy

AAC

QB

Jason Vaughn

USF

AAC

DE

Cole Turner

Clemson

ACC

WR

Walker Parks*

Clemson

ACC

OL

Eli Pancol

Duke

ACC

WR

Sylvain Yondjouen

Georgia Tech

ACC

DL

Tyler Shough

Louisville

ACC

QB

Grayson McCall

NC State

ACC

QB

Oronde Gadsen II

Syracuse

ACC

TE

Trebor Pena

Syracuse

ACC

WR

Kobe Paysour

UNC

ACC

WR

Kam Butler

Virginia

ACC

DE

Donavon Greene

Wake Forest

ACC

WR

Josh McCray

Illinois

Big Ten

RB

Zakhari Franklin

Illinois

Big Ten

WR

Cade McNamara

Iowa

Big Ten

QB

Rahmir Johnson*

Nebraska

Big Ten

RB

Lathan Ransom*

Ohio State

Big Ten

S

Noah Whittington

Oregon

Big Ten

RB

Smith Vilbert*

Penn State

Big Ten

DL

Max Klare

Purdue

Big Ten

TE

Tyreem Powell

Rutgers

Big Ten

LB

Ale Kaho

UCLA

Big Ten

LB

Cameron Davis

Washington

Big Ten

RB

Hal Presley

Baylor

Big 12

WR

Hinckley Ropati

BYU

Big 12

RB

Jalon Daniels

Kansas

Big 12

QB

De’Zhaun Stribling

Oklahoma State

Big 12

WR

Johnny Hodges

TCU

Big 12

LB

Caleb Douglass*

Texas Tech

Big 12

WR

Brant Kuithe

Utah

Big 12

TE

Cam Rising

Utah

Big 12

QB

Trey Lathan

West Virginia

Big 12

LB

Tyson Mobley

Liberty

Conference USA

WR

Lexington Joseph

FIU

Conference USA

RB

Marquis Crosby

Louisiana Tech

Conference USA

RB

Riley Leonard

Notre Dame

Independent

QB

Joe Fagnano

UConn

Independent

QB

Brett Gabbert

Miami OH

MAC

QB

Pierce Oppong*

Northern Illinois

MAC

DE

Keegan Holles*

Colorado State

Mountain West

RB

Patrick Garwo III

Nevada

Mountain West

RB

Luke Wysong

New Mexico

Mountain West

WR

Justin Lockhart

San Jose State

Mountain West

WR

Latrell Caples

Boise State

Mountain West

WR

Cam Lockridge

Fresno State

Mountain West

DB

Ike Larsen*

Utah State

Mountain West

DB

Spencer Petras

Utah State

Mountain West

QB

Luke Hasz

Arkansas

SEC

TE

Shemar James

Florida

SEC

LB

Branson Robinson

Georgia

SEC

RB

Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson

Kentucky

SEC

LB

Davion Ross*

Memphis

SEC

DB

Raheim Sanders

South Carolina

SEC

RB

Bru McCoy

Tennessee

SEC

WR

Devin Voisin*

South Alabama

Sun Belt

WR

Lincoln Pare

Texas State

Sun Belt

RB

Previous winners of the Comeback Player of the Year Award include: 2023 – Blake Corum (Michigan); Jacob Dobbs (Holy Cross); Mike Hollins (Virginia); 2022 – Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota); Laiatu Latu (UCLA); Michael Penix Jr. (Washington); 2021 – Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan); McKenzie Milton (Florida State); J.J. Weaver (Kentucky); 2020 – Jarek Broussard (Colorado); Kenneth Horsey (Kentucky); Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina); 2019 – Jake Luton (Oregon State); Drew Wilson (Georgia Southern); Octavion Wilson (Salisbury); 2018 – Antwan Dixon (Kent State), Seth Simmer (Dartmouth); Antonio Wimbush (Carson-Newman). For a complete list of past honorees, visit www.Comeback-Player.com.

View Honorees from Past Years

2022

College Football Comeback Player Award Winners

The award recognizes college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. The three honorees were selected in a vote by a panel of AP writers, editors, sports information directors, and Fiesta Bowl Organization representatives. Here’s a look at their remarkable comeback stories.