Robbins and Slovis named to the Maxwell Award watch list

PHILADELPHIA — The Maxwell Football Club today announced BYU senior quarterback Kedon Slovis and junior running back Aiden Robbins have both been named to the watch list for the 87th Maxwell Award, presented annually to the outstanding player in college football. 

The 2023 Maxwell Award list includes 85 players from 69 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs, with 16 schools having two players represented. Since 1937, The Maxwell has been presented to the College Player of the Year and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and later a renowned sportswriter and football official. 

Slovis, from Scottdale, Arizona, transferred to BYU in the offseason after spending three years at USC and the 2022 season at Pitt. The senior signal caller started 37 of the 38 games he has played in over four years from 2019-22. His career passing yards of 9,973 ranks No. 13 among active quarterbacks in the FBS. Slovis was named first-team All-Pac 12 by the Associate Press and Phil Steele in 2020 after leading the nation in completions per game (29.5) and finishing sixth in passing yards per game (320.2), 13th in total offense (310.7) and 18th in completion percentage (.670). 

As a freshman in 2019, Slovis was the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and was named Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and Pro Football Focus. He was also a semifinalist for the FWAA National Freshman of the Year.

Slovis passed for 7,576 yards as a Trojan, ranking him seventh all-time at USC. His career 58 touchdown passes also ranks him No. 5 in school history.

Robbins is also a transfer, having played the 2022 season at UNLV, where he led the Rebels in rushing with 209 carries for 1,011 yards and nine touchdowns. In 11 games at UNLV, Robbins averaged 4.8 yards per carry, while also catching 23 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.

In addition to being on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award, Robbins was named to the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 First Team and to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team.

Prior to attending UNLV, Robbins appeared in three games over two seasons for Louisville, rushing for 51 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Robbins was an executive member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee at Louisville, where he graduated with degree in business marketing. He is pursuing an MBA at BYU. 

The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners for the 2023 Maxwell Award. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts serving as members of the 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 Nov. 13, with the three finalists for the Award being unveiled Nov. 28. The winners of the 87th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 7. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.

The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. 

The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses many of college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935.
 

2023 Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List