Gamecock players on the 2023 Watch List for yearly awards
August 03, 2023, FROM USC SPORTS INFORMATION
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 3, 2023
College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service, and one of the most meaningful awards in collegiate sports, The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Wuerffel Trophy embodies Danny’s commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring student-athletes who are inspired to serve others and make positive impacts on society.
Joyner, a 6-1, 229-pounder from North Charleston, S.C., is in his sixth season with the Gamecocks. He originally signed as a quarterback, was moved to wide receiver early in his Carolina career and will play running back in his final season with the Gamecocks in 2023. He was the MVP of the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over North Carolina. Off the field, he has been very active in the community, both in the Midlands and in his hometown.
“The life changing impact of thinking of others before ourselves is so rewarding, and it’s truly inspiring to see so many student-athletes recognize this, and use their platform for good,” said Danny Wuerffel. “College Football players across the country are making a difference in their communities, and I’m excited to see so many incredible stories associated with the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy candidates.”
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Departments and will close on October 16. An up-to-date list of nominees can be found at wuerffeltrophy.org. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 2nd, and finalists will be announced on November 28th. The formal announcement of the 2023 recipient is scheduled to be made on December 7th or 8th during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN, and the presentation of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy will take place on February 17, 2024, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA.
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 2, 2023
Kroeger, a 6-4, 212-pound senior from Lake Forest, Ill., earned first-team All-America honors from ESPN.com and The Athletic in 2022, and second-team honors from Walter Camp and AFCA, after averaging 46.1 yards per punt, including a net of 42.8 yards. The first-team All-SEC punter boomed 18 punts of 50 or more yards, including a career-long 79-yard bomb against Georgia State. Twenty-nine of his 58 punts (50 percent) were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Kroeger was one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award last season. He was listed on “Ray’s 8” six times during the year and was the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week following his efforts in the season opener against Georgia State.
The 50 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. The 2023 watch list was compiled based on the 2022 Ray Guy Award Semifinalist List, the top ten NCAA Punters from 2022, the 2022 All-Conference teams, the 2022 All-American Teams, the 2023 pre-season All-Conference Teams and eligible punters on the 2022 watchlist.
The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on August 3. The complete list of candidates will be released on November 6. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 10. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on November 22. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December 2023.
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 1, 2023
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2023 trophy on Nov. 15 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 4 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.
Emmanwori, a 6-4, 219-pounder from Irmo, S.C., was a freshman All-SEC performer and earned freshman All-America honors from several media outlets a year ago after leading the Gamecocks with 85 tackles. He was the 2022 co-Joe Morrison Award winner as the MVP of the Carolina defense and was the 2022-23 co-South Carolina Athletics Male Freshman of the Year.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the five finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 1, 2023
The recipient of the 2023 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN in December. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 10, 2024.
Hemingway, a 6-3, 285-pounder from Conway, S.C., earned All-SEC honors a year ago after logging 33 tackles, including 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He showed his versatility by running in a two-point conversion and hauling in a 16-yard pass reception as part of South Carolina’s top-ranked special teams units. Hemingway, who represents the football program on the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC), was also recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winner.
There are 31 offensive tackles on this year’s list with 24 defensive tackles and 24 guards to go with 12 centers. Just under half of the 133 Football Bowl Subdivision schools – 65 – are represented.
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. For the first time, the FWAA will announce an Outland Trophy National Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
The Outland Trophy, celebrating 78 years since its founding, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
August 03, 2023, FROM USC SPORTS INFORMATION
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 3, 2023
Dakereon Joyner Named to Wuerffel Trophy 2023 Preseason Watch List
University of South Carolina all-purpose performer Dakereon Joyner is one of 110 players listed on the 2023 preseason watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, it was announced today.College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service, and one of the most meaningful awards in collegiate sports, The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Wuerffel Trophy embodies Danny’s commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring student-athletes who are inspired to serve others and make positive impacts on society.
Joyner, a 6-1, 229-pounder from North Charleston, S.C., is in his sixth season with the Gamecocks. He originally signed as a quarterback, was moved to wide receiver early in his Carolina career and will play running back in his final season with the Gamecocks in 2023. He was the MVP of the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over North Carolina. Off the field, he has been very active in the community, both in the Midlands and in his hometown.
“The life changing impact of thinking of others before ourselves is so rewarding, and it’s truly inspiring to see so many student-athletes recognize this, and use their platform for good,” said Danny Wuerffel. “College Football players across the country are making a difference in their communities, and I’m excited to see so many incredible stories associated with the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy candidates.”
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Departments and will close on October 16. An up-to-date list of nominees can be found at wuerffeltrophy.org. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 2nd, and finalists will be announced on November 28th. The formal announcement of the 2023 recipient is scheduled to be made on December 7th or 8th during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN, and the presentation of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy will take place on February 17, 2024, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA.
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 2, 2023
Kai Kroeger Named to 2023 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List
University of South Carolina’s returning All-American punter, Kai Kroeger, is one of 50 candidates named today by the Augusta Sports Council to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate punter in the FBS.Kroeger, a 6-4, 212-pound senior from Lake Forest, Ill., earned first-team All-America honors from ESPN.com and The Athletic in 2022, and second-team honors from Walter Camp and AFCA, after averaging 46.1 yards per punt, including a net of 42.8 yards. The first-team All-SEC punter boomed 18 punts of 50 or more yards, including a career-long 79-yard bomb against Georgia State. Twenty-nine of his 58 punts (50 percent) were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Kroeger was one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award last season. He was listed on “Ray’s 8” six times during the year and was the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week following his efforts in the season opener against Georgia State.
The 50 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. The 2023 watch list was compiled based on the 2022 Ray Guy Award Semifinalist List, the top ten NCAA Punters from 2022, the 2022 All-Conference teams, the 2022 All-American Teams, the 2023 pre-season All-Conference Teams and eligible punters on the 2022 watchlist.
The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on August 3. The complete list of candidates will be released on November 6. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 10. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on November 22. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December 2023.
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 1, 2023
Nick Emmanwori Named to Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
University of South Carolina sophomore safety Nick Emmanwori is one of 94 defensive standouts from 69 schools in all Division I FBS conferences plus Independents named to the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, announced today by the Football Writers Association of America.The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2023 trophy on Nov. 15 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 4 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.
Emmanwori, a 6-4, 219-pounder from Irmo, S.C., was a freshman All-SEC performer and earned freshman All-America honors from several media outlets a year ago after leading the Gamecocks with 85 tackles. He was the 2022 co-Joe Morrison Award winner as the MVP of the Carolina defense and was the 2022-23 co-South Carolina Athletics Male Freshman of the Year.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the five finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
FOOTBALL. AUGUST 1, 2023
Tonka Hemingway Named to Outland Trophy Watch List
University of South Carolina senior defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway is one of 91 returning standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division I FBS conference and Independents named to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Outland Trophy, announced today by the Football Writers Association of America.The recipient of the 2023 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN in December. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 10, 2024.
Hemingway, a 6-3, 285-pounder from Conway, S.C., earned All-SEC honors a year ago after logging 33 tackles, including 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He showed his versatility by running in a two-point conversion and hauling in a 16-yard pass reception as part of South Carolina’s top-ranked special teams units. Hemingway, who represents the football program on the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC), was also recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winner.
There are 31 offensive tackles on this year’s list with 24 defensive tackles and 24 guards to go with 12 centers. Just under half of the 133 Football Bowl Subdivision schools – 65 – are represented.
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. For the first time, the FWAA will announce an Outland Trophy National Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
The Outland Trophy, celebrating 78 years since its founding, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
