Fresno State Athletics
Rivers named to Maxwell Award Watch List
7/19/2021 7:00:00 AM | Football
PHILADELPHIA – Fresno State senior running back Ronnie Rivers has landed a spot on the watch list for the 2021 Maxwell Award powered by Mammoth Tech for the second consecutive season, as announced Monday by The Maxwell Football Club. The Maxwell Award, which kickstarted in 1937, is presented annually to the College Player of the Year. The watch list incorporates a wide variety of players from different conferences within the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Rivers prepares for his fifth season at Fresno State after electing to utilize the additional year of eligibility approved by the NCAA in the fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He enters the upcoming season as the active FBS leader in touchdowns (44), ranks second in active all-purpose yardage (4,021) and seventh in active rushing yards (2,629).
The Brentwood, Calif. native was a 2020 All-Mountain West selection after leading the conference with 136.3 all-purpose yards per game. He was second in the conference with an average of nine points per game and second in the league in touchdowns scored (9). The senior posted a total of 507 rushing yards on 100 carries, while adding 265 receiving yards on 27 catches. He totaled 818 all-purpose yards on the season.
Rivers has proven himself to be one of the best running backs to ever do it at Fresno State as he finished the 2020 season tied for the program record for most touchdowns scored in a career (44). The senior is also tied for the program record with 116 career pass receptions by a running back and is tied for third in the record books in all-time career rushing touchdowns with 35. Rivers is just one of seven Bulldogs to ever reach 4,000 all-purpose yards in their career.
The two-time All-MW selection also earned first team spots on the 2021 Athlon Sports Preseason All-MW Team and Phil Steele's Preseason All-MW Team.
The marquee watch list has touted a Bulldog player three out of the last four seasons, as Marcus McMaryion was placed on the Maxwell Award watch list in 2018 and was narrowed in as one of 20 semifinalists for the award in late October that year. Prior to that selection, Derek Carr was the last Bulldog to earn a spot on the watch list, doing so in 2013.
Rivers accompanies five others from the Mountain West on the Maxwell Award watch list this season. The list also features six returning semifinalists from 2020 including Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati), Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina), Breece Hall (Iowa State), D'Eriq King (Miami), Sam Howell (North Carolina), and Dillon Gabriel (UCF). The full list consists of 80 players, with 14 schools having two players represented.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 1, 2021, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 22, 2021. The winner of the 2021 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 9, 2021. The formal presentation of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 11, 2022.
The Maxwell Award kicks off the start of this year's watch list season as various NCFAA watch lists will be released from July 19-30. For the full list of awards and a calendar of release dates, visit ncfaa.org.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateFB
Instagram: Fresno_State_Football
Facebook: FresnoStateFootball
