By Habari Entertainment | November 10, 2026
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita is one of 18 semifinalists for the 90th Maxwell Award, which honors college football’s player of the year. The Maxwell Football Club also named 18 semifinalists for the 32nd Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s outstanding defensive player.
Fifita threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score against TCU on Nov. 6. He and fellow Maxwell semifinalist Devon Dampier are set to face each other Saturday when Utah visits Arizona in Tucson.
Quarterbacks account for 12 of the 18 Maxwell semifinalists, with running backs and wide receivers taking three spots each. The SEC leads the Maxwell field with five candidates, followed by the Big 12 and ACC with four apiece. The SEC also leads the Bednarik field with seven, followed by the Big Ten with five.
2026 Maxwell Award semifinalists
| School | Player | Position | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Keelon Russell | QB | Redshirt freshman |
| Arizona | Noah Fifita | QB | Senior |
| Boise State | Dylan Riley | RB | Junior |
| Duke | Nate Sheppard | RB | Sophomore |
| Georgia | Gunner Stockton | QB | Senior |
| Houston | Conner Weigman | QB | Senior |
| Indiana | Charlie Becker | WR | Junior |
| Miami | Darian Mensah | QB | Junior |
| Miami | Malachi Toney | WR | Sophomore |
| Notre Dame | CJ Carr | QB | Junior |
| Ohio State | Jeremiah Smith | WR | Junior |
| Oklahoma State | Drew Mestemaker | QB | Sophomore |
| Ole Miss | Trinidad Chambliss | QB | Senior |
| South Carolina | LaNorris Sellers | QB | Junior |
| Tennessee | DeSean Bishop | RB | Junior |
| USC | Jayden Maiava | QB | Senior |
| Utah | Devon Dampier | QB | Senior |
| Wake Forest | Gio Lopez | QB | Junior |
2026 Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalists
| School | Player | Position | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Luke Metz | LB | Sophomore |
| Cal | Kingston Lopa | DB | Sophomore |
| Clemson | Ashton Hampton | CB | Junior |
| Colorado | Gideon Lampron | LB | Senior |
| Georgia | KJ Bolden | DB | Junior |
| Georgia | Chris Cole | LB | Junior |
| Indiana | Tobi Osunsanmi | DL | Senior |
| Iowa | Cam Buffington | LB | Junior |
| LSU | Princewill Umanmielen | DE | Senior |
| Mississippi State | Kelley Jones | CB | Senior |
| North Carolina | Xavier Lewis | DT | Sophomore |
| Notre Dame | Leonard Moore | CB | Junior |
| Tennessee | Xavier Gilliam | DL | Sophomore |
| Texas | Colin Simmons | Edge | Junior |
| Texas Tech | AJ Holmes Jr. | DL | Senior |
| UCLA | Sammy Omosigho | LB | Senior |
| Wisconsin | Cooper Catalano | LB | Sophomore |
| Wisconsin | Mason Posa | LB | Sophomore |
The Maxwell Football Club will announce three Maxwell finalists on Nov. 24. ESPN will announce both winners on Dec. 11 during The Home Depot College Football Awards. The club’s awards gala is scheduled for March 13, 2027, at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta. Clemson University Athletics
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