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Arkansas tailbacks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones along with Razorback wide receiver Marcus Monk have been named to the watch list for the 71st Maxwell Award it was announced by Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski on Monday. The list is comprised of 65 players who were selected based on their performance during the 2006 season.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell. Brady Quinn of the University of Notre Dame was the recipient of the 70th Maxwell Award for his outstanding performance during the 2006 season.

Arkansas was one of four schools with as many as three players on the 2007 watch list. In addition to Arkansas, Florida, Louisville, Michigan and Texas also featured a trio of players on the pre-season listing.

McFadden was a consensus first-team All-America selection in 2006 after rushing for a school-record 1,647 yards and 14 touchdowns. His yardage total marked the fifth-best rushing season in Southeastern Conference history. McFadden and former Georgia great Herschel Walker are the only two SEC running backs to rush for 1,000 yards in both their freshman and sophomore seasons. McFadden, a Little Rock native, was a Heisman Trophy finalist and finished second to Ohio State’s Troy Smith in the balloting. McFadden became the first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s best running back. He has been named a consensus first-team pre-season All-American this season.

Jones was a second-team All-SEC selection at tailback and as a return specialist last season.

He was one of two (McFadden) SEC running backs to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark (1,168) in 2006. The duo became only the third tandem in league history and the 38th teammate combo in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Jones averaged 24.1 yards per kick return in 2006 and tied a school record by returning his second career kickoff for 100 yards and a touchdown against Ole Miss. Jones has already been named first-team All-SEC by several publications at running back and as a return specialist.

Monk enters his senior season on track to become the SEC’s career record holder in touchdown receptions. The Lepanto, Ark., native has a school-record 24 touchdown catches in his Razorback career which is tops among active SEC wide receivers and is only seven shy of the league record held by Chris Doering (31) of Florida. Monk has made a catch in all 36 of his career games including 27 multiple-catch outings. He ranks fourth in UA history with 2,007 receiving yards and sixth with 122 career receptions. Monk is a pre-season All-America selection and has been named first-team All-SEC by several pre-season publications.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced in early November and three finalists for the award will be announced Nov. 26. The winner of the 2007 Maxwell Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 6, 2007. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment Atlantic City in March 2008.

The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club’s Selection Committee and the Maxwell Club reserves the right to make additions and subtractions to these lists as the 2007 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA Sports Information Directors, Head Coaches and selected national media are eligible to vote for these awards.



2007 Maxwell Award Watch List


Erik Ainge, University of Tennessee, QB, Sr.

Travis Beckum, University of Wisconsin, TE, Jr.

Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt University, WR, Jr.

Yvenson Bernard, Oregon State University, RB, Sr.

John David Booty, University of Southern California, QB, Sr.

Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State University, WR, Sr.

Colt Brennan, University of Hawaii, QB, Sr.

Brian Brohm, University of Louisville, QB, Sr.

Dorien Bryant, Purdue University, WR, Sr.

Deon Butler, Penn State University, WR, Jr.

Andre Caldwell, University of Florida, WR, Sr.

John Carlson, University of Notre Dame, TE, Sr.

Greg Carr, Florida State University, WR, Jr.

Jamal Charles, University of Texas, RB, Jr.

Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech, RB, Sr.

Chase Daniel, University of Missouri, QB, Jr.

James Davis, Clemson University, RB, Jr.

Jarrett Dillard, Rice University, WR, Sr.

Early Doucet, LSU, WR, Sr.

Malik Douglas, University of Louisville, WR, Sr.

Damian Fletcher, Southern Miss, RB, Soph.

Mike Goodson, Texas A&M University, RB, Soph.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, University of Mississippi, RB, Sr.

Matt Grothe, University of South Florida, QB, Soph.

D.J. Hall, University of Alabama, WR, Sr.

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech , QB, Jr.

Michael Hart, University of Michigan, RB, Sr.

Percy Harvin, University of Florida, WR, Soph.

Chad Henne, University of Michigan, QB, Sr.

P.J. Hill, University of Wisconsin, RB, Soph.

DeSean Jackson, University of California, WR, Jr.

Brian Johnson, University of Utah, QB, Jr.

Ian Johnson, Boise State, RB, Jr.

Felix Jones, University of Arkansas, RB, Jr.

Malcolm Kelly, University of Oklahoma, WR, Jr.

Derek Kinder, University of Pittsburgh, WR, Sr.

Kregg Lumpkin, University of Georgia, RB, Sr.

Mario Manningham, University of Michigan, WR, Jr.

Chris Markley, UCLA, RB, Sr.

Colt McCoy, University of Texas, QB, Soph.

Darren McFadden, University of Arkansas, RB, Jr.

Stephen McGee, Texas A&M University, QB, Jr.

Kalvin McRae, University of Ohio, RB, Sr.

Marcus Monk, University of Arkansas, WR, Sr.

Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss, TE, Jr.

Brandon Ore, Virginia Tech, RB, Jr.

Curtis Painter, Purdue University, QB, Sr.

Allen Patrick, University of Oklahoma, RB, Sr.

Maurice Purify, University of Nebraska, WR, Sr.

Ray Rice, Rutgers University, RB, Jr.

Matt Ryan, Boston College, QB, Sr.

Riley Skinner, Wake Forest, QB, Soph.

Steve Slaton, West Virginia University, RB, Jr.

C.J. Spiller, Clemson University, RB, Soph.

Jonathan Stewart, University of Oregon, RB, Jr.

Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern University, RB, Jr.

Limas Sweed, University of Texas, WR, Sr.

Tim Tebow, University of Florida, QB, Soph.

Ryan Torian, Arizona State University, RB, Sr.

Mario Urrutia, University of Louisville, WR, Jr.

Chris Wells, Ohio State University, RB, Soph.

Pat White, West Virginia University, QB, Jr.

John Parker Wilson, University of Alabama, QB, Sr.

Andre Woodson, University of Kentucky, QB, Sr.