Georgia’s Brock Bowers won the John Mackey Award, which goes to the nation’s top tight end, for the second straight season Friday night.
Bowers is the first two-time winner of the award, which began in 2000.
“I just try to come to work every day and do my job. Just try to stay consistent day by day,” Bowers said. “It has a lot to do with people around me too. Friends and family, my teammates that were there every day and my coaches too.”
Bowers won the award despite missing three games this season due to an ankle injury. He still led Georgia in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, something he’s done in all three of his seasons at UGA. In 10 games, Bowers caught 56 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, named The Associated Press player of the year on Thursday, won the Davey O’Brien Award as the top quarterback, and Payton Wilson of North Carolina State won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player.
Daniels, a San Bernardino, California, native who transferred to LSU from Arizona State in 2022, led the nation in total offense this season with 4,946 yards in 12 games (412.2 yards per game). He passed for 3,812 yards, third nationally and his 40 TDs passing tied for first with Oregon QB Bo Nix, who played in one more game than Daniels.
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Daniels also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 TDs. His 50 touchdowns rushing and passing combined, along with a 2-point conversion on a passing play, made him responsible for a nation-high 302 points.
Wilson was involved in 138 tackles for the Wolfpack with six sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions.
Earlier this offseason, Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the top defender in college football.
The Heisman Trophy winner will be announced Saturday.
Dawgnation and the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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