FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders have been named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Jefferson and Sanders are two of 85 players on the preseason watch list for the award presented to the best player in college football. Arkansas is one of 16 schools and one of only three SEC programs with two players represented.
Jefferson, who became the first Razorback quarterback to earn preseason All-SEC accolades since 2012, is poised to rewrite a large portion of the Arkansas record book this fall as he heads into his third season as the Hogs’ full-time starter. The Sardis, Miss., product sits inside the career top 10 in school history in completions (436 – 7th), yards (5816 – 7th), touchdown passes (48 – 6th), 300-yard passing games (5 – 3rd), total plays (1028 – 6th), total yards (7245 – 5th) and touchdown responsibility (67 – 4th). Jefferson’s name is dotted throughout the school record book for numerous single-season records, including twice for completion percentage in 2021 (.673 – 3rd) and 2022 (.680 – 2nd).
Sanders, meanwhile, is coming off one of the greatest seasons by an Arkansas running back in recent memory after rushing for 10 touchdowns and 1,443 yards – fourth-most in a single season in school history – in 2022. The Rockledge, Fla., native, who became the first Arkansas running back to earn preseason first-team All-SEC recognition since 2012, became just the second Razorback to ever run for 1,400+ yards and return to school the following year, joining legendary Darren McFadden, who ran for a then school record 1,647 yards in 2006 before breaking his own record in 2007 with 1,830 yards. Sanders finished second in the SEC in rushing yards en route to being named First-Team All-SEC by the Associated Press and USA Today.