Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens named to first watch list of the season for Maxwell Award

The college football season is almost here which means many things. Fall camps are starting and watch lists for awards are beginning to roll out highlighting the best players in college football.

Kansas State already has two players on the watch list for the Maxwell Award. The Maxwell Award is an award given to the most outstanding player in college football making them the College Player of the Year. The 2023 Maxwell Award went to Michael Penix Jr. from Washington who went on to be drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens are the two Wildcats on the Maxwell Award watch list. This is the first time Johnson has found himself on the watchlist and is one of eight sophomores on the list that is primarily juniors and seniors.

Johnson is set to take over the K-State offense this season as the official full-time starter after Will Howard transferred to Ohio State in the offseason. Johnson showed what he could do with limited minutes during the regular season, but he really shined in the Wildcats bowl game against NC State, leading them to a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory.

DJ Giddens is getting the recognition he deserves coming off an amazing sophomore season with Kansas State. Giddens not only had to take over the running back position for the Wildcats, but he had big shoes to fill after K-State legend Deuce Vaughn left for the NFL. Giddens continued to make K-State's rushing game one of the top parts of the Wildcat offense.

Giddens will still be a focal point of the Kansas State offense even with the addition of Johnson as the full-time starter. Johnson is still a young player and having that veteran presence of Giddens behind him could be a big comfort and a good safety net.

Both Johnson and Giddens are two of the 15 Big 12 players selected for the Maxwell Award watch list.