COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three members of the Ohio State football team were named semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia.
The list of 14 semifinalists includes cornerback Denzel Burke, running back TreVeyon Henderson and quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Ohio State is the only school with three semifinalists.
Stroud, who ranks among the top seven nationally in eight statistical categories, currently has the best school single-season marks for passing efficiency (182.2), completion pct. (70.9) and passing yards per game (351.1).
His 3,862 passing yards rank second in school history and his 38 touchdown passes rank third.
Henderson rushed for 1,165 yards and scored a school freshman-record 19 touchdowns this season. He ranks in a tie for fourth, nationally, in total touchdowns.
Against Tulsa, he broke Archie Griffin’s freshman rushing record with 270 yards on the ground.
Burke started in all 12 games at cornerback as a true freshman. He led the team with 11 pass breakups and added an interception and 33 tackles.
Three finalists for the award will be unveiled on Dec. 21 with the winner announced on Jan. 10, 2022.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. Past winners include; Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) - 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019 and Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020.