Every season, the Maxwell Award is given to the most outstanding college football player in the country.

Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Tennessee's redshirt freshman signal caller Nico Iamaleava was named to the 80 player watch list.

He is the only player on the list that is not at least a sophomore in terms of athletic eligibility.

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On the list includes 15 players from the SEC. He is the lone Vol with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia (2x), LSU (2x), Missouri (2x), Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas and Texas A&M also being represented on the list.

Iamaleava is one of 41 quarterbacks to make the list, as well.

Here is the full watchlist released for the Maxwell Award.

The award is named named for Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who played at Swarthmore College and was also a coach and sportswriter. The award has been given out since 1937.

Tennessee has had one winner in the award's history. It was Peyton Manning in 1997 taking the award despite not winning the Heisman Trophy.

In 2022, Hendon Hooker was a finalist while Jalin Hyatt was a semifinalist for the award.

Iamaleava now takes over the reins of the Vols' offense in hopes of becoming the second winner. He enters his second season off a true freshman campaign that featured 314 passing yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran three scores in, all during the Citrus Bowl win over Iowa in which he started.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 26, 2024. The winner of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 12, 2024. The formal presentation of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

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