Jason Witten news
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The gist
College football programs announced 2026 Jason Witten Man of the Year watch-list picks on Sep 10.
The award honors off-field leadership, with 20 semifinalists due Oct 13.
Background
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year is presented annually to the FBS player who shows leadership through courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field. It is named for former NFL tight end Jason Witten, the 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, and is described as the first college football honor focused primarily on a player's leadership off the field as well as on it. The winner's school receives a $10,000 contribution to its athletic scholarship fund from Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation.
How it unfolded
- Sep 10, 2026Multiple schools announced players on the 2026 watch list, including Malik Washington (Maryland), Adam Lepkowski (UAB), Arion Carter (Tennessee), Myles Graham (Florida), Isaiah Shirley (NC State), Elijah Palmer (Hawai'i) and Jackson Courville (Tulane).
- Sep 11, 2026Florida State's Robinson was also named to the watch list.
- Oct 13, 2026Twenty semifinalists are scheduled to be announced.
- Spring 2027The winner is to be honored at an awards ceremony.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Schools framed their nominees around community and character work, such as Maryland noting Washington's youth camp and literacy efforts and Tennessee highlighting Carter's pledge to donate per tackle to his mother's nonprofit.
- Expert
- The award is presented annually to the FBS player who best demonstrates leadership through courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field.