NEW YORK, N.Y. — Miles Kendrick, who had his 2021 season at Kansas cut short with a severely broken leg that was thought to be potentially career ending, is one of 61 college football student-athletes from 46 schools currently under consideration for the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year Award. The Watch List was released by College Sports Communicators (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America [CoSIDA]) in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization.
The award recognizes college football student-athletes from all divisions of college football for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes will be honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Kendrick has started all six games for New Mexico, and will start his seventh straight on Saturday against New Mexico State. Kendrick is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with three, all coming in the last two games. He is also second on the team in rushing with 137 yards, and he is 64-for-112 passing with three touchdowns and 689 yards in six games.
The initial watch list only includes players from Division I schools. Subsequent lists will include players from all levels of college football. Sports Information Directors are encouraged to nominate deserving candidates at www.Comeback-Player.com
| CONFERENCE | PLAYER | SCHOOL | POSITION |
| ACC | Chibueze Onwuka | Boston College | DT |
| ACC | Phil Jurkovec | Boston College | QB |
| ACC | Bryan Breese | Clemson | DL |
| ACC | Frank Ladson Jr | Miami (Fla) | WR |
| ACC | Payton Wilson | NC State | LB |
| ACC | Christopher Toudle | NC State | TE |
| ACC | Trebor Pena | Syracuse | WR |
| ACC | Lavel Davis Jr | Virginia | WR |
| BIG 12 | JT Daniels | West Virginia | QB |
| BIG 12 | Khalid Duke | Kansas State | LB |
| BIG 12 | Adrian Martinez | Kansas State | QB |
| BIG 12 | Dillon Gabriel | Oklahoma | QB |
| BIG 12 | Trace Ford | Oklahoma State | DE |
| BIG TEN | DJ Matthews Jr | Indiana | WR |
| BIG TEN | Dontay Demus Jr | Maryland | WR |
| BIG TEN | Fa’Najae Gotay | Maryland | LB |
| BIG TEN | Mohamed Ibrahim | Minnesota | RB |
| BIG TEN | Treyson Potts | Minnesota | RB |
| BIG TEN | Gabe Ervin Jr | Nebraska | RB |
| BIG TEN | Bryce Kirtz | Northwestern | WR |
| BIG TEN | Cam Porter | Northwestern | RB |
| BIG TEN | Josh Proctor | Ohio State | S |
| BIG TEN | P.J Mustipher | Penn State | DT |
| BIG TEN | Adisa Isaac | Penn State | DE |
| BIG TEN | Cory Trice | Purdue | CB |
| BIG TEN | Aron Cruickshank | Rutgers | WR |
| BIG TEN | Ronnie Bell | Michigan | WR |
| BIG TEN | Jack Eschenbach | Wisconsin | TE |
| CONFERENCE USA | Chase Cunningham | Middle Tennessee | QB |
| CONFERENCE USA | Oscar Adaway III | North Texas | RB |
| CONFERENCE USA | Jyaire Shorter | North Texas | WR |
| CONFERENCE USA | Joshua Simon | Western Kentucky | TE |
| INDEPENDENT | Isaac Rex | BYU | TE |
| INDEPENDENT | Blake Fisher | Notre Dame | OL |
| INDEPENDENT | Marist Liufau | Notre Dame | LB |
| MID-AMERICAN | Jaylon Bester | Miami (Ohio) | RB |
| MID-AMERICAN | Kyle Pugh | Northern Illinois | LB |
| MOUNTAIN WEST | Miles Kendrick | New Mexico | QB |
| MOUNTAIN WEST | Deron Harrell | Wyoming | CB |
| PAC 12 | Justin Flowe | Oregon | LB |
| PAC 12 | Cam McCormick | Oregon | TE |
| PAC 12 | Isaac Hodgins | Oregon State | DL |
| PAC 12 | Laitu Latu | UCLA | LB |
| PAC 12 | JaTravis Broughton | Utah | CB |
| PAC 12 | Michael Penix Jr | Washington | QB |
| PAC 12 | Richard Newton | Washington | RB |
| SEC | Jalen Catalon | Arkansas | S |
| SEC | Ventrell Miller | Florida | LB |
| SEC | Jaydon Hill | Florida | CB |
| SEC | Dominick Blaylock | Georgia | WR |
| SEC | Kendall Milton | Georgia | RB |
| SEC | Octavious Oxendine | Kentucky | DL |
| SEC | Eli Cox | Kentucky | OL |
| SEC | Kayshon Boutte | LSU | WR |
| SEC | Ali Gaye | LSU | DE |
| SEC | Ennis Rakestraw Jr | Missouri | DB |
| SEC | Jaylon Robinson | Ole Miss | WR |
| SEC | Haynes King | Texas A&M | QB |
| SEC | Myles Jones | Texas A&M | CB |
| SEC | Re’Mahn Davis | Vanderbilt | RB |
| SUN BELT | Todd Bradley-Glenn | Georgia Southern | LB |
Previous winners have included: 2018 – Antwan Dixon (Kent State), Seth Simmer (Dartmouth); Antonio Wimbush (Carson-Newman); 2019 – Jake Luton (Oregon State); Drew Wilson (Georgia Southern); Octavion Wilson (Salisbury); 2020 – Jarek Broussard (Colorado); Kenneth Horsey (Kentucky); Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina); 2021 – Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan); McKenzie Milton (Florida State); J.J. Weaver (Kentucky). For a complete list of past honorees, visit www.Comeback-Player.com.
About College Sports Communicators: College Sports Communicators (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America [CoSIDA]) is a 3,600+ member national organization, comprised of the athletic communications, media relations, digital and creative professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1957, the organization is the second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics. The organization’s signature program is the Academic All-America program, honoring thousands of outstanding scholar-athletes annually. To learn more, visit collegesportscommunicators.com.
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Media Contact: Doug Drotman (doug@drotman-pr.com or 631-462-1198)