The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 24 Football’s Banks named semifinalist for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award
11.03.2022 | Football
True freshman OL Kelvin Banks Jr. is the second Longhorn to be named a semifinalist for the award.
PHILADELPHIA – Texas true freshman OL Kelvin Banks Jr. has been named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Thursday. Banks is the second Longhorn to be named a semifinalist for the award, joining Xavier Worthy who was a finalist last season.
Banks has played in and started all eight games at left tackle for the Longhorns this season. The Humble, Texas native has anchored an offensive line that has helped Texas average 36.4 points per game, the 19th-highest scoring average among Power 5 programs, and 444.8 yards per game, the 22nd-best mark among Power 5 teams. Texas is also averaging 6.65 yards per play, which currently ranks as the fifth-best average in program history. The Longhorns are averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scored 15 rushing touchdowns this past season behind Banks and the offensive line. Banks has also played a part in junior RB Bijan Robinson surpassing 100 yards rushing in each of the last six games, including a 183-yard, three-touchdown performance against UTSA.
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. The award Past winners include; Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) - 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019, Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020 and Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2021.
The Maxwell Foundation Club will announce the finalists for the 5th annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award will be December 6, 202 and the winner of the award will be announced on December 29, 2022. The formal presentation of this award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala in March of 2023.
2022 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Semifinalists
Terrion Arnold, DB – Alabama
Tetairoa McMillan, WR – Arizona
Richard Reese, RB – Baylor
Malaki Starks, DB – Georgia
Gabe Jacas, LB – Illinois
Deone Walker, DL – Kentucky
Harold Perkins Jr., LB – LSU
Will Campbell, OL – LSU
Jaishawn Barham, LB – Maryland
Drake Maye, QB – North Carolina
Quinshon Judkins, RB – Ole Miss
Abdul Carter, LB – Penn State
Nick Emmanwori, DB – South Carolina
Kelvin Banks Jr., OL - Texas