Marshall University Athletics
Marshall's Ali Named to Walter Camp Watch List
7/29/2022 11:42:00 AM | Football
Award goes the 2022 National Player of the Year
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall star running back Rasheen Ali, who last season collected Freshman All-American honors and led the nation in rushing touchdowns, was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation Watch List on Friday morning, the organization announced. The award goes to the 2022 National Player of the Year, the fourth-oldest accolade in the history of college football.
Ali is one of two Sun Belt Conference football players on the list, along with Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall.
The accolade is the latest for Ali, who has generated considerable preseason hype following his breakout freshman season in 2021. Last season, Ali dazzled in his first season of collegiate competition, with 1,832 all-purpose yards and a total of 25 touchdowns (23 rushing, one receiving and one on a kickoff return). The native of Cleveland, Ohio, ranked No. 1 nationally in rushing touchdowns and No. 10 in rushing yards. Overall, he led the nation in total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and points scored. He ranked No. 10 nationally in all-purpose yards per game (140.9).
Following the season, Marshall's coaching staff named Ali the team's Most Valuable Player for the 2021 season.
Ali finished his freshman season with the following single-season rankings in the Herd's program record book:
Most rushing touchdowns: 23 (tied for No. 2)
Most total touchdowns: 25 (No. 4)
Most points: 150 (No. 4)
Most points per game: 11.5 (No. 5)
Most rushing yards: 1,401 (No. 7)
Most rushing yards per game: 107.8 (No. 7)
Most all-purpose yards per game: 140.9 (No. 10)
Most all-purpose yards: 1,832 (No. 11)
Ali has been named to the Watch List for The Maxwell Award, which is presented to the College Player of the Year, the Paul Hornung Award, which goes to the most versatile player in college football, and the Wuerffel Trophy, which celebrates a student-athletes performance on and off the field, especially in the area of community service.
Since 2010, winners of the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year includes Andrew Luck, Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and last year's winner, Kenneth Walker III of Michigan State.
2022 Walter Camp Player of Year Preseason Players to Watch
Jordan Addison, WR, junior, USC *
Rasheen Ali, RB, sophomore, Marshall
Braelon Allen, RB, sophomore, Wisconsin
Will Anderson, LB, junior, Alabama
Kayshon Boutte, WR, junior, LSU
Brock Bowers, TE, sophomore, Georgia
Andre Carter II, LB, junior, Army West Point
Jalen Carter, DT, junior, Georgia
Dante Cephas, WR, junior, Kent State
Sean Clifford, QB, senior, Penn State
Blake Corum, RB, junior, Michigan
Malik Cunningham, QB, senior, Louisville
Josh Downs, WR, junior, North Carolina
Brett Gabbert, QB, junior, Miami (Ohio)
Jake Haener, QB, senior, Fresno State
Jaren Hall, QB, junior, BYU
Frank Harris, QB, senior, UTSA
Sam Hartman, QB, senior, Wake Forest
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, sophomore, Ohio State
Xavier Hutchinson, WR, senior, Iowa State
Quentin Johnston, WR, junior, TCU
Phil Jurkovec, QB, senior, Boston College
Calijah Kancey, DT, junior, Pittsburgh
Devin Leary, QB, junior, North Carolina State
Will Levis, QB, senior, Kentucky
Grayson McCall, QB, senior, Coastal Carolina
Will McDonald IV, DE, senior, Iowa State
Michael Mayer, TE, junior Notre Dame
Tanner Mordecai, QB, senior, SMU
Lew Nicholls, RB, sophomore, Central Michigan
Aiden O'Connell, QB, senior, Purdue
Eli Ricks, DB, junior, Alabama
Kelee Ringo, DB, sophomore, Georgia
Brad Roberts, RB, senior, Air Force
Bijan Robinson, RB, junior, Texas
Chris Rodriquez, RB, senior, Kentucky
Spencer Sanders, QB, senior, Oklahoma State
Noah Sewell, LB, junior, Oregon
Jaxson Smith-Njigba, WR, junior, Ohio State
C.J. Stroud, QB, sophomore, Ohio State
Tavion Thomas, RB, junior, Utah
Payton Thorne, QB, junior, Michigan State
Cedric Tillman, WR, senior, Tennessee
Sean Tucker, RB, sophomore, Syracuse
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, sophomore, Miami (Fla.)
Deuce Vaughn, RB, junior, Kansas State
Caleb Williams, QB, sophomore, USC
Xavier Worthy, WR, sophomore, Texas
Bryce Young, QB, junior, Alabama
