Marshall University Athletics
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson Named To 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List
8/3/2026 12:00:00 PM | Football
Herd QB represents lone Sun Belt Conference honoree among 81 touted in preseason for College Football Player of Year
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall fifth-year quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson was named to the 90th Maxwell Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.
Del Rio-Wilson is the only Sun Belt Conference player and one of only 81 players nationally to be named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is presented annually to the College Football Player of the Year – one of the nation's highest honors.
"It is a tremendous honor for Carlos to be named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, and we are proud of him for this accomplishment," Marshall head coach Tony Gibson said. "This list represents the best of the best in college football and many of the players on this list also end up on the radar for the Heisman Trophy, too, so it's great for Carlos and it's great for our program as we get set to start practice this week."
Del Rio-Wilson's representation on the list continues an impressive string of preseason accolades for the Herd's highly-touted quarterback.
Earlier this month, the 6-3, 225-pound quarterback was named as the Sun Belt Conference's 2026 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while also being named a 2026 Preseason All-SBC First Team selection at quarterback by Phil Steele Publications, Athlon Sports and the SBC's coaches.
He also has been named this preseason as a 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee after securing a 4.0 grade point average and being a leader with community service works in the Tri-State.
Del Rio-Wilson comes into 2026 as one of only two returning FBS quarterbacks to throw for 2,000 yards, complete 65 percent of passes and rush for 600 yards in the 2025 season, joining Auburn's Byrum Brown.
In addition to that elite company, Del Rio-Wilson was also a multi-time recipient of weekly awards in 2025 to the Davey O'Brien "Great 8" and the Manning Award "Stars of the Week" – both of which lauded the nation's top quarterbacks during the season. He was one of only eight quarterbacks in the nation to win multiple awards in both.
Del Rio-Wilson leads all returning Sun Belt Conference players in passing yards (2,043) and rushing yards per game (60.1) after a successful season that saw him amass 2,704 yards of offensive for the Herd.
The Atlanta native finished 171 of 256 passing for 2,043 yards with 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 2025 while rushing for another 661 yards and six scores.
His 661 rushing yards broke Marshall's single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback – a record that stood for 43 years.
The Maxwell Award, who partners with Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners, is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which has utilized its 25 annual awards to honor the most prestigious athletes in college football each season since 1935.
Monday's announcement by the Maxwell Award is the first in a three-week stretch in which the NCFAA will reveal the 2026 Preseason Watch Lists for the majority of its awards. Â Â Â
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 10, 2026, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 24, 2026.
The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10, 2026.
The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Sat., March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, NFL Foundation, College Sports Communicators, SRA Inc, Vertical Raise, Quinco Inc, the ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
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