NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s Jayden McGowan has been named to the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the most versatile player in college football. The Louisville Sports Commission announced the watch list on Thursday.
The Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse is named for the late 1956 Heisman Trophy winner from Notre Dame who played every position in the backfield during his career with the Fighting Irish, while he also punted, kicked, returned kicks and played defensive back.
McGowan enters his sophomore year at Vanderbilt after a productive freshman season at both receiver and kick returner. He played in all 12 games and caught 44 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns while returning 16 kickoffs for 384 yards.
He had multiple receptions in 11-of-12 games on the year, while his 24 yards per kickoff return were third in the SEC and 20th across FBS. The Laurens, South Carolina, native scored a touchdown in Vandy’s win over Florida and grabbed seven catches for 104 yards against Ole Miss.
He was named SEC Freshman of the Week in September after totaling 118 receiving yards and a score over Elon. It was the first SEC Freshman of the Week honor for a Commodore since 2018.
McGowan and the Dores open the 2023 season on Aug. 26 against Hawai’i. Kickoff at FirstBank Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. and tickets are available now.