November 17, 2022 – Illinois running back Chase Brown was named one of 22 semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Wednesday. Brown is one of five running backs on the semifinalists list.
Brown is the nation’s leading rusher with 1,442 yards and also leads the nation in all-purpose yards (1,615), rushes of 10+ yards (49), 100-yard games (9), and rushing attempts per game (28.0). The London, Ontario, native, ranks fourth in the nation in yards after contact (803), fifth in the nation in forced missed tackles (68), and seventh in the nation in first down runs (69), according to PFF.
Brown was the first Big Ten player to record 100+ rushing yards in the first nine games of a season since Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott in 2015, on his way to the Illinois record with 10 straight 100-yard games dating back to last season. He has 15 career 100-yard games, one away from tying the Illinois record of 16 set by Robert Holcombe from 1994-97.
Brown’s chase for history includes an opportunity at the Illinois single-season rushing record of 1,697 set by Mikel Leshoure in 1997. He ranks second on the Illini’s career rushing list as the second ever to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark, trailing only Holcombe’s 4,105 career yards from 1994-97.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year is voted on by the 131 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. A list of five finalists will be announced on Wednesday, November 30, and the winner announced on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 8.
2022 Walter Camp Player of Year Watch List – Semifinalists
- Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh, RB
- Will Anderson Jr., Alabama, LB
- Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia, QB
- Brock Bowers, Georgia, TE
- Chase Brown, Illinois, RB
- Zach Charbonnet, UCLA, RB
- Blake Corum, Michigan, RB
- Jayden Daniels, LSU, QB
- Max Duggan, TCU, QB
- Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State, WR
- Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, QB
- Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee, WR
- Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB
- Michael Mayer, Notre Dame, TE
- Bo Nix, Oregon, QB
- Michael Penix Jr., Washington, QB
- Bijan Robinson, Texas, RB
- Noah Sewell, Oregon, LB
- CJ Stroud, Ohio State, QB
- Tuli Tuipulotu, USC, DL
- Caleb Williams, USC, QB
- Bryce Young, Alabama, QB
