East Texas honors the Best of Texas: Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet returns

TYLER, Texas — The most prestigious night in East Texas sports is this Wednesday, as the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet takes center stage at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center. The event, starting at 7 p.m., will celebrate the top talent and crown the 2024 recipient of the award, which honors the nation’s most outstanding offensive college football player with ties to the Lone Star State.

This year’s finalists are arguably the most talented group in the award’s history, boasting a mix of record-breakers and Heisman finalists who lit up the gridiron this season:

• Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State): Jeanty has picked up several national honors this year, including the Doak Walker Award (top running back) and Maxwell Award (top player in college football), and has been recognized as a first team All-American by 10 different organizations: AFCA, AP, CBS Sports, FWAA, PFF, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, USA Today and Walter Camp. He was also named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous selection for All-Mountain West First Team. Jeanty leads all FBS running backs in rushing attempts (344), yards (2,497) and touchdowns (29) while leading the nation in all-purpose yards (2,613) and total touchdowns (30). He averages over 100 yards per first half and 100 yards per second half, eclipsing the century mark in 17 of the 24 halves he played.

• Cam Ward (QB, Miami): University of Miami’s Cam Ward put together one of the most dominant seasons in Miami Hurricanes history en route to consensus NCAA All-America honors. Ward, the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award winner, became the third Hurricane to garner the country’s oldest and most prestigious quarterback trophy, joining Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992).
  Entering the postseason, the 6-foot-2, 223-pound signal caller leads the nation in passing touchdowns (36) and quarterback rating (88.0), while ranking second in passing yards (4,123), points responsible for (254) and total offense (359.9). Ward set new single-season school records for both passing touchdowns and passing yards, becoming the first Miami player to tally seven straight 300-yard performances. The Hurricanes’ first ever ACC Player of the Year has thrown for at least 300 yards and totaled three touchdowns on 10 occasions.

• Shedeur Sanders (QB, Colorado): Shedeur Sanders put together one of the best seasons in CU history, earning the Johnny Unitas Award as the nation’s top quarterback.  He currently owns over 90 school records and entering the Buffs Alamo Bowl appearance against BYU, he has completed 337-of-454 passes for 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a QB rating of 168.8.  He is the only quarterback in the nation in the top five in yards, touchdowns, efficiency, completion percentage and completions per game.  Leading Colorado to a 9-3 record just two years removed from being 1-11, he has moved into top of the career charts at CU in two seasons, having completed 635-of-884 for 7,156 yards with 62 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, needing just one more touchdown to tie the CU career record.  Including two seasons at Jackson State, he has a streak of 48 straight games throwing a touchdown pass, the longest streak in NCAA Division I history.  He has completed 1,251-of-1,785 career passes for 14,145 yards with 132 touchdowns and 25 interceptions, and he is just one of two quarterbacks in NCAA history with 14,000 yards while completing 70 percent of his career passes.  He was named first-team All-American by CFN, which also named him the national quarterback of the year, and he was named second-team All-American by the Associated Press.  He was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and earned many weekly awards throughout the season, including being the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the Week twice and being on the honor roll three other times throughout the season.

• Kevin Jennings (QB, SMU): Jennings has appeared in all 13 games for the Mustangs this season and started in the last 10 … is 9-1 as a starter this season … passed for 3,050 yards and 22 touchdowns … added 379 yards on the ground with five scores … ranks 10th in the nation in yards per pass attempt (8.87) and 13th in passing efficiency (156.9) … boasted the highest passer efficiency rating in conference games only in the ACC at 171.5 … eclipsed 300 yards passing in three games during the year … had three or more touchdowns in four different games … set a new career-high in touchdown passes with three against Florida State (09/28) during SMU’s ACC opener … tallied 322 yards passing with three scores during the win over Stanford (10/19) … tallied 306 yards with two touchdown passes during the Mustangs’ home victory over No. 18 Pitt (11/02) … threw for three scores and racked up 298 yards against Boston College (11/16) … had a career-high 323 passing yards with two scores on the road against Virginia … AWARDS: Preseason:  In-Season: Manning Award Star of Week for Week 6 and Week 13 (Oct. 7, Nov. 25) … Named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week for Week 6 (Oct. 8) … Named to Davey O’Brien Great 8 List for Week 8 and Week 10 (Oct. 21, Nov. 4) … Added to Davey O’Brien Class of 2024 (Oct. 29) … named a semifinalist to Davey O’Brien Award (Nov. 12) … Named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention (Nov. 19) … Postseason: All-ACC Third Team … DCTF First Team All-Texas … named a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award (Dec. 18).

• Bryson Daily (QB, Army): Daily has had a record-setting season in 2024, breaking numerous of long-standing Army program records. The Abernathy, Texas native has set the single-season record for touchdowns responsible for in a season, rushing touchdowns in a season, and rushing touchdowns in a single game as well as the record for most rushing touchdowns in AAC single-season history. His 29 rushing touchdowns and 1,532 rushing yards and counting were good enough to finish No. 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest by an Army player since when Pete Dawkins won the award in 1958. Daily’s 29 rushing touchdowns are tied for the most in the country with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award celebrates more than just on-field accomplishments—it honors perseverance, integrity, and the connection to Texas football. For those unable to attend in person, CBS19 will livestream the ceremony.