Marshall sophomore running back Rasheen Ali, who last season earned Freshman All-American honors, was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List on Monday, the Maxwell Football Club announced. The Maxwell Award is given annually to the national college football player of the year.
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)
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.
The 2021 winner, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, is joined by seven other returning semifinalists: Coastal Carolina's Grayson McCall; Ohio State's C.J. Stroud; SMU's Tanner Mordecai; Syracuse's Sean Tucker; Texas' Bijan Robinson; Virginia's Brennan Armstrong; and Wake Forest's Sam Hartman.
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