DALLAS (Oct. 18, 2023) – The semifinalists for the seventh annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year were announced today, a group that includes 20 of the nation’s top leaders in college football.
Compiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee, the semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Seventeen seniors and three juniors make up the list. Among conferences, the ACC led the way with five selections, while the Big Ten had four. The SEC and Big 12 had three each, while the PAC 12 had two. The American Athletic and MAC each had one semifinalist, as did independent Notre Dame.
The full list of semifinalists includes: DeWayne Carter (Duke), Matthew Cindric (California), Brian Dooley (Eastern Michigan), Jordan Travis (Florida State), Dylan Leonard (Georgia Tech), Jack Freeman (Houston), Isaiah Williams (Illinois), J.J. Weaver (Kentucky), Josh Williams (LSU), Blake Corum (Michigan), Xavier McDonald (Navy), Joe Shimko (North Carolina State), Sam Hartman (Notre Dame), Cade Stover (Ohio State), Caleb Williams (Southern Cal), Joe Milton III (Tennessee), Tony Bradford, Jr. (Texas Tech), Mike Hollins (Virginia), Zach Frazier (West Virginia) and Chimere Dike (Wisconsin).
Three finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, December 13. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on February 15, 2024.
Dylan Leonard, Georgia Tech (Sr., TE) – A former walk-on, Leonard impressed Georgia Tech coaches enough as a freshman that he found his way onto the field and into a scholarship role. The recipient of the prestigious ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, he is a Campbell Trophy semifinalist and four-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Having already earned his degree, Leonard is pursuing a master’s in analytics. He is a regular visitor to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, where he befriended a young cancer patient.
Compiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee, the semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Seventeen seniors and three juniors make up the list. Among conferences, the ACC led the way with five selections, while the Big Ten had four. The SEC and Big 12 had three each, while the PAC 12 had two. The American Athletic and MAC each had one semifinalist, as did independent Notre Dame.
The full list of semifinalists includes: DeWayne Carter (Duke), Matthew Cindric (California), Brian Dooley (Eastern Michigan), Jordan Travis (Florida State), Dylan Leonard (Georgia Tech), Jack Freeman (Houston), Isaiah Williams (Illinois), J.J. Weaver (Kentucky), Josh Williams (LSU), Blake Corum (Michigan), Xavier McDonald (Navy), Joe Shimko (North Carolina State), Sam Hartman (Notre Dame), Cade Stover (Ohio State), Caleb Williams (Southern Cal), Joe Milton III (Tennessee), Tony Bradford, Jr. (Texas Tech), Mike Hollins (Virginia), Zach Frazier (West Virginia) and Chimere Dike (Wisconsin).
Three finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, December 13. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on February 15, 2024.
Dylan Leonard, Georgia Tech (Sr., TE) – A former walk-on, Leonard impressed Georgia Tech coaches enough as a freshman that he found his way onto the field and into a scholarship role. The recipient of the prestigious ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, he is a Campbell Trophy semifinalist and four-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Having already earned his degree, Leonard is pursuing a master’s in analytics. He is a regular visitor to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, where he befriended a young cancer patient.
