Western Kentucky quarterback TJ Finley has been named to the watch list for the 88th Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.

The award has been presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football 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. This year’s Maxwell Award Watch List consists of 80 players, including three from Conference USA.

Finley is entering his first season at WKU after stops at Texas State, Auburn and LSU. He spent last season with the Bobcats and received All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention, Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Fourth Team, Manning Award Watch List and Davey O’Brien Award Midseason Watch List recognitions. He was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after leading Texas State to a victory at Baylor in Week 1, he was a two-time Manning Award Star of the Week, and a Davey O’Brien Great 8 selection during the 2023 season as well.

He finished the 2023 season throwing for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns to just eight interceptions on 279-of-414 passing while starting all 13 games. He also rushed for 81 yards and five touchdowns. Finley set the Texas State program record for passing yards in a season, finished 17th in the country in passing yards, ranked 23rd in the nation in passing yards per game and passing touchdowns, ranked 16th in the country in completion percentage, and was 23rd in passing efficiency. He helped the Bobcats have the 15th-best offense in the country (457.6 yards per game) and the 28th-best passing offense (270.9 yards per game). He led Texas State to its first-ever win over a Power Five team with the victory against Baylor and to the program’s first bowl win with a 45-21 win over Rice in the First Responder Bowl.

Over his three seasons with LSU (2020) and Auburn (2021-22), he started 11 games and appeared in 18. He threw for 2,199 yards and 12 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on 183-of-321 passing and also recorded a pair of rushing touchdowns. He started three games as a sophomore at Auburn in 2022 and appeared in four games, but missed several due to injury. He played in nine games with three starts as a freshman in 2021. In his first college season at LSU in 2020, he started five games and led the Tigers to victories over South Carolina and Arkansas.

Last week, Finley was included on the Shrine Bowl 1000 Watchlist.

The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 12, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 26. The winners of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held Dec. 12. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

WKU is scheduled to kick off the 2024 season with a 6 p.m. CT game at Alabama on Aug. 31. The Hilltoppers will host Eastern Kentucky for their home opener on Sept. 7, at 6 p.m., and will open CUSA play the following week with a 6 p.m. CT game at Middle Tennessee on Sept. 14.{&end}