Mayfield, Barkley, Love finalists for Maxwell player of year

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and Stanford running back Bryce Love are the finalists for the Maxwell Award given to college football's top player.

The finalists for several college football awards were announced Monday , including the Chuck Bednarik defensive player of the year. The finalists for that were Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith and North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb. Winners will be announced Dec. 7 during ESPN's awards show from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

The Heisman Trophy will be handed out in New York two days later. Mayfield is considered the front-runner to win college football's most prestigious player of the year honor. Heisman finalists will be announced Dec. 4.

Mayfield was also a finalist for the Davey O'Brien award that goes to the top quarterback, along with Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State and J.T. Barrett of Ohio State. Noticeably absent from those finalists was Louisville's Lamar Jackson, last season's Heisman winner whose statistics have been even better this season.

Barkley and Love, along with Wisconsin freshman Jonathan Taylor, were finalists for the Doak Walker Award that goes to the nation's top running back.

Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, Oklahoma tackle Orlando Brown and Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver were the finalists for the Outland Trophy, which goes to the top interior lineman.

James Washington of Oklahoma State, David Sills V of West Virginia and Michael Gallup of Colorado State were finalists for the Biletnikoff Award for best receiver.

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