FWAA Tennessee News

The Football Writers Association of America released its 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List today, selecting three returning FWAA All-Americans among 60 defensive standouts as contenders for the national defensive player of the year. The list contains players from 41 different schools in eight Division I FBS conferences plus Independents.

One first-time winner and 10 previous ones comprise the 16th Super 11 Awards, presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America to the best performing College Sports Communicators departments in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The awards announced this week are for the 2024 season.

The 2024 Football Writers Association of America All-America Team , presented in partnership with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, has five repeat All-Americans and 16 players on teams competing in the College Football Playoff at the front of players from 40 different schools. Players from the expanded Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences make up 27, or half, of the 54-member team with nine of the Football Bowl Subdivision conferences represented plus an Independent.

This is the the Week 14 installment of the Football Writers Association of America's weekly Freshman Focus for the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award, Freshman Player of the Year and the 2024 FWAA Freshman All-America Team.

Tennessee center Cooper Mays guided the Volunteers’ offensive line to help amass 452 total yards Saturday in a 33-14 win over Mississippi State. For not allowing a sack for a 23rd consecutive game and pacing the Southeastern Conference in pass blocking efficiency, Mays earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Nov. 9, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Football Writers Association of America has released a list of top candidates for the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award, Freshman Player of the Year and the 2024 FWAA Freshman All-America Team. The Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award, presented by Chris Doering Mortgage, goes to the best first-year coach (at his school) in FBS football. The recipients of the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year, the FWAA Freshman of the Year and a Spurrier Legends Coach awardee will be honored at a special reception on Feb 25 in Gainesville, Fla.

The 2022 Football Writers Association of America All-America Team, presented in partnership with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, is headlined by nine first-teamers from the four teams competing in the College Football Playoff, three repeat All-Americans and a record 16 total selections from the Big Ten Conference. There are 19 schools represented from six Football Bowl Subdivision conferences on the first team and 34 different schools and eight conferences plus an Independent included on the overall 54-man team.

The Tennessee Volunteers kicked a last-second field goal to dramatically end a too-long losing streak Saturday in a game-for-the-ages, a 52-49 win over Alabama. Chase McGrath’s 40-yarder that spun through the soon-to-be-torn-down uprights as time expired and ended a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide. For the resilient effort in front of its capacity crowd, Tennessee (6-0) earned the Cheez-It Bowl National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 15, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Texas Longhorns wiped out rival Oklahoma by historic margins Saturday, rolling to their largest win in the Red River Rivalry’s 118-year history with a 49-0 domination at the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns’ first shutout against the Sooners since 1965 that also handed Oklahoma its first shutout since 1998 earned Texas (4-2) the Cheez-It Bowl National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 8, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel are the co-winners of the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America and Chris Doering Mortgage.

Three coaches, players up for Steve Spurrier Award and National Freshman of the Year

Five previous winners and six first-time winners comprise the Eighth Annual Super 11 Awards, which the Football Writers Association of America gives out annually to the best performing sports information departments in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The awards announced this week are for the 2016 season.

Vols end drought vs. rival Florida

Vols bust out in opener vs. Cal

Nebraska's Toniu Fonoti, 2000 Outland Trophy winner John Henderson of Tennessee and Miami's Bryant McKinnie were named finalists for the 2001 Outland Trophy on Tuesday.