NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt wide receiver Will Sheppard has been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, given annually to the outstanding player in college football. The Maxwell Football Group announced the list on Monday.
Sheppard is one of 85 players on the list from across FBS and one of 14 on the list from the SEC. The senior is one of 15 receivers to make the watch list.
The Mandeville, Louisiana, native has led Vanderbilt in receiving touchdowns each of the last two seasons, including nine a year ago. That mark ranked second in the SEC and 11th in FBS.
He caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 32 seconds remaining at Kentucky, giving Vandy its first SEC victory since 2019. He posted three games with multiple touchdown grabs and had a career-best 171 receiving yards in a win at Northern Illinois.
During his sophomore season, Sheppard was part of Vanderbilt’s first game with a 300-yard passer and two 100-yard receivers in eight seasons while grabbing eight catches for 119 yards and two scores in a win over UConn.
With 1,383 career receiving yards, Sheppard will look to move into the program’s top 10 this season (Erik Davis is 10th with 1,767 yards). He is also looking to become the 20th Vanderbilt player to lead the team in receiving yards during consecutive seasons and the first since Kalija Lipscomb 2018-19.
Entering 2023, Sheppard was named a preseason All-SEC selection by Phil Steele and was picked to the Shrine Bowl 1000.
Sheppard and the Commodores open the 2023 campaign on Aug. 26 against Hawai’i. Kickoff at FirstBank Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. and tickets are on sale now.
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