Heading into the 2015 college football season, the Pitt Panthers may have one of the best duos on the offensive side of the ball in the entire nation in running back James Conner and wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
That duo received another preseason honor on Tuesday as both have been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is given annually to the College Player of the Year.
Two former Panthers have won the award in the past as running back Tony Dorsett did so in 1976 and defensive end Hugh Green captured the award in 1980.
Conner, the reigning ACC Player of the Year is one of five returning Maxwell semifinalists in the nation from a year ago.
He is coming off a monster sophomore season in which he rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns. In the process he broke Pitt all-time records for rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns (26) and scoring (156 points), all once held by Dorsett in 1976.
Boyd is also coming off a big sophomore campaign in which he caught 78 passes for 1,261 yards and eight touchdowns in earning first team All-ACC last season. The Clairton product also became the first player in ACC history to record 1,000 receiving yards in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
The preseason honors should continue to roll in for Pitt’s dynamic duo.
If Conner and Boyd can build off what they did last season, there very well could be some postseason honors coming their way as well.
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