Per GoBearcats:
University of Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder (Louisville, Kentucky/St. Xavier) was named a semifinalist for the 84th Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.
Ridder has helped lead UC to an 8-0 start to the season and a No. 7 ranking in all three national polls. The junior has passed for 1,821 yards and 16 TDs while rushing for 526 yards and 11 scores.
He was also tabbed a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.
Ridder has 21 career rushing TDs, most ever for a UC QB and tied for No. 9 all-time. Over the past five games, Ridder has accounted for 21 TDs, passing for 1,224 yards and 10 TDs while running for 455 yards (8.8 YPR) and 11 TDs. The last FBS player to reach all of those numbers over a 5-game span was Lamar Jackson during his 2016 Heisman season according to StatsPerform.
He was named the Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week on Oct. 28 following the Bearcats win at SMU and was tabbed for the award’s Great 8 twice this season. He has earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors four times this season.
Ridder joins 17 others on the semifinalist list for the Maxwell Award, which recognizes the collegiate player of the year.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF), XOS ThunderCloudand Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed statistical and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, and several senior PFF analysts have been added to the selection committee and have participated in the process. Phil Steele’s Football Guide is generally recognized as the most complete football reference in the country. XOS ThunderCloud provides the Maxwell Club selection committee with access to game footage from all FBS colleges.
Semifinalist voting for both of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Tuesday Dec.8 and will close on Dec. 20. Three finalists for each award will be announced on Dec 21st and a finalist round of voting will take place at that time. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors and selected national media.
The three finalists for the award will be named on Tuesday, Dec. 22. The winners will be announced live on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, on the 30th annual The Home Depot College Football Awards, which will be held virtually from 7-8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Ridder and the No. 7 Bearcats return to action this weekend, facing No. 18 Tulsa on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 4 p.m. ET inside Chapman Stadium. The game will air on ESPN2 and 700 WLW AM. UC has also qualified for the AAC Championship Game and will again match up with Tulsa on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The game on the Dec. 12 determines the league’s regular-season champion and the right to play host to the title game.
