Courtesy of Derek W. Bryant, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations & Sports Information, Howard University
Stats Performs and Urban Edge Network uncovered its inaugural HBCU+ FCS National Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List where Howard University saw a pair of Bison nominated. The announcement came Thursday morning.
Graduates Kenny Gallop Jr. (Portsmouth, Va.) and Jarett Hunter (Mineral, Va.) were among the 20 selected HBCU student-athletes.
This offseason, Gallop, the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Player of the Year, has been selected to three Preseason All-America Teams after guiding the club to back-to-back MEAC titles and first ever Celebration Bowl berth. A year ago, the 2023 Aeneas Williams Award winner produced 65 total tackles (42 solos) with six tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries.
Earlier this week (July 30), Hunter, the 2024 MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List after recording nearly 900 yards of total offense with 11 total TDs a year ago. In his stellar career, the Virginia product has produced nearly 2,800 total yards of offense with 24 total TDs.
Regardless of position, the award recognizes the nation’s best HBCU player from 21 programs spread across the FCS.
A national panel of voters select the winner after the regular season and the recipient will be announced Monday (Dec. 9) and invited to the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet, planned for Sunday (Jan. 5) in Frisco, Texas.
Howard opens the 2024 campaign at Rutgers Thursday (Aug. 29), live on the Big Ten Network. Kickoff at 6 p.m., inside SHI Stadium.
