Texas Tech University Athletics
Morton tabbed to Maxwell Award watch list
July 28, 2025 | Football
PHILADELPHIA – Texas Tech senior quarterback Behren Morton was named to the 2025 Maxwell Award watch list on Monday. The annual award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club, is given to the most outstanding player in college football.
The Maxwell Award watch list kicks off a two-week-plus period, as part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), that will recognize the best of college football with different watch lists leading into the 2025 season.
Morton, a fifth-year senior, returns after a junior season where he completed 63.3 percent of his passes (295-of-466), throwing for 3,335 passing yards and 27 touchdowns to only eight interceptions. By topping 3,000 passing yards, it marked the 17th time in school history a Red Raider had thrown for at least 3,000 yards in a season and the first time since Nic Shimonek in 2017. Morton started 12 of 13 games in 2024, missing only the Red Raiders' bowl game as part of the beginning stages of rehabilitation of a lingering shoulder injury; his body of work over 12 games ranked him seventh in the FBS for completions per game (24.58), eighth for passing yards per game (277.9), and 16th for both total passing yards (3,335) and passing touchdowns (27).
He enters his final season as a Red Raider already ranked sixth in the Texas Tech record book for career completions (574), seventh for career touchdown passes (49), ninth for career pass attempts (931) and 10th for career passing yards (6,209). Morton also moved into ninth place for career touchdowns responsible for (56), at Texas Tech as well as yards of total offense (6,284).
Morton will have the opportunity in 2025 to become the fourth Red Raider in program history to throw for 10,000 career passing yards, joining a prestigious list that includes Graham Harrell (15,793), Kliff Kingsbury (12,429) and Patrick Mahomes II (11,252).
The Maxwell Award watch list once again incorporates a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast. The full list consists of 80 players, with Penn State leading the way with three candidates and an additional 16 schools having two players represented. The SEC boasts 17 candidates, followed by the ACC (16), Big 12 (15) and Big Ten (14).
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership.
NCFAA WATCH LISTS
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week-plus period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.
The following is the 2025 preseason watch list calendar:
- TECH -
The Maxwell Award watch list kicks off a two-week-plus period, as part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), that will recognize the best of college football with different watch lists leading into the 2025 season.
Morton, a fifth-year senior, returns after a junior season where he completed 63.3 percent of his passes (295-of-466), throwing for 3,335 passing yards and 27 touchdowns to only eight interceptions. By topping 3,000 passing yards, it marked the 17th time in school history a Red Raider had thrown for at least 3,000 yards in a season and the first time since Nic Shimonek in 2017. Morton started 12 of 13 games in 2024, missing only the Red Raiders' bowl game as part of the beginning stages of rehabilitation of a lingering shoulder injury; his body of work over 12 games ranked him seventh in the FBS for completions per game (24.58), eighth for passing yards per game (277.9), and 16th for both total passing yards (3,335) and passing touchdowns (27).
He enters his final season as a Red Raider already ranked sixth in the Texas Tech record book for career completions (574), seventh for career touchdown passes (49), ninth for career pass attempts (931) and 10th for career passing yards (6,209). Morton also moved into ninth place for career touchdowns responsible for (56), at Texas Tech as well as yards of total offense (6,284).
Morton will have the opportunity in 2025 to become the fourth Red Raider in program history to throw for 10,000 career passing yards, joining a prestigious list that includes Graham Harrell (15,793), Kliff Kingsbury (12,429) and Patrick Mahomes II (11,252).
The Maxwell Award watch list once again incorporates a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast. The full list consists of 80 players, with Penn State leading the way with three candidates and an additional 16 schools having two players represented. The SEC boasts 17 candidates, followed by the ACC (16), Big 12 (15) and Big Ten (14).
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership.
NCFAA WATCH LISTS
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week-plus period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.
The following is the 2025 preseason watch list calendar:
- Mon., July 28: Maxwell Award
- Tue., July 29: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
- Wed., July 30: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award/Butkus Award
- Thu., July 31: Paul Hornung Award/Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
- Fri., Aug. 1: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
- Mon., Aug. 4: Walter Camp Award
- Tue., Aug. 5: Doak Walker Award
- Wed., Aug. 6: Biletnikoff Award
- Thu., Aug. 7: Davey O'Brien Award
- Fri., Aug. 8: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
- Mon., Aug. 11: Bednarik Award
- TECH -
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