Todd Gurley named to Maxwell Award watch list

Last month, we took a deep dive into Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley and his potential to bring home the 2014 Heisman Trophy to Athens. With that in mind, the talented running back has also been named to the preseason watch list for the 2014 Maxwell Award as the collegiate player of the year.

The 6-foot-1, 232-pound Gurley is considered to be a top-10 candidate for the Heisman this season, and that made him a shoe-in for selection to this particular watch list. Unlike the majority of the nominees, however, Gurley has a legitimate chance to earn the hardware, especially if he can replicate the rousing success of his freshman season in 2012.

Last season, Todd Gurley was banged up throughout the season and sharing time with a solid stable of backs, and he still managed to rack up 989 yards and 10 touchdowns. This season, Mark Richt and Mike Bobo have been vocal in their willingness to hand over a significant workload, and if he can stay on the field, a season with 1,500+ rushing yards and 20+ touchdowns is certainly within reason.

As the college football season approaches, Gurley will undoubtedly attract more attention, but this is a rare instance where the level of talent matches up favorably with the hype.