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On Wednesday afternoon, Miami Hurricanes S Jaquan Johnson was named a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
Boom!
— Canes Football (@CanesFootball) November 15, 2017
Jaquan Johnson has been named a semifinalist for the @WalterCampFF Player of the Year award. pic.twitter.com/IwuXTws69w
A junior from Miami, Johnson has played at an elite level all season long, and this nomination is proof positive of that fact. Johnson was named the Walter Camp National Player of the Week award after Miami’s 41-8 destruction of fraudulent, weak, soft, slow Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Miami Hurricanes S Jaquan Johnson named Walter Camp National Player of the Week. #Canes #TheU https://t.co/EGLkMnodEP pic.twitter.com/tigLP0qQAF
— StateOfTheU.com (@TheStateOfTheU) November 12, 2017
Here’s more on this nomination from Miami Athletics:
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- University of Miami junior defensive back Jaquan Johnson was one of just four defensive players named among 15 semifinalists for the 2017 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Wednesday.
"It's been another exciting college football season with many teams and players still in the hunt for national recognition," Foundation president Michael Madera said. "We've identified some outstanding players and we know the final weeks of the regular season should be even more thrilling."
The two-time defending ACC Defensive Back of the Week, Johnson leads the Hurricanes with 66 tackles in his junior season. He has forced one fumble, recovered another, and ranks second on the Hurricanes with three interceptions.
Johnson totaled a career-best 12 tackles (seven solo) in Miami's win at Florida State on Oct. 7, and added an 11-tackle performance in a win at North Carolina (Oct. 28).
The Miami native has totaled 15 tackles and two interceptions over the last two games against Virginia Tech (Nov. 4) and Notre Dame (Nov. 11), earning ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors for both performances.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year is voted on by the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. A list of five finalists will be released on Wednesday, November 29, and the winner will be announced on Thursday, December 7.
The 15-player watch list includes six quarterbacks, five running backs and four defensive players. Fifteen different schools and eight conferences are represented on the list.
The 2016 Walter Camp Player of the Year, Louisville junior quarterback Lamar Jackson, is a 2017 semifinalist. Jackson has totaled 36 touchdowns (21 passing, 15 rushing) and 4,879 yards of total offense for the Cardinals in 2017.
Also on the watch list is 2015 Walter Camp First Team All-America quarterback Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), who has passed for 3,559 yards and 31 touchdowns this season for the fourth-ranked Sooners. 2016 Walter Camp Second Team All-America honoree Minkah Fitzpatrick is a 2017 Player of the Year semifinalist. Fitzpatrick, a defensive back, has posted 44 tackles and one interception for top-ranked Alabama.
The full list of semifinalists from the Walter Camp website is below:
2017 Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalists
Josh Adams, RB, Junior, Notre Dame
Saquon Barkley, RB, Junior, Penn State
Bradley Chubb, DE, Senior, North Carolina State
Sam Darnold, QB, Sophomore, USC
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Junior, Alabama
Baker Mayfield, QB, Senior, Oklahoma
Lamar Jackson, QB, Junior, Louisville
Jaquan Johnson, DB, Junior, Miami
Bryce Love, RB, Junior, Stanford
Hercules Mala’afa, DE, Junior, Washington State
McKenzie Milton, QB, Sophomore, UCF
Rashaad Penny, RB, Senior, San Diego State
Mason Rudolph, QB, Senior, Oklahoma State
Khalil Tate, QB, Sophomore, Arizona
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Freshman, Wisconsin
As one of only 4 defensive players named to the semifinalist list for this award, Johnson is in rare air, and recognized as one of the top players in America. If you’ve been watching the Canes this season, which everyone has because Miami is winning, you’ve seen that Johnson is a huge part of Miami’s success.
Jaquan Johnson and the Hurricanes look to keep their undefeated season alive when they play the Virginia Cavaliers on Senior Day this Saturday at Noon.