College Football Awards 2023: Results, Winners, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. won the Maxwell Award to cap a night of many accolades for a host of college football players, coaches and even fans on Friday evening.

Other big winners include LSU signal-caller Jayden Daniels (Davey O'Brien winner for top quarterback, Walter Camp Player of the Year), N.C. State linebacker Payton Wilson (Bednarik Award victor for best defensive player), Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer (Home Depot Coach of the Year) and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (Biletnikoff Award for most outstanding receiver at any position).

Here's a look at the winners and finalists for all the awards, alongside reaction from fans and analysts in response to the most notable honors.

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Maxwell Award (Player of the Year)

Winner: Michael Penix, Jr., Washington

Jayden Daniels, LSU

Bo Nix, Oregon

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Chuck Bednarik Award Defensive Player of the Year

Winner: Payton Wilson, NC State

Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Dallas Turner, Alabama

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Biletnikoff Award (Outstanding Receiver)

Winner: Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State

Malik Nabers, LSU

Rome Odunze, Washington

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Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (Outstanding Placekicker)

Winner: Graham Nicholson, Miami (OH)

Jose Pizano, UNLV

Will Reichard, Alabama

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Ray Guy Award (Punter of the Year)

Winner: Tory Taylor, Iowa

Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt

Alex Mastromanno, Florida State

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Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award (Best Quarterback)

Winner: Jayden Daniels, LSU

Bo Nix, Oregon

Michael Penix, Jr., Washington

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Outland Trophy (Most Outstanding Interior Lineman)

Winner: T'Vondre Sweat, Texas

Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

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Paycom Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back)

Winner: Trey Taylor, Air Force

Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Malaki Starks, Georgia

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Doak Walker Award (Premier Running Back)

Winner: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State

Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

Cody Schrader, Missouri

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The Home Depot Coach of the Year

Winner: Kalen DeBoer (Washington)

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NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award

Winner: Former Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach

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Disney Spirit Award

Winner: OL Brian Dooley, Eastern Michigan

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Taco Bell Live Mas Student Section of the Year Award

Winner: Ohio State

UMass

Colorado

Tennessee

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The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

Entire list can be found here (INSERT LINK).

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Broyles Award (Best Assistant Coach)

Winner: DC/DB Coach Phil Parker, Iowa

OC/QB Coach Mike Bobo, Georgia

OC/TE Coach Mike Denbrock, LSU

Interim HC/OC/OL Coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan

OC Will Stein, Oregon

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Burlsworth Trophy (Most Outstanding player Who Started as Walk-On)

Winner: RB Cody Schrader, Missouri

NG James Carpenter, James Madison

WR Drake Stoops, Oklahoma

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Butkus Award (Best Linebacker)

Winner: Payton Wilson, NC State

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson

Ty'Ron Hopper, Missouri)

Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington)

Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State)

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Walter Camp Player of the Year

Winner: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

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William V. Campbell Trophy (Top Scholar-Athlete)

Winner: QB Bo Nix, Oregon

List of finalists here.

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John Mackey Award (Top Tight End)

Winner: Brock Bowers, UGA

Cade Stover, Ohio State

Dallin Hooker, CSU

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Nagurski Trophy (Top Defensive Player)

Winner: S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa

DT Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois

S Malaki Starks, Georgia

LB Payton Wilson, NC State

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Rimington Trophy (Top Center)

Winner: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Drake Nugent, Michigan

Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

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Wuerffel Trophy (College Football's Premier Award for Community Service)

Winner: WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia

LB JD Bertrand, Notre Dame

RB Blake Corum, Michigan

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Player of the Years

Both Penix and Daniels, two of the Heisman Trophy finalists, were the biggest winners on Friday evening.

One can make a case for both players. Penix leads the No. 2 team in the nation, which just happens to be 14-0. Daniels had the best statistical year for any quarterback with 50 total touchdowns (40 passing, 10 rushing). He also threw for 3,812 yards and rushed for 1,134 yards.

Ultimately, both got their due recognition on this day.

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Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year)

North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson swept all of his awards thanks to a 138-tackle, six-sack season. He also picked off three passes and returned one for a touchdown.

Wilson faced some stiff competition for the Bednarik in the form of UCLA's Laiatu Latu (Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, 13 sacks) and Alabama's Dallas Turner (SEC Defensive Player of the Year, nine sacks). But it was Wilson who won out.

Folks had differing opinions about this one.

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Biletnikoff Award (Outstanding Receiver)

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is headed to New York as the lone non-quarterback Heisman Trophy finalist after amassing 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.

So it's awfully impressive that this year's Biletnikoff race was as close as it was, per Wilson Alexander of the Advocate.

LSU's Malik Nabers (86/1,546/14) and Washington's Rome Odunze (81/1,428/13) were excellent in their own right, and fans debated who should have won the award.

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Coach of the Year

It only took two seasons for Kalen DeBoer to take the Washington Huskies to the College Football Playoff, and he justly won the Home Depot Coach of the Year award for his efforts.

Now the eyes of the college football world turn toward the Army vs. Navy game as well as the Heisman Trophy presentation, both of which will take place on Saturday.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said that the Biletnikoff Award is given to the FBS's most outstanding wide receiver. It has been corrected and now says it is given to the FBS's most outstanding receiver at any position. We regret the error.