Raheim “Rocket” Sanders Named to Maxwell Award Watch List

University of South Carolina running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders has been named to the 88th Maxwell Award Watch List, presented annually to the outstanding player in college football, the Maxwell Football Club announced today.

Sanders, a 6-0, 230-pound senior from Rockledge, Fla., is in his first season with the Gamecocks after spending the past three campaigns at Arkansas. A 2023 Razorback team captain, Sanders was a 2022 first-team All-SEC selection after rushing for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official. This year’s preseason watch list consists of 80 players.

The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winners of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 14, 2024 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

Sanders and the Gamecocks report to fall camp on Thursday, Aug. 1, and officially begin practice on Friday, Aug. 2 ahead of the season opener, which is set for Saturday, Aug. 31 against Old Dominion.