Jalon Kilgore Named a Semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award

University of South Carolina defensive back Jalon Kilgore is among 14 players named as a semifinalist for the 6th Annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced today.

The award, which goes to the outstanding freshman player in college football, will be presented at the Maxwell Football Club Awards along with several of the other top awards in college and professional football.

Kilgore, a 6-1, 204-pounder from Eatonton, Ga., was forced into action in the season opener against North Carolina and has remained in the lineup ever since. He is second on the team with 64 tackles, including a dozen stops in that first game against the Tar Heels, a season-high 15 tackles at Tennessee, and 11 more against Florida. He ranks fifth in the SEC and tied for 51st in the country with 8.0 tackles per game, which also ranks third among all freshmen in the FBS. In addition, Kilgore has one interception and five pass breakups while playing both safety and nickel in the Carolina secondary.

The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. The award Past winners include; Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) – 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019, Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020, Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2021 and Drake Maye (North Carolina) – 2022.

Finalists for the 6th annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award will be November 29, 2023 and the winner of the award will be announced on December 27, 2023. The formal presentation of this award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March of 2024.