Chuckie Keeton among 30 Players named to 2013 Heisman Trophy Watch List

Utah State University junior quarterback Chuckie Keeton is among 30 college football players named to the first edition of the 2013 Heismanpundit/CBSSports.com Heisman Trophy Watch List. The list was released Thursday, May 25, 2013.

The Heisman Trophy, presented annually since 1935, is the most prestigious award in sports. It is named after famed college football coach John W. Heisman. The 2013 winner will be announced in New York City Saturday, Dec. 14.

Keeton, who is one of 19 quarterbacks on the watch list, joins Fresno State senior quarterback Derek Carr, Nevada junior quarterback Cody Fajardo and San Jose State senior quarterback David Fales as players from the Mountain West to make the list.

“Chuckie has earned every right to be included in preseason campaigns, polls and watch lists for every award a quarterback can be,” said USU Head Coach Matt Wells. “He’s earned that right based on his play for the last two years. He’s earned it by his win-loss record as a quarterback, he’s earned it by his stats, his leadership — everything he does for our program inside the building and outside the building. He’s earned every right to be included in every category that anybody wants to talk about in the country.”

Keeton, a 6-2, 200 pound quarterback from Houston, Texas, earned first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors as a sophomore after ranking 17th nationally in total offense, 18th in passing efficiency and 29th in passing.

During the 2012 season, Keeton set single-season school records for touchdown passes, passing yards, completions and completion percentage, while tying the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 121 yards at Louisiana Tech.

Along with earning first-team all-league honors as a sophomore, Keeton was also named the WAC’s Offensive Player of the Week four times. During the course of the season he had at least two touchdown passes in 10 games and rushed for a touchdown in eight games. He threw for at least 300 yards three times in the last five games of the season and five times overall.

In all, Keeton concluded his sophomore season completing 275-of-407 passes for 3,373 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran the ball 129 times for 619 yards with eight touchdowns.

The 2013 Heismanpundit/CBSSports.com Heisman Trophy Watch List (post-spring edition)

(in alphabetical order)

Ameer Abdullah, Jr., RB, Nebraska

David Ash, Jr., QB, Texas

Blake Bell, Jr., QB, Oklahoma

Tajh Boyd, Sr., QB, Clemson

Teddy Bridgewater, Jr., QB, Louisville

Ka’deem Carey, Jr., RB, Arizona

Derek Carr, Sr., QB, Fresno State

Jadeveon Clowney, Jr., DE, South Carolina

Stefon Diggs, So., WR, Maryland

Cody Fajardo, Jr., QB, Nevada

David Fales, Sr., QB, San Jose State

Devin Gardner, Jr., QB, Michigan

Everett Golson, So., QB, Notre Dame

Todd Gurley, So., RB, Georgia

Kevin Hogan, So., QB, Stanford

Brett Hundley, So., QB, UCLA

Duke Johnson, So., RB, Miami

Chuckie Keeton, Jr., QB, Utah State

Marqise Lee, Jr., WR, USC

Jordan Lynch, Sr., QB, Northern Illinois

Johnny Manziel, So., QB, Texas A&M

Marcus Mariota, So., QB, Oregon

Venric Mark, Sr., RB, Northwestern

Taylor Martinez, Sr., QB, Nebraska

AJ McCarron, Sr., QB, Alabama

Aaron Murray, Sr., QB, Georgia

Braxton Miller, Jr., QB, Ohio State

Lache Seastrunk, Jr., RB, Baylor

De’Anthony Thomas, Jr., RB, Oregon

TJ Yeldon, So., RB, Alabama

Contact: Doug Hoffman, (435) 797-3714