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Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea received recognition Monday morning, as he was named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Colandrea, who transferred to Nebraska for the 2026 season, was the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year at UNLV last season, throwing for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 649 yards and 10 scores. He guided a UNLV offense that ranked 18th nationally in scoring and 20th in total offense in 2025. Colandrea had seven games with 250 or more passing yards in 2025, including a pair of 300-yard passing efforts.
In his three college seasons, he has completed 627-of-983 passes for 7,542 yards and 49 touchdowns. He also has 328 carries for 1,151 yards and 12 touchdowns after beginning his career at Virginia.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
Colandrea is one of 17 Big Ten players on the initial 81-member watch list, which is the most of any conference.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 10, 2026, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 24, 2026. The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 10, 2026. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Saturday, March 13, 2027, at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.