TYLER, Texas — The preseason honors keep rolling in for UTSA senior quarterback Frank Harris, who has earned a spot on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, which was announced by SPORTyler on Thursday.
A finalist for the award last year, Harris is one of 69 players on the list for the award that recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or currently playing at Texas D1 four-year college.
Harris, who also has been named to the Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award watch lists, owns more than 30 school records and a 31-11 record as the starting QB as he enters his final campaign with the Roadrunners. The 2022 Conference USA Most Valuable Player and first-team all-conference performer completed 328 of 471 passes (69.6%) for 4,063 yards and 32 TDs and a 160.7 passing efficiency, all school records to help lead UTSA to an 11-3 record and a second straight league crown last fall. A Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist a year ago, he logged seven 300-yard passing games, including a UTSA record 414 in the 45-30 win at Middle Tennessee, and he totaled 400-plus yards of offense three times, highlighted by a school record 423 in the same contest. Harris added 602 rushing yards — the program standard for a QB — and nine scores on the ground.
For his career, Harris has thrown for 9,356 yards and 74 touchdowns on 816-of-1210 passing to go with 1,822 rushing yards and 24 scores on 372 carries. The Schertz Clemens High School product owns UTSA's total offense record with 11,178 yards, which ranks fifth among active FBS quarterbacks, and his 42 career starts are the fourth-best total.
The watch list will be narrowed to up to 16 semifinalists in November and then up to five finalists in December. They will be selected by broadcasters, commentators, journalists, fans, and previous winners. The finalists will be brought to Tyler for The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet scheduled for Jan. 10, 2024.
Under the direction of two-time conference coach of the year Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are coming off an 11-3 campaign that saw them capture their second straight Conference USA crown and play in a bowl game for the third year in a row. UTSA has been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last two seasons and boasts a combined 23 wins over that span, the fourth-best total among all FBS teams behind only Georgia (29), Michigan (25) and Alabama (24).
UTSA, which has been picked to finish second in the AAC Preseason Media Poll and is receiving votes in both major preseason rankings, will open its 13th season of play on Saturday, Sept. 2, against Houston. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on FS1.
UTSA will face Texas State for the home opener at 2:30 p.m. the following Saturday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners will host Army at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, UAB on Oct. 14, East Carolina on Oct. 28, Rice on Nov. 11 and South Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now by calling 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com/tickets.
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