Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea has been named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday, August 3, 2026. The senior, who transferred to Nebraska for the 2026 season after starring at UNLV, joins an 81-player list recognizing candidates for college football’s outstanding player of the year. Colandrea is one of 17 Big Ten players selected, which is the most of any conference.
The Maxwell Award, presented annually since 1937, is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a former Swarthmore College standout who became a renowned sportswriter and football official. Semifinalists will be announced on November 10, 2026, with the three finalists revealed on November 24. The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 10, 2026.
Colandrea arrives in Lincoln after an outstanding 2025 campaign at UNLV, where he was named Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Mountain West honors. Starting all 14 games, he completed 275 of 417 passes (65.9 percent) for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He also rushed for 649 yards and 10 scores on 127 carries, accounting for 33 total touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback guided a Rebels offense that ranked 18th nationally in scoring and 20th in total offense. He recorded seven games with 250 or more passing yards, including a pair of 300-yard performances, and was a four-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week.
Colandrea’s inclusion on the Maxwell Award watch list highlights both his individual accomplishments and the elevated expectations surrounding the Cornhuskers’ offense this season. If Colandrea were to win, he would be the first Husker to earn the Maxwell Award since Mike Rozier in 1983.