College Football Comeback Player of the Year Award
| Awarded for | Given to three college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. |
|---|---|
| Location | Glendale, Arizona |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | College Sports Communicators, Associated Press, Fiesta Bowl Committee (2018–present) |
| History | |
| First award | 2018 |
| Most recent | Liberty safety Christian Bodner; South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown; and Boston College linebacker Bryce Steele |
| Website | https://comeback-player.com/ |
The College Football Comeback Player of the Year Award recognizes college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances.[1] The award was established in 2018 and honors three student-athletes each year, as voted on by a panel of Associated Press college football writers and sports information directors.[1]
Winners
| Year | Player | Position | School | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Antwan Dixon | WR | Kent State | [2] |
| Seth Simmer | DT | Dartmouth | ||
| Antonio Wimbush | RB | Carson–Newman | ||
| 2019 | Jake Luton | QB | Oregon State | [3] |
| Drew Wilson | OL | Georgia Southern | ||
| Octavion Wilson | WR | Salisbury | ||
| 2020 | Jarek Broussard | RB | Colorado | [4] |
| Kenneth Horsey | OG | Kentucky | ||
| Silas Kelly | LB | Coastal Carolina | ||
| 2021 | Aidan Hutchinson | DE | Michigan | [5] |
| McKenzie Milton | QB | Florida State | ||
| J. J. Weaver | LB | Kentucky | ||
| 2022 | Mohamed Ibrahim | RB | Minnesota | [6] |
| Laiatu Latu | DE | UCLA | ||
| Michael Penix Jr. | QB | Washington | ||
| 2023 | Blake Corum | RB | Michigan | [7] |
| Jacob Dobbs | LB | Holy Cross | ||
| Mike Hollins | RB | Virginia | ||
| 2024 | Ike Larsen | S | Utah State | [8] |
| Raheim Sanders | RB | South Carolina | ||
| Tyler Shough | QB | Louisville | ||
| 2025 | Christian Bodnar | S | Liberty | [9] |
| Byrum Brown | QB | South Florida | ||
| Bryce Steele | LB | Boston College |
References
- 1 2 "College Football Comeback Player Award". comeback-player.com. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Dixon, Simmer, Wimbush win comeback honors". ESPN.com. December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Ga. Southern's Wilson among comeback winners". ESPN.com. December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "UK's Horsey, CCU LB among Comeback POYs". ESPN.com. January 2, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Milton, Hutchinson, Weaver win comeback honors". ESPN.com. December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Latu Named CFB Comeback Player of the Year". UCLA. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Blake Corum, Jacob Dobbs and Mike Hollins Named 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award Winners". collegesportscommunicators.com. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Cards QB Shough one of 3 to win CPOY award". ESPN.com. December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Christian Bodner, Byrum Brown & Bryce Steele Named 2025 College Football Comeback Player of the Year Award Winners". Fiesta Sports Foundation. December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.