Buffs WR Shenault Named To '2019 Players To Watch' List
February 04, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. has been named to the "2019 Players To Watch" list by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, and will be on hand Saturday at the group's annual awards banquet in Columbus, Ohio.
Shenault last season vaulted into the national spotlight in the first five weeks of the season, helping the Buffs to a 5-0 start while establishing himself as one of the top offensive players in the country. After Week 5, Shenault led the nation in receiving yards per game and receptions per game, and was being mentioned prominently in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
While a toe injury then sidelined him for three games after Week 6, he returned to play in CU's last three games and still finished with 86 catches for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns. He also finished with 115 yards rushing and five touchdowns on the ground to become the only player in the nation to score at least five touchdowns receiving and rushing. A first-team All-Pac-12 selection by the league's coaches, Shenault was also named the Buffs' Most Valuable Player after the season.
After the season, Shenault underwent surgery on his toe and shoulder. He will not be available for spring ball, but said he fully expects to be 100 percent by the time the Buffs open fall camp.
He also said he's looking forward to Saturday's banquet, where he will have the opportunity to meet with media and talk about new Colorado head coach Mel Tucker and CU's new coaching staff.
"These are good opportunities," Shenault said. "I think it's good to get better at the media part of what we do."
Shenault will be one of six wide receivers on the 2019 watch list. Others include Damonte Coxie (Memphis), Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), James Proche (SMU), Justyn Ross (Clemson) and Tylan Wallace (Oklahoma State).
Eight running backs are on the list — Eno Benjamin (Arizona State), Isaiah Bowser (Northwestern), J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State), Travis Etienne (Clemson), Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota), Jermar Jefferson (Oregon State), Greg McCrae (UCF), and Michael Warren (Cincinnati) — as well as six quarterbacks, Justin Herbert (Oregon),  D'Eriq King (Houston), Jordan Love (Utah State), Kellen Mond (Texas A&M), Brady White (Memphis), and Zachary Wilson (BYU).
From the defensive side of the ball, the group will include linebackers Markus Bailey (Purdue), Kenneth Murray (Oklahoma), Curtis Weaver (Boise State), and David Woodward (Utah State); plus defensive backs Andre Cisco (Syracuse) and Kenny Robinson (West Virginia).
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be honored as the winner of the Touchdown Club's 2018 Archie Griffin Award (national player of the year) while Clemson coach Dabo Swinney will be honored as the coach of the year.
The last two players to win the honor were UCF's McKenzie Milton after the 2017 season and USC's Sam Darnold after the 2016 season.
