PHILADELPHIA – The Mid-American Conference was represented by four student-athletes on the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List, as announced by today The Maxwell Football Club.

Buffalo running back Al-Jay Henderson, Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro, Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason and Western Michigan running back Jalen Buckley were all named to the watch list for the honor which is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football.

Henderson appeared in all 13 games and made 11 starts a season ago for Buffalo, leading the Bulls with 1,078 rushing yards while scoring nine touchdowns. Henderson ranked second in the MAC in rushing (82.9) and added 19 receptions for 243 yards and a touchdown to earn All-MAC Third Team honors.

Navarro made 13 starts during the 2024 campaign, tallying 2,423 passing yards on 295 passes with 195 completions. Also a force to be reckoned with on the ground, he rushed for 1,054 yards on 160 attempts with 18 touchdowns, becoming the second quarterback in program history to log over 1,000 yards on the ground in a single season as well as the first quarterback to record over 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in the same season. A four-time 2024 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 30, Nov. 15, Nov. 25, Dec. 2), Navarro also earned Davey O'Brien Great 8 recognition twice (Dec. 2 and Jan. 22), All-MAC Second Team Offense accolades and was named both the MAC Championship Offensive Player of the Game and 2024 StaffDNA Cure Bowl MVP honors.

Gleason threw for 2,808 yards and 24 TDs in 2024, leading the Rockets to an 8-5 record and a six-overtime victory over Pittsburgh in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. He also rushed for 364 yards and seven scores.

Gleason is the fifth Rocket to make the Maxwell Award watch list. Previous players on the list were quarterback Dequan Finn (2022, 2023), running back Bryan Koback (2020), quarterback Logan Woodside (2017) and running back Kareem Hunt (2015, 2016).

Buckley finished the 2024 season with 683 yards rushing and nine touchdowns, also catching 15 passes for 112 yards. The redshirt junior rushed for 103 yards and one touchdown in win over Eastern Michigan, helping WMU become bowl eligible before running for 26 yards and one touchdown at the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl against South Alabama.

The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 11, 2025, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 25, 2025. The winner of the 89th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 11, 2025. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

MACtion on Preseason Watch Lists
Maxwell Award
Al-Jay Henderson, Buffalo
Parker Navarro, Ohio
Tucker Gleason, Toledo
Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan