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Three B1G stars named finalists for Paul Hornung Award
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The B1G has a sixty percent chance of being home to the Paul Hornung Award for a third straight season.
On Thursday morning, the Louisville Sports Commission announced the five finalists for the award, which is presented to the most versatile player in college football. Three names came from B1G programs.
Rondale Moore (Purdue), Connor Heyward (Michigan State) and KJ Hamler (Penn State) are all on the finalist ballot for the prestigious award. A winner will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 5.
Moore and Hamler have been explosive all-purpose wide receivers for their respective teams, and both are just freshmen. Moore leads the B1G in all-purpose yardage with 1,537 yards. Hamler comes in at third with 1,118 yards.
Moore has accounted for eight touchdowns and Hamler has six.
Heyward has primarily been used as a running back for Michigan State but has also caught the ball well and been used on kickoff returns. He’s rushed for 358 yards and five touchdowns and also caught 22 passes for 135 yards. The Spartan is also averaging nearly 23 yards per return.
The 2017 winner of the award was Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. In 2o16, Michigan defensive star Jabrill Peppers was the recipient.
The other two finalists are Marcus Green (Louisiana-Monroe) and N’Keal Harry (Arizona State).
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB