Rondale Moore Named Maxwell Award Semifinalist

We knew Rondale Moore was going to be good, but I don’t think anyone expected he would be THIS good THIS soon. The true freshman received a very nice honor on Monday afternoon when it was announced he was named as a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award given to the nation’s most outstancing player:

In merely eight games, Moore already ranks 13th on the Purdue season list with 1,449 all-purpose yards. He boasts 802 receiving yards, 426 kickoff return yards, 163 rushing yards and 58 punt return yards. Moore is on pace for 2,173 all-purpose yards, which would break the school record of 2,121 set by Dorien Bryant during the 2007 season.

Moore also leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally with 68 receptions, the most by a Purdue player since Keith Smith had 91 in 2009. Moore’s 802 receiving yards are second in the conference and 11th in the country. The list of semifinalists:

Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame

A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College

Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

Will Grier, QB, West Virginia

Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis

Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

Karan Higdon, RB, Michigan

D’Eriq King, QB, Houston

Marcus McMaryion, QB, Fresno State

Trace McSorley, QB, Penn State

McKenzie Milton, QB, UCF

Gardner Minshew, QB, Washington State

Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

Zack Moss, RB, Utah

Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado

Benny Snell, RB, Kentucky

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

Semifinalist voting begins Oct. 31 and closes Nov. 18. Three finalists will be announced Nov. 19, and a second round of voting subsequently will take place. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors and selected national media.

Could Rondale Moore win a Heisman Trophy at Purdue? Well, we have had a Maxwell Award winner before. Drew Brees won the Maxwell after the 2000.