Josh Downs, a first team All-ACC wide receiver and a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award in 2021 as a sophomore, will begin the 2022 season on the watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Downs set North Carolina program records last fall with 101 receptions and 1,355 receiving yards. He scored a touchdown in eight-straight games, one short of the school record.
The Suwanee, Georgia, native led the ACC and ranked fifth nationally in receptions and was second in the league (11th nationally) in receiving yards.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.