Maxwell Award adds Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon to watch list

The nation’s leading passer has been added to a watch list for the award recognizing the most outstanding player in college football.

Anthony Gordon, the only quarterback at the FBS level with more than 2,000 passing yards and one of three with at least 20 passing touchdowns, was added to the Maxwell Award watch list Thursday.

Through five games, Gordon has thrown for 2,146 yards – nearly 300 more than LSU’s Joe Burrow, who sits at second in the nation. Gordon’s 22 touchdown passes are tied for second in the country, behind only Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and the WSU signal-caller is still on pace to break Jake Browning’s Pac-12 single-season touchdown record of 43.

The redshirt senior is also atop the national charts in pass attempts (232) and completions (167) and his completion percentage (.720) is 10th best in the country. Two games ago, Gordon set a Pac-12 record when he threw for nine touchdowns in a 67-63 loss to UCLA.

The Pacifica, California, native won the starting QB job at WSU near the end of fall camp, beating out Gage Gubrud and Trey Tinsley. He has helped the Cougars’ Air Raid offense score 44.8 points per game – the seventh-highest clip in the country.

Jake Luton, the Oregon State starting quarterback who began his college career at Idaho before transferring after the 2015 season, was also named to the Maxwell Award’s watch list recently.