TCU Football: Newton Named To 2023 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

College football’s award watch list is in full swing this week. TCU cornerback Josh Newton has been named to many of these watch lists. On Thursday, he was named to the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List.

This award is presented annually to the FBS player who best combines community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.

The Wuerffel Trophy is the premier major college football award that places the majority of its voting emphasis on community service. It has been presented every year since 2005. It is named after Danny Wuerffel. At the University of Florida, he led the Gators to four SEC championships and a national championship. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1996.

“Danny Wuerffel represents not only everything that’s wonderful about intercollegiate athletics, but he represents everything that’s great about the human spirit,” said sportscaster Tim Brando.

Last year’s recipient was Dillan Gibbons of Florida State University. Other Big 12 players on this year’s watch list include Alfonzo Allen (Baylor), Tyler Batty (BYU), Tony Bradford Jr. (Texas Tech), Jowon Briggs (Cincinnati), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), Ethan Downs (Oklahoma), Zach Frazier (West Virginia), Jack Freeman (Houston), Will Howard (Kansas State), Christian Jones (Texas), Brennan Presley (Oklahoma State), and Gerry Vaughn (Iowa State).

For the complete list of the 108 nominees, click here.

Newton has volunteered over the last year at the Tarrant Area Food Bank and with Special Olympics in Fort Worth. He is also a regular visitor at local elementary schools and churches to read and speak to kids. Additionally, he has served as a youth football coach and participated in food drives in his hometown of Monroe, La.

Newton was First-Team All-Big 12 in his first season as a Horned Frog in 2022, playing a pivotal role as TCU reached the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Pro Football Focus rated Newton's 81.9 grade as the best among TCU cornerbacks last season. PFF also had him fourth among Power Five cornerbacks with a 35.3 percent completion rate allowed and as the third-most valuable returning Power Five corner, per its wins above average metric.

Starting all 15 games, Newton ranked second on TCU and in the Big 12 with 12 pass breakups, trailing only teammate and 2022 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award winner Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (15). Newton tied for second on the Horned Frogs with three interceptions, including one returned 57 yards for a touchdown in a win over Iowa State. He totaled 35 stops on the year, including a tackle for loss at Colorado on the season’s opening play and his first snap as a Horned Frog.

Newton's 47 career starts tie for the most among active players in college football.

In addition to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Newton has been named to the Allstate Good Works Team, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Lott IMPACT Trophy watch lists. He has also been named Preseason All-American (by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele), Preseason All-Big 12 (by the Big 12, Athlon Sports, and Phil Steele), and Preseason All-Texas Team (Dave Campbell’s Texas Football).