UCF’s Alonza Barnett III Named to Maxwell Award Watch List
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Alonza Barnett III continues to receive media recognition after transferring to UCF, as he's been named to the 2027 Maxwell Award Watch List for the second consecutive year.
The Maxwell Award is handed to the nation's best player who has elevated their team and the broader landscape of the sport. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the honor last year en route to helping the Indiana Hoosiers win the national championship.
Barnett wasn't the best player, but he did elevate his previous school, James Madison, to new heights. He led the Dukes to their first College Football Playoff berth in a career-best year in passing yards.
The 5-foot-11 signal-caller threw for 2,806 yards (208 yards more than in 2024), 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. JMU's offensive engine recorded five straight games throwing for 250-plus yards, including a season-high 303 yards against Appalachian State on Nov. 15.
He earned awards often as one of the best players in the Sun Belt Conference. Barnett was a two-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week and Manning Award Stars of the Week winner, and was named First Team All-Sun Belt quarterback.
JMU made the CFP as the No. 12 seed. The team attempted to make a Cinderella run by upsetting the No. 5-seeded Oregon Ducks, but their offensive firepower proved superior on Dec. 20.
Barnett did not go out without a fight, though. The then-redshirt junior threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns, and added 45 yards on the ground for one touchdown. His performance alone outshone the No. 4-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders, who were shut out 23-0 the following week by Oregon.
Having carried his former team to the brightest stage in college football, Barnett is eager to do the same at UCF. The Knights are on a two-season bowl drought after back-to-back losing years.
They had a rare opportunity to accept an invitation after Notre Dame declined its bid after receiving a playoff snub. UCF declined its invitation; the season was long over, and players went their separate ways, either training for the NFL or entering the transfer portal.
Barnett is in a similar scenario to when he was back in Virginia. He's part of a program that hasn't made the postseason in several seasons and could be the catalyst that shifts the program's trajectory.
Coach Scott Frost crossed the most important need off the list when the portal opened in January: a starting quarterback. His offensive scheme favors dual-threat quarterbacks, the skill set the JMU transfer possesses.
Barnett won't be judged solely by whether he wins the Maxwell Award. If he can end UCF's bowl drought and help reestablish the Knights as a contender under Scott Frost, his lone season in Orlando could be remembered as the turning point.
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