Stanford receiver Ayomanor chasing second straight Cornish Trophy honour

The six-foot-two, 210-pound Ayomanor, a redshirt junior, was one of the few bright spots this season for Stanford (3-9). He registered 63 catches for 831 yards and six TDs after recording 62 receptions for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.

Benefield, a six-foot-two, 204-pound sophomore safety, led Boise State in tackles (73), solo tackles (53) and interceptions (two) while also registering five tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and two recoveries. The Broncos are the third seed in U.S. college football’s expanded playoff bracket and will face either Penn State or SMU in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

The six-foot-two, 240-pound Djabome, of Montreal, recorded 102 tackles (48 solo), three sacks and two forced fumbles in his junior season at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights face Kansas State in the Rate Bowl on Boxing Day.

Elad, a senior safety from Mississauga, Ont., registered 55 tackles, an interception and six pass knockdowns during the regular season. He added 12 tackles (nine solo) and a sack in the Runnin’ Rebels’ 24-13 win over Cal in the Art of Sport LA Bowl on Wednesday to finish with an 11-3 overall record.

Rourke made an immediate impact at Indiana after transferring from Ohio. The six-foot-five, 223-pound Oakville, Ont., native completed 202 of 287 passes (70.4 per cent) for 2,827 yards with 27 TDs and just four interceptions in 11 games and was named a finalist for the Manning Award, given annually to American college football’s top quarterback. He finished ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the top player in NCAA football.

Rourke will lead Indiana (11-1) into South Bend, Ind., to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) on Friday night to open American university football’s expanded playoff bracket.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2024.

The Canadian Press