From left, Kevin Jennings, quarterback at SMU, emcee and CBS analyst Brian Jones, and Bryson Daily, Army quarterback, are pictured at the 12th annual Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award banquet Wednesday night in Tyler. Jennings and Daily were the two finalists present at the banquet. Ashton Jeanty, of Boise State, was announced as the 2024 recipient of the award. (Brandon Ogden/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A second consecutive running back was announced as the winner of the 12th Annual Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award during a gala on Wednesday at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center in Tyler.

This year’s honor went to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, who led the country in rushing yards (2,601) and all-purpose yards (2,750) while finishing second in rushing touchdowns (29) and total touchdowns (30). His 2,601 rushing yards fell 27 yards short of matching Barry Sanders’ all-time NCAA record but also made him only the second player in FBS history to cross the 2,600-rushing yard threshold.

The award, which goes to the top offensive player in Division I football who was born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas high school and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year college, has been dominated by quarterbacks.

In the first 10 years of the award, eight of the winners were quarterbacks — Bryce Petty (Baylor), Trevone Boykin (TCU), Greg Ward Jr. (Houston), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Kyler Murray (Oklahoma), Kyle Trask (Florida), Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky) and Max Duggan (TCU). Just two running backs had won the award — Texas’ D’Onta Foreman in 2016 and Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins in 2019.

But now four running backs have won the award named after one of the greatest running backs in football history after Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II won the honor last year and then Jeanty this year.

Jeanty, who was unable to attend after being snowed in while training in New Orleans, had a message for the crowd.

“I apologize for not being able to attend,” Jeanty said. “I want to take time to give God the thanks and glory for the opportunities I’ve been given and for the young man I’ve been able to become. All glory belongs to Him. And a special thank you to Earl Campbell, your family, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Selection Committee and the city of Tyler.

“It is an extreme honor to be chosen for this award.”

KEVIN JENNINGS AND BRYSON DAILY

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings and Army quarterback Bryson Daily were both in attendance on Wednesday.

Jennings, the lone finalist who wasn’t on the award’s preseason watch list, threw for 3,245 yards and 23 touchdowns, while rushing for another 379 yards and five scores to lead SMU to the College Football Playoff.

“It was a childhood dream come true to be able to make it that far and play against great teams that were in the playoffs,” Jennings said. “We came up short, but it was a lesson. I have to get better and I learned what I could do to get better for next year.”

Daily rushed for 1,659 yards and 32 touchdowns, breaking the record for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season by a quarterback in Division I FBS history. Daily also threw for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns to lead Army to 12 wins.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Daily said. “You start thinking about the best player in college football who went to a Texas High School, and those are the best players in college football. It’s an absolute honor to be named with these guys. And then to be up for an award in Earl Campbell’s namesake is really cool. I was a big fan of his growing up, so I’m just very excited for this opportunity to be here.”

Daily said he did a school project about Campbell when he was in the fourth grade.

SHEDEUR SANDERS AND CAM WARD

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Miami quarterback Cam Ward weren’t in attendance on Wednesday.

Ward is projected to be the No. 1 pick in numerous mock drafts, while Sanders is also expected to be selected in the top six picks.

Sanders, who was born in Tyler, is the son of Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and head football coach at the University of Colorado.

Ward was pictured at the North Texas vs. Temple basketball game on Wednesday night with North Texas head football coach Eric Morris, who coached Ward at both Incarnate Word and Washington State.

TWO-TIME FINALIST IN THE BUILDING

D’Eriq King was a two-time finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award — in 2018 as the quarterback of Houston and in 2020 as the quarterback of Miami.

King was unable to attend the 2019 ceremony (for the 2018 season) after having surgery. The 2021 ceremony (for the 2020 season) was virtual due to COVID-19.

So King, now Jennings’ quarterbacks coach at SMU, got to attend the event for the first time on Wednesday.

“It feels good,” King said. “It’s a great experience. This award means a lot to the state of Texas, and I’m just happy to be here to support Kevin.”

HEISMAN CONNECTION

In 2017 and 2018, the winners of the Heisman Trophy — Oklahoma quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray — also won the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.

This year, four of the finalists for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award finished in the top eight of the Heisman Trophy voting.

Jeanty was the runner-up to Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. Ward finished third, Daily sixth and Sanders eighth.

Jennings is considered one of the early favorites for the 2025 Heisman Trophy.

EARL CAMPBELL TYLER ROSE SCHOLARSHIP

This year’s scholarship went to Whitehouse High School graduate Audrey Brody.

“I’m incredibly excited,” Brody said. “It’s been a really wonderful opportunity and wonderful scholarship to have. I’m really glad to be able to represent the Earl Campbell Foundation.”

Brody is attending Abilene Christian University, where she is pursuing a degree in civil engineering.

EARL CAMPBELL WATCH

A lady in attendance on Wednesday was wearing an Earl Campbell watch.

The clock face has a picture of a younger Campbell with his name spelled out along the outside instead of numbers.

The lady showed Campbell her watch and then took a photo with the football legend.

There are some Earl Campbell watches currently for sale on eBay.