This year’s college football season has been different than its predecessors in so many ways. Whether it be the many upsets, or a Group of Five school sitting at #2 in the AP Poll, the 2021 season has been one to remember.
Even the awards races feel different this year, as Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker leads the charge in a Heisman race usually dominated by quarterbacks.
The Hornung Award for the most versatile player may also be in for an unusual year. In the past, do-it-all players like Lynn Bowden and Jabrill Peppers have won the award by a landslide.
Yet, this year no such player has captivated the nation with their versatility. There are solid return men, but that is not as much a feat of versatility as what one FCS player has accomplished this year.
Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to Neil Boudreau, Morgan State’s QB and Punter. Boudreau, a San Diego State transfer, has been a bright spot in an otherwise dark year for 1-8 Morgan State. So far, he has 1222 yards passing yards and eight touchdowns and added 187 non-sack rush yards on the ground.
As Morgan State’s 1-8 record implies, Boudreau has done his best work punting the ball, averaging 38.2 yards on 54 punts with a long of 69 yards. While his punting numbers are not gaudy, they are effective, especially when you look at a deeper level. 14 of his 54 punts have gone over 50 yards, 12 have been fair caught and 4 have gone over 50 yards.
Big Game Boudreau has done his best on Morgan State’s biggest stages. Against Tulane at historic Legion Field, Boudreau threw for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns, adding 45 non-sack rush yards on just seven carries. Boudreau was steady kicking the ball averaging 35.9 yards on 9 kicks, dropping one inside the 20.
One could even make the argument that Boudreau outplayed Michael Pratt, out-throwing by 60 yards with one more touchdown. (However, this should be taken with a grain of salt as Tulane pulled Pratt in the quarter during the blowout.)
Arguably, Boudreau’s best performance came under the ESPNU Thursday night lights against Delaware State. In arguably the biggest upset of the MEAC season, Boudreau led the Bears to their first win, throwing for 210 yards on 17-26 passing and averaging 36.7 yards on five punts with one downed inside the 20.
The win likely ended 4-4 Delaware State’s hopes for a Celebration Bowl appearance and ended a 9-game losing streak for the Bears.
Boudreau’s punting and passing would be more than enough to merit him the Hornung Award, but he also has eight tackles on the year. Show me another quarterback in the country with eight tackles on the year.
It is too often that we see position awards default to the best players on the best teams, instead of the best players in general. It’ll be easy for the Hornung Award to pick a return specialist on a College Football Playoff contender and call it a day.
Yet, no one is doing what Neil Boudreau is doing in terms of versatility. It’s time to do the right thing, Paul Hornung Award committee. #Boudreau4Hornung