Every year the Conerly Trophy is presented to the best college football player in Mississippi, and this year has seen two players at Mississippi State and Ole Miss have seasons both worthy of the award.
Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins are both having All-American-type seasons for their respective schools, making it a difficult decision for the voters this year.
It's the most stacked nominee group since 2018 when Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons won the award over Ole Miss receiver A.J. Brown. Simmons dominated the trenches that season with 63 tackles and 18 tackles for loss, while Brown led the SEC in receiving with 1,320 yards. Both went on to be drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2019 and have had fantastic starts to their NFL careers, being named to their first Pro Bowls in 2021.
It gets you excited about what the future brings for both Forbes and Judkins, who are both having record-breaking seasons.
Forbes is tied for the FBS lead this season with six interceptions, and he leads the nation this season with three defensive touchdowns. It's no surprise to those who have watched Forbes since his freshman year at Mississippi State, and the junior set the SEC and FBS record with his 6th career pick-six on Saturday against East Tennessee State.
The Grenada, Mississippi native has 14 interceptions in his three-year career, and his six this season are tied for a school record. He's not just a ballhawk either, as the advanced numbers show how great he's been in single coverage.
Forbes has been so lockdown that he'd only been targeted 17 times in single coverage entering Saturday's game, and he had allowed just one catch and picked off the QB four times for a passer rating of 0.00.
The 6'0" cornerback is certainly in the conversion for the Jim Thorpe award, given to the nation's best defensive back, and with how great Judkins has been at Ole Miss, there's a possibility that Forbes takes home the Thorpe but not the Conerly.
It's wild to think about, but even wilder is the fact that it would be the first time this scenario played out. Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks won the Thorpe award in 2012 with a four interceptions season, but Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace won the Conerly after putting up 30 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards of offense.
It's hard to look at what Forbes has done and not give him the Conerly, but seeing what Quinshon Judkins has done really makes it a difficult decision. The freshman out of Pike Road, Alabama, has already exceeded the expectations of his 3-star ranking.
The 5'11" running back has been one of the biggest surprises of the college football season and has quickly blossomed into one of the best running backs in college football. He's currently leading the SEC with 1,385 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns. Those numbers put Judkins at seventh in the nation in rushing, and he's doing it on an impressive 6.0 yards per carry.
Judkins has already broken Ole Miss records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a season, and he still has two games to go. He's currently tied with Todd Gurley for fourth all-time among SEC freshmen in rushing yards, and he's just 231 yards shy of the SEC freshman record.
Judkins' history season has helped Ole Miss to the top rushing offense in the Power-5 at 3,061 yards. The 2,284 rushing yards between Judkins and backfield mate Zach Evans are the most of any two teammates in college football.
The freshman has been especially hot lately, as he's surpassed the 100-yard mark in each of his last five games, and he's picked up over 200 rushing yards in two of the last three.
It's truly been incredible to watch what Judkins has been able to down on the ground this season, and that's what makes it such a difficult debate. How could you possible decide between two players having historic seasons on each side of the football?
It also shouldn't be understated what Shedeur Sanders has done quarterbacking Jackson State this season. The son of head coach Deion Sanders has passed for 3,063 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 158 yards and five touchdowns. He's led the Tigers to an 11-0 record and in a normal year Sanders would be in the conversation but when you have two potential All-Americans in the SEC you can't snub both Forbes and Judkins
The truth is that you really can't go wrong with either player, and the winner will likely be decided by who takes home the golden egg on Thursday.
