Three Canes Earn Preseason Accolades
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Three Miami Hurricanes were named to major college football award preseason watch lists Monday.
Sophomore linebacker Shaquille Quarterman and junior defensive lineman Kendrick Norton were selected to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, honoring the nation’s top defensive player, while junior running back Mark Walton was chosen to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, honoring college football’s player of the year.
A Freshman All-American by several publications a year ago, Quarterman delivered a standout first season for the Hurricanes in 2016. The Florida native started all 13 games and ranked second on the team with 84 tackles, including 43 solo stops. He also finished with 10.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and earned All-ACC third-team honors.
As a sophomore in 2016, Norton received All-ACC third-team honors following a year where he started every game on the Hurricanes’ defensive line and posted 39 total tackles. He also recorded 10.0 tackles for loss and registered a pair of sacks.
Walton shined in his first season as the Hurricanes’ starting running back in 2016. The Miami native finished with 1,117 rushing yards and totaled 14 rushing touchdowns. His 1,117 yards were the seventh-most in a single season in Miami history. In two seasons with the Hurricanes, Walton has compiled over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 25 total touchdowns in just 26 career games.
