South Florida Football’s Alexis Named Comeback Player Watch List
August 21, 2026 | Football
TAMPA, FLA. (AUG. 20, 2026) – South Florida graduate wide receiver Jaden Alexis has been named to the watch list for the 2026 Comeback Player of the Year Award, presented by College Sports Communicators in association with The Associated Press (AP) and Fiesta Sports Foundation.
Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Former Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown was honored with the award last season after leading the Bulls to a 9-4 record and third straight bowl appearance.
Alexis is one of six American Conference players named on the watch list. Alexis, who transferred to South Florida from Texas in 2023, has suffered knee injuries that have caused him to miss most of the last two seasons. He played in 13 games for the Bulls in 2023, making five starts, and caught 23 passes for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He has been a team leader on and off the field for the Bulls and is regularly among the team leaders in community service engagement.
South Florida opened practice for the 2026 season on Aug. 5. Under first-year head coach Brian Hartline, the Bulls return four starters from a team that went 9-4 last season and welcome 62 new players. South Florida opens its 30th season of football, and its last in Raymond James Stadium before moving to a new on-campus stadium, on Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. FIU in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
SOUTH FLORIDA 2026 NATIONAL AWARD WATCH LIST MEMBERS
Outland Trophy Caleb Cook, Graduate, Guard
Lou Groza Award Nico Gramatica, Junior, Kicker
Paul Hornung Award Alvon Isaac, Junior, Running Back/Returner
Wuerffel Trophy Mudia Reuben, Graduate, Wide Receiver
Comeback Player Jaden Alexis, Graduate, Wide Receiver
Follow us:
For the latest updates from South Florida Athletics, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow South Florida Football on social media Facebook, Instagram, X, and Youtube.
Get Your Tickets Today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
About South Florida Football
The South Florida football program first took the field in 1997 and will play its 30th season in 2026.
In 2025, the Bulls went 9-4, earned a third straight bowl appearance, made the program's first College Football Playoff ranking appearance, and were ranked four times in the weekly Associated Press Top 25 poll. South Florida completed construction on a new $22-million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023, and construction is in progress on $349-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke slated for completion by 2027.
The Bulls have posted 18 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), and 35 first-team all-conference honorees. South Florida has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, while the Bulls have made 13 bowl game appearances (going 8-5), tied for the third-most nationally in the first 25 seasons of a program's bowl eligibility. South Florida posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. The Bulls spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the AP rankings during the 2007 season.
Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Former Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown was honored with the award last season after leading the Bulls to a 9-4 record and third straight bowl appearance.
Alexis is one of six American Conference players named on the watch list. Alexis, who transferred to South Florida from Texas in 2023, has suffered knee injuries that have caused him to miss most of the last two seasons. He played in 13 games for the Bulls in 2023, making five starts, and caught 23 passes for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He has been a team leader on and off the field for the Bulls and is regularly among the team leaders in community service engagement.
South Florida opened practice for the 2026 season on Aug. 5. Under first-year head coach Brian Hartline, the Bulls return four starters from a team that went 9-4 last season and welcome 62 new players. South Florida opens its 30th season of football, and its last in Raymond James Stadium before moving to a new on-campus stadium, on Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. FIU in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
SOUTH FLORIDA 2026 NATIONAL AWARD WATCH LIST MEMBERS
Outland Trophy Caleb Cook, Graduate, Guard
Lou Groza Award Nico Gramatica, Junior, Kicker
Paul Hornung Award Alvon Isaac, Junior, Running Back/Returner
Wuerffel Trophy Mudia Reuben, Graduate, Wide Receiver
Comeback Player Jaden Alexis, Graduate, Wide Receiver
Follow us:
For the latest updates from South Florida Athletics, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow South Florida Football on social media Facebook, Instagram, X, and Youtube.
Get Your Tickets Today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
About South Florida Football
The South Florida football program first took the field in 1997 and will play its 30th season in 2026.
In 2025, the Bulls went 9-4, earned a third straight bowl appearance, made the program's first College Football Playoff ranking appearance, and were ranked four times in the weekly Associated Press Top 25 poll. South Florida completed construction on a new $22-million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023, and construction is in progress on $349-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke slated for completion by 2027.
The Bulls have posted 18 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), and 35 first-team all-conference honorees. South Florida has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, while the Bulls have made 13 bowl game appearances (going 8-5), tied for the third-most nationally in the first 25 seasons of a program's bowl eligibility. South Florida posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. The Bulls spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the AP rankings during the 2007 season.
– #GoBulls –
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
K
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballMonday, July 27
Friday, July 24
Friday, July 24
Friday, July 24
