Five Players from Five Conferences Earn Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll in Week 3
Week 3 Honor Roll: Aiden Flora, Iowa State; Davian Jackson, Texas State; Wayne Knight, UCLA; Caleb Nix, Jacksonville State; Keenan Phillips, South Alabama.
Award Presented by Texas Roadhouse to Most Versatile Player in Major College Football
Louisville, Ky. – Sept. 22, 2026 – Five players representing the Big 12, Pac 12, Big Ten, C-USA and the Sun Belt Conferences were named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for their performances in Week 3 of the college football season. Making the list are Aiden Flora, Iowa State; Davian Jackson, Texas State; Wayne Knight, UCLA; Caleb Nix, Jacksonville State; and Keenan Phillips, South Alabama.
The National College Football Awards Association will honor Knight as the Paul Hornung Award Player-of-the-Week for his performance in UCLA’s home win over Purdue.
Iowa State sophomore wide receiver / return specialist Aiden Flora touched the ball 17 times three different ways for 296 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the Cyclones’ 55-7 home win over Bowling Green. Flora scored on runs of 61 and 42 yards in the first half and returned a punt 66 yards for a score in the third quarter. He carried the ball 12 times for 194 yards (16.2 avg.), caught two passes and had 92 yards on punt returns.
Texas State freshman running back / return specialist Davian Jackson touched the ball 13 times three different ways and scored four times in the Bobcats’ 49-33 home win over North Texas. Jackson accounted for Texas State’s final three touchdowns, including the game-winner, in a contest that was close throughout. He scored on a pair of one-yard runs, a 57-yard run and a 13-yard pass reception (game-winner). Jackson also handled two kickoff returns.
UCLA senior running back / return specialist Wayne Knight touched the ball 24 times three different ways for 252 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the Bruins’ 52-38 home win over Purdue. Knight carried the ball 18 times for 172 yards and scored on runs of six and seven yards, caught three passes for 23 yards and returned a pair of kickoffs for 52 yards. He accounted for 10 first downs from scrimmage, including eight first downs on scoring drives.
Jacksonville State senior defensive back / return specialist Caleb Nix was a force on defense from his safety position and scored the winning touchdown late in the game on a punt return in the Gamecocks’ hard-fought, 31-27 home win over Georgia Southern. On defense, Nix made six tackles, had one tackle for a loss and defended two passes. On special teams, he fair caught one punt and returned a punt 75 yards for the winning score with eight minutes remaining.
South Alabama junior running back / return specialist Keenan Phillips touched the ball 22 times three different ways for 149 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars’ 41-36 home win over Ohio. Phillips carried the ball 18 times for 116 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, caught two passes for 25 yards, returned one kickoff and caught a kickoff. He accounted for six first downs rushing, all on scoring drives.
The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son, and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players who often go unnoticed. Each week during the regular season, a panel of college football experts selects players for the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll based on performance. A national selection committee comprised of 18 sports journalists and former NFL stars votes for the Hornung Award finalists and the winner, with fan voting powered by Texas Roadhouse comprising the 19th vote.