BOONE, N.C. — App State two-way standout and team captain
Caleb Spurlin is one of 88 nominees for the Burlsworth Trophy, which goes to the outstanding FBS player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.
Also a candidate for the Hornung Award, which goes to the most versatile player in college football, Spurlin has played in all 60 games since the 2017 season began (App State is 48-12 in those games) and started 20 straight games at defensive end. Since the Mountaineers faced a tight end shortage during one game early in the 2020 season, he has also contributed as an H-back for the last two seasons.
Spurlin had two touchdown catches Saturday in a win against ULM. One game earlier, he recorded 1.5 sacks in a dramatic victory against then-No. 14 Coastal Carolina. He's the first FBS player in the 2000s with more than one sack and more than one receiving TD in consecutive games.
With career totals of 6.5 sacks, four receiving TDs (also had two last season) and five lead blocks on goal line rushing touchdowns, he also has joined former Cincinnati standout Connor Barwin (who switched from tight end to defensive end late in his college career) as the only players in the 2000s with at least six career sacks and four receiving touchdowns.
His 2.5 sacks and two receiving touchdowns in 2020 put him on a short list with Greg Hardy (Ole Miss, 2007) and Kaden Elliss (Idaho, 2017) as the only FBS players in the 2000s to accomplish that in the same season.
The Burlsworth Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, a former Arkansas walk-on and All-America offensive lineman whose life is the subject of the movie
"Greater." Without a single Division I scholarship offer, Burlsworth became a three-year starter at Arkansas and was eventually named an All-American in 1998.
He was selected with the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft but was tragically killed in a car accident 11 days later. The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, in particular those children who have limited opportunities.
The 2021 Burlsworth Trophy nominees are:
| School |
Grade |
Player |
Position |
| App State |
SR |
Caleb Spurlin |
DE/HB |
| Arizona |
JR |
Stanley Berryhill III |
WR |
| Arizona State |
JR |
Case Hatch |
FB/TE |
| Arkansas |
SR |
Grant Morgan |
LB |
| Arkansas State |
JR |
Blake Grupe |
K |
| Auburn |
SR |
Barton Lester |
LB |
| Ball State |
SR |
Cody Rudy |
FB |
| Bowling Green |
SR |
Nate Needham |
PK |
| Buffalo |
SR |
Jack Klenk |
OL |
| California |
SR |
Jake Tonges |
TE |
| Central Florida |
SR |
Anthony Montalvo |
DT/DE |
| Central Michigan |
SR |
Troy Hairston |
DE |
| Charlotte |
SR |
Chris Reynolds |
QB |
| Cincinnati |
SR |
Ryan Royer |
LB |
| Coastal Carolina |
SR |
CJ Schrimpf |
LS |
| Colorado |
JR |
Brady Russell |
TE |
| Colorado State |
SR |
Thomas Pannunzio |
DB |
| Duke |
SR |
Jackson Hubbard |
H |
| East Carolina |
Soph |
Tyler Snead |
WR |
| Eastern Michigan |
JR |
Hassan Beydoun |
WR |
| Florida |
JR |
Marco Ortiz |
LS |
| Florida Atlantic |
RSF |
Nicholas Marino |
LS |
| Florida State |
RSF |
Treshaun Ward |
RB |
| Fresno State |
JR |
Erik Brooks |
WR |
| Georgia |
SR |
Stetson Bennett |
QB |
| Georgia State |
SR |
Tucker Gregg |
RB |
| Georgia Tech |
SR |
Djimon Brooks |
DL |
| Hawaii |
JR |
Eliki Tanuvasa |
OL |
| Illinois |
SR |
Donny Navarro III |
WR |
| Indiana |
JR |
Davion Ervin-Poindexter |
RB |
| Iowa |
SR |
Jack Koerner |
S |
| Iowa State |
SR |
Derek Schweiger |
OL |
| Kansas State |
SR |
Landry Weber |
WR |
| Kentucky |
SR |
Matthew Ruffolo |
PK |
| Liberty |
SR |
Thomas Sargeant |
OL |
| Louisiana |
JR |
Shane Vallot |
C |
| Louisiana Tech |
SR |
Ezekiel Barnett |
LB |
| Marshall |
SR |
Nazeeh Johnson |
S |
| Maryland |
SR |
Greg Rose |
DL |
| Memphis |
SR |
Calvin Austin III |
WR |
| Michigan |
SR |
Andrew Vastardis |
C |
| Middle Tennessee |
JR |
Chase Cunningham |
QB |
| Minnesota |
SR |
Jordan Howden |
DB |
| Mississippi |
SR |
Mark Robinson |
LB |
| Mississippi State |
JR |
Christian Ford |
WR |
| Missouri |
SR |
Barrett Banister |
WR |
| Nebraska |
Soph |
Luke Reimer |
LB |
| Nevada |
SR |
Sam Hammond |
DE |
| New Mexico |
RSF |
Cody Moon |
LB |
| North Carolina State |
SR |
Thayer Thomas |
WR |
| Northern Illinois |
SR |
Matt Ference |
P |
| Northwestern |
SR |
Chris Bergin |
LB |
| Ohio State |
SR |
Mitch Rossi |
TE |
| Oklahoma |
JR |
Drake Stoops |
WR |
| Old Dominion |
Soph |
Leroy Thomas |
RG |
| Oregon |
JR |
Ryan Walk |
RG/C |
| Oregon State |
JR |
Jaydon Grant |
DB |
| Penn State |
SR |
Chris Stoll |
LS |
| Rice |
JR |
Campbell Riddle |
LS |
| Rutgers |
SR |
Billy Taylor |
LS |
| San Diego State |
SR |
Segun Olubi |
LB |
| San Jose State |
SR |
Trevor Robbins |
OL |
| SMU |
QB |
Derek Green |
QB |
| South Carolina |
SR |
Jaylan Foster |
S |
| Stanford |
SR |
Brycen Tremayne |
WR |
| Syracuse |
SR |
Andre Szymt |
PK |
| Tennessee |
Soph |
Dayne Davis |
OL |
| Texas |
JR |
Luke Brockermeyer |
LB |
| Texas A & M |
JR |
Connor Choate |
DS |
| Texas State |
JR |
Chandler Speights |
WR |
| Toledo |
Soph |
Devin Maddox |
WR/PR |
| Troy |
SR |
Carlton Martial |
LB |
| Tulane |
SR |
Merek Glover |
K |
| Tulsa |
SR |
Zack Long |
|
