For the past two years, the Paul Hornung Award was perhaps the least competitive of the major postseason college football trophies.
In 2024, the Hornung Award — given to the most versatile, high-level performers in college football — was won by Travis Hunter. Colorado’s two-way star and the 2024 Heisman Memorial Trophy winner became the first player to win the Hornung Award multiple times since its inaugural season in 2010. Hunter previously claimed it in 2023.
But Hunter has moved on, selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, leaving the Hornung Award wide open for the first time since 2022.
UW running back Jonah Coleman was selected as one of six finalists for the Hornung Award Thursday, joining Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, James Madison’s Wayne Knight, Louisville’s Caullin Lacy, Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price and Texas Tech’s J’Koby Williams. If Coleman is selected as the winner Dec. 11, he’d become the second Husky to claim the award after former two-way standout Shaq Thompson, who won the Hornung Award in 2014.
It’s the second postseason award to select Coleman as a finalist. He was named as one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, often called the Academic Heisman, and a member of the National Football Foundation’s 2025 scholar-athlete class Oct. 22.
Coleman earned his nomination in large part because of his all-purpose impact. The senior running back is averaging 127 total yards per game, 10th nationally, for No. 23 Washington. His 15 total touchdowns lead the country. Coleman was selected as a midseason All-American by The Associated Press, slotting into the all-purpose player role.
The 5-foot-9, 220-pound running back’s been particularly impactful as a pass catcher. Through eight games, Coleman has 27 catches for 316 yards receiving and two touchdowns. All career-high marks. He also added 643 yards rushing on 126 carries and returned three kickoffs for 57 yards.
Only Navy’s Eli Heidenreich, who’s played nine games, and New Mexico’s Damon Bankston have more receiving yards among running backs this season. Williams is the only other Power Four tailback with more than 300 yards receiving. Coleman has also caught 93.1% of his targets, fifth nationally among running backs with at least 24 targets this season.
“Jonah’s a threat in the passing game,” offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty said Sept. 23. “No question. He’s got great hands and can make catches and do things in the passing game. This offense is always going to be designed in a way where every position has a part in the passing game.”
Developing his ability as a pass catcher was something Coleman, who serves as a team captain for the Huskies (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) had talked about during spring practices and fall camp. It’s also a return to some of his football beginnings.
Coleman spent his freshman season at Lincoln High playing significant snaps as a slot receiver. He made 30 catches for 298 yards receiving and three touchdowns for the Trojans. Speaking to The Seattle Times in July, Coleman’s father, Jamon Coleman, said he hoped his son was going to have a chance to show off his pass-catching ability in 2025.
“He has great hands,” Jamon said. “If you’ve ever seen his 7-on-7 film, a lot of people didn’t know he was a running back because of how great he caught the ball. Downfield, the deep ball, across the middle, underneath. Great hands.”
Coleman’s contributions caught the attention of the Hornung Award’s selection committee, which is expected to judge candidates on the following criteria: playing multiple positions on offense or defense, playing significant snaps on special teams, performing as a two-way player, have productive statistics and elevating a team’s performance through leadership.
None of the 2025 finalists are two-way players like Hunter, so whoever wins this year’s Hornung Award will become the first player to solely play on one side of the ball since current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith won it while playing for Alabama in 2020. Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, Purdue’s Rondale Moore, Penn State’s Saquon Barkley and LSU’s Odell Beckham Jr. also won the Hornung Award despite primarily playing one position and being a return specialist.
Concepcion and Lacy are wide receivers, while Knight, Price and Williams are running backs like Coleman. Almost all are accomplished special teams returners.
Price and Williams each have at least one kickoff return touchdown this season. Lacy and Concepcion have both returned a pair of punts for scores.
Knight, currently third nationally averaging 137.88 all-purpose yards per game, and Lacy, fifth averaging 133.38 all-purpose yards per game, both return kickoffs and punts. They are the only finalists averaging more all-purpose yards per game than Coleman.
And none have been in the end zone as often as the UW running back. He’s scored a touchdown in seven of Washington’s eight games this season, and has been particularly effective in short yardage situations — something Washington struggled with at times in 2024 behind a patchwork offensive line. His 13 touchdowns rushing rank second nationally, behind only Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King’s 14 touchdowns rushing.
“Jonah’s a great short-yardage runner,” UW coach Jedd Fisch said Oct. 25. “So when you have short-yard opportunities and you have a chance for Jonah, that usually works out well.”
Coleman can continue to make his case against Wisconsin on Saturday. The Badgers (2-6, 0-5) have actually been decently stout on defense despite their poor record, holding teams to just 23.88 points and 341 total yards per game.
