LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Another day, another preseason honor for UNLV football as senior wide receiver/kick returner/punt returner Jacob De Jesus is one of 48 players named to the official watch list for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, released Thursday by the Louisville Sports Commission.
The Paul Hornung Award is presented annually to college football's most versatile player and is named after the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Fame member who played halfback, quarterback and kicker during his career.
De Jesus, who twice made the weekly Hornung Award Honor Roll during his junior season, is the second Rebel to be part of the Hornung preseason list since it was founded in 2010, joining former receiver Tyleek Collins in 2021.
Last month, De Jesus (Manteca, CA) was named the 2024 Preseason Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year and First Team All-MW at both kick returner and punt returner. A 2023 First Team all-league pick at both return spots, De Jesus led the nation in total return yards with 1,079. The only player to rank in the top 15 nationally in both kick returns and punt returns was a finalist for the Jet Award and named Second Team All-America by USA TODAY. The wide receiver, who also caught 60 passes as a junior, has been tabbed a 2024 Preseason Second Team All-American by Phil Steele and Third Team by Athlon Sports. He was just the second Rebel to earn preseason player of the year on special teams, joining kicker Sergio Aguayo in 2006.
Under the direction of 2023 Mountain West Coach of the Year Barry Odom, De Jesus and the Rebels will kick off their 57th season of football on August 31 by heading to Big 12 Conference member Houston at 4 p.m. PT on FS1 in the first of a school-record 11 national TV games. The home opener comes one week later when Utah Tech comes to Allegiant Stadium for a noon kickoff on September 7.
Season tickets, three-game mini-plans and single-game tickets for the six-game 2024 home schedule are available now by visiting unlvtickets.com or calling (702) 739-FANS (3267). For information on VIP premium club seats or suites at Allegiant Stadium, contact the Premium Sales office at premiumseating@unlv.edu or by calling (702) 895-0292.
2024 HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST
Jaydon Blue, Texas
Zachariah Branch, USC
Barion Brown, Kentucky
Gary Bryant Jr., Oregon
Luther Burden III, Missouri
Kenan Christon, San Diego State
Kevin Coleman, Mississippi State
Ja'Quez Cross, Arkansas State
Jacob De Jesus, UNLV
Dylan Edwards, Kansas State
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Trevor Etienne, Georgia
Major Everhart, TCU
Preston Fox, West Virginia
Julian Gray, Liberty
Jayden Harrison, Notre Dame
Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech
AJ Henning, Northwestern
Tommi Hill, Nebraska
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Alijah Huzzie, UNC
Kenny Johnson, Pitt
Keegan Jones, UCLA
Parker Kingston, BYU
Caullin Lacy, Louisville
Marion Lukes, Central Michigan
Ismail Mahdi, Texas State
Jayden McGowan, Boston College
Drae McCray, Texas Tech
Easton Messer, WKU
Semaj Morgan, Michigan
Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Jayden Otts, Cal
Trebor Pena, Syracus
Zylan Perry, Louisiana
Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State
Richard Reese, Baylor
Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois
Keionte Scott, Auburn
Malik Sherrod, Fresno State
Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Sutton Smith, Memphis
Cam Stone, Hawai'i
Jacquez Stuart, Toledo
Xavier Townsend, UCF
Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Luke Wysong, New Mexico
