ORLANDO – The Patrick Mannelly Award, which honors the best Football Bowl Subdivision senior long snapper, announced its preseason watch list for the 2021 season on Monday, and UCF's Alex Ward was among those honored.
Named for former NFL long snapper Patrick Mannelly , the award placed 31 on its preseason list this week.
A total of 10 semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 15, 2021, and three finalists will be selected on Nov. 29, 2021. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony in December.
Ward has been UCF's long snapper the last two seasons and has earned American Athletic Conference All-Academic honors each of his first four years in school at UCF.
Knights on Preseason Watch Lists
- July 19: Dillon Gabriel, Maxwell Award
- July 20: Dillon Gabriel, Davey O'Brien Award
- July 22: Jaylon Robinson, Biletnikoff Award
- July 27: Cole Schneider, Outland Trophy
- July 30: Dillon Gabriel, Walter Camp Award
- July 30: Andrew Osteen, Ray Guy Award
- August 5: Dillon Gabriel, Manning Award
- August 5: Jaylon Robinson, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award
- August 9: Alex Ward, Patrick Mannelly Award
Ward and the Knights are coming off their first week of preseason camp on Sunday and will get back in action Tuesday for week two. The regular season begins Thursday, Sept. 2 against Boise State at the Bounce House.