LOUISVILLE, Ky. — UTSA senior Willie McCoy III has been selected for the Paul Hornung Award Watch List, the Louisville Sports Commission announced Thursday.
McCoy, a native of Houston, is one of 46 players — including one of six from the American Conference — on the watch list for the award. Now in its 16th season, the Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission in memory of the late football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner in March 2026 at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky.
McCoy played in 11 games and started 10 at wide receiver last season, leading UTSA in receiving yards with 536. The Bellaire High School product made 28 receptions and scored four touchdowns. He averaged 19.14 yards per catch, which is a UTSA single-season record. He also returned seven kickoffs for 170 yards, good for an average of 24.3 yards per return.
The former NJCAA All-American at Kilgore College had a season-high 91 yards on four catches at East Carolina, and he caught four passes for 59 yards in the 28-16 win against Kennesaw State. McCoy made three grabs for 59 yards and a TD at Texas State and piled up 85 yards on just two receptions, including a 59-yard touchdown, in the 45-7 decision against Houston Christian. He had four catches for 76 yards and a TD at Tulsa and was on the receiving end of three passes for 66 yards in the 48-27 win over North Texas.
In his two seasons as a Roadrunner, McCoy has 700 receiving yards and six TDs on 46 receptions to go with a 24.4-yard average on 14 kickoff returns. His career kickoff return average currently ranks third in program history, while his 15.2-yards-per-reception mark stands fifth all-time.
The Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
UTSA will kick off its 15th season of football and sixth year under head coach Jeff Traylor against Texas A&M at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, in what will be a national televised matchup on ESPN live from Kyle Field in College Station.
The Roadrunners then will return home to host back-to-back games at the Alamodome where they boast a 29-3 record in the Jeff Traylor era, tied for the third-most home victories among FBS teams since 2020. UTSA will face Texas State in the Battle for I-35 at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, before they match up with crosstown foe UIW at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.
UTSA has four league games on the home slate with Rice (Oct. 11), Tulane (Oct. 30), East Carolina (Nov. 22) and Army (Nov. 28 or 29) scheduled to visit the Alamodome.
Fans can purchase season or single-game tickets online or by calling the UTSA Ticket Office at 210-458-UTSA (8872) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays. Current UTSA football season-ticket holders may renew their tickets by logging into their UTSA Account Manager.
Current UTSA students receive free admission to all home games by downloading tickets via their Account Manager.
Merchandise commemorating UTSA Football’s 15th season and featuring the official logo of the milestone campaign is available for purchase.
Roadrunners on 2025 Preseason Watch Lists
Camron Cooper — Allstate AFCA Good Works Team; Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Robert Henry Jr. — Shrine Bowl 1000
Owen McCown — Maxwell Award
Willie McCoy — Paul Hornung Award
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