ST. LOUIS, Mo. – A perfect punctuation on a debut season that was crammed with accolades, quarterback Collin Hurst of the Presbyterian College football team was selected as the Pioneer Football League Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, awarded on Monday afternoon.
Hurst helped thrust the Blue Hose to their most successful campaign since joining the PFL in 2020, ending the semester on a four-game winning streak (the program’s longest in 17 years) and a six-win record for the first time in a full decade.
Redshirting in 2023 and becoming PC’s starter in September, Hurst posted the best pass efficiency rating of any quarterback in the conference (154.84), totaling over 2,300 passing yards and 22 touchdowns altogether.
Just one week ago, Hurst was named a top-25 finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, an honor presented to “the most outstanding freshman player in the Football Championship Subdivision”.
The 2024 PFL All-Conference rollout will come on Tuesday, followed by the league’s All-Academic announcement on Wednesday.
HURST HOVERS OVER THE PACK
- Anchoring Presbyterian to an undefeated November for the first time since 2002 and capping off the year by defeating #23 Butler, Hurst finishes his exceptional freshman year with a 66-percent completion rate and 198 passing yards per game.
- During the team’s season-ending four-game winning streak, the Floridian completed 73 percent of his attempts. He went 43-of-54 in consecutive blowouts against Dayton and Marist, recognized as PFL Offensive Player of the Week after the latter.
- Collin threw at least one touchdown pass in 10 out of 12 games this fall, including a season-best four TD’s in the aforementioned Marist victory. He surpassed 250 yards through the air three times, the most of which came at Davidson (358).
- His single-season numbers of 2,382 passing yards and 187 completions both rank second among all PC quarterbacks since the school made the Division I jump in 2007, becoming the second Presby player (after Delvecchio Powell in 2020) to earn the league’s Offensive Freshman of the Year badge.
MISTAKE-FREE
- Hurst committed zero turnovers over his last five appearances, not throwing a single interception in 135 passes.
- His last INT came all the way back on October 12, tossing seven touchdowns without a pick during that span and logging 1,147 passing yards over those final five meetings.
- Overall, the rookie posted 13 more touchdowns than interceptions and is responsible for the longest passing play in school history (a 94-yard strike to Dominic Kibby during a 28-point smacking of Stetson).
TROPHY CASE EXPANDING
- This is the 17th time that a Presbyterian player has been deemed worthy for an “of the year” accolade, either from their time in the Pioneer Football League, Big South, or South Atlantic Conference. Additionally, it’s the eighth occasion where a PC footballer was named “Freshman of the Year” specifically.
- Those yearly award-winners are displayed below, in descending order:
PFL Offensive Freshman of the Year
2024 – Collin Hurst (QB)
2020 – Delvecchio Powell (RB)
Big South Defensive Player of the Year
2011 – Justin Bethel (DB)
Big South Freshman of the Year
2011 – Donelle Williams (LB)
SAC Offensive Player of the Year
2005 – Zach Ellis (QB)
2001 – Todd Cunningham (QB)
2000 - Todd Cunningham (QB) (Co.)
1999 - Todd Cunningham (QB)
1979 – Clayton Burke (RB)
1978 – Jimmy Spence (QB)
SAC Defensive Player of the Year
1987 – Sam Pinkney (LB)
1984 – Charles Huff (DB)
SAC Freshman of the Year
2004 – Sherman Burnett
1998 – Todd Cunningham
1995 – Duane Thompson
1993 – Randy Sullivan
1985 – Steve Riggins
