UCF’s long snapper, Alex Ward, is another Knight to be recognized by the college football community. The Knight was named to the Mannelly Award official watch list, which awards the best college long snapper in the nation.
The award is named after longtime NFL long snapper Patrick Mannelly, who played for the Chicago Bears for 16 seasons.
Ward was one of three finalists for the award in 2021, a season where he appeared in all 13 games for the Knights and had a tackle. He also had a fumble recovery following a muffed punt by the Memphis Tigers.
He also earned third-team All-America honors and was selected first-team all-American Athletic Conference by Phil Steele. His contributions also gave him an invitation to the Senior Bowl. For 2022, Ward is a preseason pick to be an All-American player as part of the third team.
After not taking the field for his first two years at UCF, Ward ended up becoming a key piece of the team’s special teams unit, playing in the following 36 games.
The long snapper out of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, returns for his sixth year with the team after seniors were granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 10 Mannelly Award semi-finalists will be announced Nov. 14, and the three finalists will be revealed Nov. 28. The winner of the prestigious award will then be announced on Dec. 10.
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