Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
8/1/2024 12:41:00 PM | Football
Running back/kickoff returner Marion Lukes is named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List, presented annually to college football’s most versatile player.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Central Michigan senior running back/kickoff returner Marion Lukes has been named to the preseason Watch List for the 2024 Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, the Louisville Sports Commission announced on Thursday.
Presented annually by the Louisville Sports Commission, the Paul Hornung Award is given to the most versatile player in major college football. The award was created in January 2010 with the support of Hornung himself, a native and lifelong resident of Louisville, and a member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames. The mission of the Paul Hornung Award is to reward versatile, high-level performers in major college football (FBS); to help preserve the legacy of one of Louisville's native sons and sports icons; and to promote Louisville as a great sports town.
A First Team All-MAC selection as a return specialist in 2023 and two-time All-MAC honoree, Lukes is a consensus preseason All-MAC selection as both a kickoff returner and running back. He was named a preseason Fourth Team All-America selection as a kickoff returner by Phil Steele Magazine, the MAC's special teams demon by Lindy's Magazine and to the East-West Shrine Bowl Top-1000 Watch List.
He concluded last season ranked nationally in four statistics: No. 9 in all-purpose yards per game (134.83), No. 6 in kickoff return touchdowns (1), No. 16 in combined kick returns (581), and No. 25 in kickoff return average (23.2). Despite teams kicking away from him, Lukes led the MAC in three of those four statistics and ranked No. 2 in kickoff returns. Lukes proved to be the league's most dangerous return man and top all-purpose player. He accumulated a conference-best 1,618 all-purpose yards (737 rushing, 300 receiving, 581 on kickoff returns). He led CMU and ranked No. 7 in the MAC in rushing with 737 yards and five touchdowns on 144 carries (5.1 average per carry), caught 29 passes for 300 yards, and returned 25 kickoffs for 581 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown. He registered six games with 100 or more all-purpose yards and two 100-yard rushing games with his top performance coming against Northern Illinois, where he topped career-highs for rushing yards (202) and all-purpose yards (254). Lukes also earned two MAC weekly awards, including Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 3) and Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 11) honors.
In his 33-game career, Lukes has totaled 2,698 combined all-purpose yards and scored 11 total touchdowns. He has rushed for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns on 217 attempts, caught 43 passes for 445 yards and a touchdown, and totaled 1,099 kickoff return yards on 48 attempts (22.9 yards per return). Of his 11 touchdowns scored, he has eight rushing, one receiving, and two on kickoff returns. In his career, he has three 100-yard rushing games, three 200-yard all-purpose games, and eight 100-yard all-purpose games. His two career kickoff return touchdowns are a school-record.
A Charlestown, Ind. native, which is located across the river from Louisville, Ky., Lukes is an Entrepreneurship major.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN'S PRESEASON AWARDS RECIPIENTS
PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST
Marion Lukes
JIM THORPE AWARD WATCH LIST
Donte Kent
AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM WATCH LIST
Dominic Serapiglia III
WUERFFEL TROPHY WATCH LIST
Dominic Serapiglia III
EAST-WEST SHRINE BOWL 1000 WATCH LIST
Donte Kent, DB; Marion Lukes, RB; Brayden Swartout, OL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS PRESEASON ALL-MAC
First Team: Brayden Swartout, OL; Donte Kent, DB
Second Team: Marion Lukes, RB; Marion Lukes, KOR
LINDY'S PRESEASON ALL-MAC
First Team: Jesse Prewitt III, WR; Donte Kent, DB
Second Team: Brayden Swartout, OL; Marion Lukes (All-Purpose)
Best Scrambler: Bert Emanuel, Jr.
Best Run Blocker: Brayden Swartout
Best Cover Corner: Donte Kent
Special Teams Demon: Marion Lukes
PHIL STEELE MAGAZINE PRESEASON ALL-MAC/ALL-AMERICA
Fourth Team All-America: Marion Lukes, KOR
Second Team: Marion Lukes, RB; Tyson Davis, WR; Brayden Swartout, OL; Donte Kent, DB; Marion Lukes, KOR
Third Team: Jason Williams, DL; Ben Pratt, LS
Fourth Team: Chris Parker, WR; Justin Whiteside, LB
ATHLON PRESEASON ALL-MAC
First-Team: Brayden Swartout, OL; Donte Kent, CB
Second-Team: Marion Lukes, RB; Jesse Prewitt III, WR; Tyson Davis, WR; Dominic Serapiglia III, OL; Jason Williams, DL; Marion Lukes, KOR
Third Team: Myles Bailey, RB; Davis Heinzen, OL; Justin Whiteside, LB; Da'Raun McKinney, DB
Fourth-Team: Michael Heldman, DL; Caleb Spann, DB
Follow Central Michigan Football: TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Presented annually by the Louisville Sports Commission, the Paul Hornung Award is given to the most versatile player in major college football. The award was created in January 2010 with the support of Hornung himself, a native and lifelong resident of Louisville, and a member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames. The mission of the Paul Hornung Award is to reward versatile, high-level performers in major college football (FBS); to help preserve the legacy of one of Louisville's native sons and sports icons; and to promote Louisville as a great sports town.
A First Team All-MAC selection as a return specialist in 2023 and two-time All-MAC honoree, Lukes is a consensus preseason All-MAC selection as both a kickoff returner and running back. He was named a preseason Fourth Team All-America selection as a kickoff returner by Phil Steele Magazine, the MAC's special teams demon by Lindy's Magazine and to the East-West Shrine Bowl Top-1000 Watch List.
He concluded last season ranked nationally in four statistics: No. 9 in all-purpose yards per game (134.83), No. 6 in kickoff return touchdowns (1), No. 16 in combined kick returns (581), and No. 25 in kickoff return average (23.2). Despite teams kicking away from him, Lukes led the MAC in three of those four statistics and ranked No. 2 in kickoff returns. Lukes proved to be the league's most dangerous return man and top all-purpose player. He accumulated a conference-best 1,618 all-purpose yards (737 rushing, 300 receiving, 581 on kickoff returns). He led CMU and ranked No. 7 in the MAC in rushing with 737 yards and five touchdowns on 144 carries (5.1 average per carry), caught 29 passes for 300 yards, and returned 25 kickoffs for 581 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown. He registered six games with 100 or more all-purpose yards and two 100-yard rushing games with his top performance coming against Northern Illinois, where he topped career-highs for rushing yards (202) and all-purpose yards (254). Lukes also earned two MAC weekly awards, including Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 3) and Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 11) honors.
In his 33-game career, Lukes has totaled 2,698 combined all-purpose yards and scored 11 total touchdowns. He has rushed for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns on 217 attempts, caught 43 passes for 445 yards and a touchdown, and totaled 1,099 kickoff return yards on 48 attempts (22.9 yards per return). Of his 11 touchdowns scored, he has eight rushing, one receiving, and two on kickoff returns. In his career, he has three 100-yard rushing games, three 200-yard all-purpose games, and eight 100-yard all-purpose games. His two career kickoff return touchdowns are a school-record.
A Charlestown, Ind. native, which is located across the river from Louisville, Ky., Lukes is an Entrepreneurship major.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN'S PRESEASON AWARDS RECIPIENTS
PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST
Marion Lukes
JIM THORPE AWARD WATCH LIST
Donte Kent
AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM WATCH LIST
Dominic Serapiglia III
WUERFFEL TROPHY WATCH LIST
Dominic Serapiglia III
EAST-WEST SHRINE BOWL 1000 WATCH LIST
Donte Kent, DB; Marion Lukes, RB; Brayden Swartout, OL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS PRESEASON ALL-MAC
First Team: Brayden Swartout, OL; Donte Kent, DB
Second Team: Marion Lukes, RB; Marion Lukes, KOR
LINDY'S PRESEASON ALL-MAC
First Team: Jesse Prewitt III, WR; Donte Kent, DB
Second Team: Brayden Swartout, OL; Marion Lukes (All-Purpose)
Best Scrambler: Bert Emanuel, Jr.
Best Run Blocker: Brayden Swartout
Best Cover Corner: Donte Kent
Special Teams Demon: Marion Lukes
PHIL STEELE MAGAZINE PRESEASON ALL-MAC/ALL-AMERICA
Fourth Team All-America: Marion Lukes, KOR
Second Team: Marion Lukes, RB; Tyson Davis, WR; Brayden Swartout, OL; Donte Kent, DB; Marion Lukes, KOR
Third Team: Jason Williams, DL; Ben Pratt, LS
Fourth Team: Chris Parker, WR; Justin Whiteside, LB
ATHLON PRESEASON ALL-MAC
First-Team: Brayden Swartout, OL; Donte Kent, CB
Second-Team: Marion Lukes, RB; Jesse Prewitt III, WR; Tyson Davis, WR; Dominic Serapiglia III, OL; Jason Williams, DL; Marion Lukes, KOR
Third Team: Myles Bailey, RB; Davis Heinzen, OL; Justin Whiteside, LB; Da'Raun McKinney, DB
Fourth-Team: Michael Heldman, DL; Caleb Spann, DB
Follow Central Michigan Football: TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
—CMU—
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