Football’s Jackson Courville Named to the 2026 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List
Sep 10, 2026 | Football
DALLAS – Tulane redshirt junior kicker Jackson Courville was recently named to the 2026 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List.
The award, handed out annually the last 10 years, recognizes college football players from across the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) who exemplify leadership. Courville is one of only 89 players named as a nominee this season.
Nominated by their schools, the members of the watch list have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tues., October 13. Three finalists will then be named for the award on Monday, December 14. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony and will take place in Spring of 2027.
The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football's most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
"It is an incredible honor to announce this group of young men as the watch list for the Collegiate Man of the Year," said Witten. "These student-athletes have all demonstrated exceptional leadership, often in the face of adversity, and are perfect examples of what the sport of college football is all about."
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 19 years. The foundation operates its nationally recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.
Courville is in his first year at Tulane after being a member of the Ohio State football team last season where he went 4-for-4 on extra points and had four touchbacks in as many kickoff attempts. He knocked in a 37-yard field goal against Duke to start the 2026 campaign. Courville began his career and spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Ball State where went 26-for-34 on field goals with a long of 52 plus 54-56 on extra point attempts. He also was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America nominee and Academic All-MAC in 2024 and previously named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy
Tulane (0-1) will be back on the field this weekend and hosts South Alabama (1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 12, on Yulman Stadium at 6 p.m.
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About Tulane Football
The Green Wave finished the 2025 season ranked No. 18 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls. This marked only the second time in four seasons, the third since 1998, and the fourth since 1970 that the program has finished a season nationally ranked.
Tulane won the American Conference Championship, securing its second conference title in four years. With an 11-3 record, it earned its first-ever playoff appearance in school history against Ole Miss. Notably, Tulane became the first team from Louisiana to make the College Football Playoff (CFP) in the 12-team format, qualifying as the fourth-highest ranked conference champion.
The 2025 season featured 11 wins in 14 games, including two victories over Power 4 opponents—the first time since 1988. The win over North Texas (34-21) secured Tulane's second conference title in four years.
The team earned 13 All-Conference selections, including the Special Teams Player of the Year. The team's returning All-Conference players for the 2026 season includes Jack Tchienchou (safety – 1st team), TJ Smith (return specialist – 3rd team), and Jason Arredondo (designated snapper –3rd team)
Over the past four seasons, Tulane's record stands at 43-14.
Remaining 2026 Tulane Football Schedule
Saturday, September 12 – vs. South Alabama – 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 19 – at Kansas State – 11 a.m.
Saturday, September 26 – vs. Southern Miss (Hall of Fame)
Saturday, October 10 – at Army – 11 a.m.
Friday, October 16 – vs. Memphis – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 – vs. UTSA
Friday, October 30 – at Charlotte – 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 7 – vs Tulsa (Homecoming)
Saturday, November 14 – at Rice
Saturday, November 21 – vs. North Texas
Friday or Saturday, November 27 or November 28 – at South Florida
Bold = Home Games
TICKETS
Tickets for the volleyball and football seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Green Wave Club
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting greenwaveclub.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
The award, handed out annually the last 10 years, recognizes college football players from across the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) who exemplify leadership. Courville is one of only 89 players named as a nominee this season.
Nominated by their schools, the members of the watch list have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tues., October 13. Three finalists will then be named for the award on Monday, December 14. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony and will take place in Spring of 2027.
The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football's most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
"It is an incredible honor to announce this group of young men as the watch list for the Collegiate Man of the Year," said Witten. "These student-athletes have all demonstrated exceptional leadership, often in the face of adversity, and are perfect examples of what the sport of college football is all about."
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 19 years. The foundation operates its nationally recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.
Courville is in his first year at Tulane after being a member of the Ohio State football team last season where he went 4-for-4 on extra points and had four touchbacks in as many kickoff attempts. He knocked in a 37-yard field goal against Duke to start the 2026 campaign. Courville began his career and spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Ball State where went 26-for-34 on field goals with a long of 52 plus 54-56 on extra point attempts. He also was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America nominee and Academic All-MAC in 2024 and previously named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy
Tulane (0-1) will be back on the field this weekend and hosts South Alabama (1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 12, on Yulman Stadium at 6 p.m.
____________________________________________________________________________________
About Tulane Football
The Green Wave finished the 2025 season ranked No. 18 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls. This marked only the second time in four seasons, the third since 1998, and the fourth since 1970 that the program has finished a season nationally ranked.
Tulane won the American Conference Championship, securing its second conference title in four years. With an 11-3 record, it earned its first-ever playoff appearance in school history against Ole Miss. Notably, Tulane became the first team from Louisiana to make the College Football Playoff (CFP) in the 12-team format, qualifying as the fourth-highest ranked conference champion.
The 2025 season featured 11 wins in 14 games, including two victories over Power 4 opponents—the first time since 1988. The win over North Texas (34-21) secured Tulane's second conference title in four years.
The team earned 13 All-Conference selections, including the Special Teams Player of the Year. The team's returning All-Conference players for the 2026 season includes Jack Tchienchou (safety – 1st team), TJ Smith (return specialist – 3rd team), and Jason Arredondo (designated snapper –3rd team)
Over the past four seasons, Tulane's record stands at 43-14.
Remaining 2026 Tulane Football Schedule
Saturday, September 12 – vs. South Alabama – 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 19 – at Kansas State – 11 a.m.
Saturday, September 26 – vs. Southern Miss (Hall of Fame)
Saturday, October 10 – at Army – 11 a.m.
Friday, October 16 – vs. Memphis – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 – vs. UTSA
Friday, October 30 – at Charlotte – 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 7 – vs Tulsa (Homecoming)
Saturday, November 14 – at Rice
Saturday, November 21 – vs. North Texas
Friday or Saturday, November 27 or November 28 – at South Florida
Bold = Home Games
TICKETS
Tickets for the volleyball and football seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Green Wave Club
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting greenwaveclub.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
Players Mentioned
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