Penn State junior tight end Jesse James has been named to the John Mackey Award watch list on Monday afternoon. James is one of 33 players in the nation to be named to the mid-season watch list for the John Mackey Award.
The award is given annually to the nation’s top tight end and will be presented at the The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on December 11th.
James is tied for third on the Nittany Lions in receptions with 18 that have gone for 203 yards and two touchdowns through the first six games of the season.
The 6-foot-7, 271-pound tight end has been praised by many during his Penn State career about his “freakishness” and having amazing athleticism for somebody his size. James is listed by CBSSports.com as the third-best tight end in the 2016 NFL Draft class only behind Rutgers’ Tyler Kroft and Oregon’s Pharaoh Brown.
James is currently on pace to break his career highs set last season in receptions and yards, as he’s on pace for 36 receptions for 4o6 yards and four touchdowns. His career high in touchdowns came during his freshman season when he brought down five.
James who was expected to put up major numbers this season has spent considerable amount of time this season, helping the offensive line protect star quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who was sacked six times in Penn State’s 18-13 loss to Michigan this past Saturday.
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