RICHMOND, Va. — Even though injury shortened his season, JMU Defensive End Jalen Green did enough this year to win the 2023 Dudley Award, emblematic of the best college football player at the Division I level in Virginia.
In 9 games with the Dukes this year, Green totaled 15 ½ sacks, good for second best in the nation. He also had 21 tackles for a loss. His sack total set a new JMU and Sun Belt Conference single season record. He leads the nation in sacks per game (1.72) and tackles for loss per game (2.3). Green also set a new JMU and Sun Belt record with 5 sacks in a single game (Marshall).
"It's a huge honor to be recognized with some of the winners from the past" Green said. "It's something I'll tell my kids about one day."
Green was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, and was named a first team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation and by the College Football Network.
Green outdistanced Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter for the honor (voting results below). UVA wide receiver Malik Washington finished 3rd in voting.
"Every day, I write out my goals" Green continued. "Before the season, my goal was Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and 1st team All-American. I had high expectations coming into this season."
Green is the fifth JMU player to win the Dudley Award and the first since quarterback Bryan Schor in 2016.
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Watch replay of Dudley and Lanier Awards after Army-Navy game
Randolph-Macon quarterback Drew Campanale was a near unanimous choice for the 2023 Lanier Award given to Virginia's best player at the Division II, III, or NAIA level.
Campanale led a record-setting Yellow Jackets offense to the NCAA Division III semifinals for the first time in school history. He was the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season after completing 68.8% of his passes for 2,362 yards and 21 touchdowns with four interceptions. He is third in the nation with 17.0 yards per completion and third in the country with 11.7 yards per pass attempt. Campanale is fourth in Division III with a passing efficiency of 197.4. He has averaged 5.1 yards per carry.
"This is truly a team award," Campanale said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity Coach [Pedro] Arruza gave me to play football here at Randolph-Macon."Campanale is the third player from Randolph-Macon to win the Lanier Award.
Arruza has called Campanale the best quarterback to play at RMC during his 20-year tenure. Campanale received 14 of 15 first place votes for the Lanier trophy. Averett defensive end Jahlin Russell finished second in voting and VUU running back Jada Byers, who won this award last year, finished 3rd.
This year's awards were presented live on CBS 6 Saturday night and are named for two of Virginia's greatest football players. Bill Dudley was a Bluefield native who played at UVA and in the NFL primarily for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Willie Lanier is a Richmond native who played collegiately at Morgan State and was a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs. Lanier was named to both the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary teams
Dudley voting
1st 2nd 3rd PTS
Green/JMU – 6 5 3 48
Salter/Liberty 5 3 3 37
Washington/UVA 3 2 9 30
Henderson/ODU 1 3 0 14
Tuten/VT 0 2 0 6
Lanier voting
Campanale/RMC 14 0 0 70
Russell/Averett 1 6 7 30
Byers/VUU 0 7 4 25
Conroy/Shen 0 1 3 6
Murrin/W&L 0 1 1 4
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